Bonn used to be the capital of West Germany before the unification of Germany. The city is on the Rhine River and is famous for its unique history and culture.
When the weather is cold and dark, the Christmas market of the Bonn is enlightened with a crowd and gives a cozy feeling to its visitors.
Bonn's old town was fully cheered up with Christmas festivity. All the streets of the old town were decorated with colorful lights and the main entrance of the streets was decorated and welcoming the audience. There were more than 180 beautiful hut-style stalls with christmas decor and Santa on the top of the Stalls.
How to reach Bonn:
Bonn is among the largest cities in Germany so it's relatively easy to reach Bonn whether you are coming from within Germany or from abroad.
a. By Air:
The closest airport to Bonn is Cologne Airport, which has mainly flights from different European countries. From the Cologne Airport, you can take a Regional train (RE or RB) to connect directly from Cologne Bonn Airport to Bonn’s central station in 30 minutes.
b. By Train:
It's very easy to reach Cologne by train as it's connected to Germany and other neighboring countries aswell. Deutsche Bahn operates regular trains to Cologne from major cities.
c. By Bus:
It's a budgeted way to travel and there are different companies like FlixBus that have different routes to other German cities and other countries like France, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic.
Tips for Visiting Bonn Christmas Market:
The Weekdays and early afternoons are less crowded whereas the weekends and evenings get very crowded. When the sunsets and the lights are turned on, the market looks very magical.
When we visited, the weather unexpectedly started dropping to -8 in Bonn so it’s highly recommended to wear warm and comfortable clothes including gloves, a scarf, and a cap.
Most of the stalls accept only cash, so it’s highly recommended to carry the cash.
There are also live entertainment and events that take place during the season - check out the schedule in advance to find out different programs.
It’s a bit complicated to find the parking so it’s recommended to use public transportation. The city also has a good transportation system.
What to eat in Bonn Christmas Market:
Bratwurst: A grilled sausage served in a crusty roll, typically with mustard or ketchup.
Reibekuchen: These are potato pancakes served with applesauce or herb quark (a type of creamy cheese).
Raclette: Melted cheese served over potatoes or bread, often accompanied by pickles.
Flammkuchen (German Flatbread): A German version of pizza with a thin crust, topped with sour cream, onions, and sometimes bacon.
Gebrannte Mandeln: Sugar-coated roasted almonds, a popular German specialty with a delicious caramelized flavor.
Stollen: A fruit-filled bread dusted with powdered sugar, often containing nuts and spices.
Lebkuchen: Traditional German gingerbread, flavored with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
Schneeballen (Snowballs): Fried dough pastries dusted with powdered sugar, resembling snowballs.
Käsekrainer: A sausage filled with melted cheese, usually served with mustard or ketchup.
Crepes: Though not a German specialty, crepes are popular among visitors. They are served with toppings like Nutella, sugar, cinnamon, or fruit preserves.
Kartoffelpuffer (Potato Fritters): Potato fritters are often served with a variety of sauces and seasonings.
Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream: A warm drink topped with whipped cream and often flavored with peppermint or cinnamon.
Bonn Christmas Market:
We got a chance to visit the christmas market in Bonn in December 2018 and it was the 50th anniversary of the Bonn Christmas market of Bonn. The Christmas Market in Bonn starts at the end of November and it’s till December 23.
1. Christmas Market at Munsterplatz:
The main Christmas market is set up in the main square of Bonn Old Town called “Munsterplatz”. The square is packed with stalls selling decorative stuff for christmas, wooden carved ornaments, candles, souvenirs, starry lights, woolen shawls, Handicrafts, Ceramics, leather goods, and many other everyday items.
There were lots of food stalls aswell which were full of crowds and serving delicious christmas culinary delights like potato pancakes, gingerbread, mandels, wurst, Pommes, etc.
In 2018, they placed an Observatory Tower that looks like a Christmas Candle on Remigius Platz. From the top of the tower(about 81 meters tall), you can enjoy the mind-blowing view of the old town depicting the festivity and lights of Christmas.
There was also a restaurant at the bottom of the tower to enjoy the food and drinks. The market is also famous for its culinary items including smoked salmon, Fresh German pizza called ‘‘Flammkuchen” gingerbread, and, hot chocolate.
2. Christmas Market at Friedensplatz in Bonn:
Christmas Market at Friedensplatz is also one of the most visited Christmas Markets in Bonn. It has own for its lively atmosphere and food stalls. It won’t be a lie if I say that it’s a paradise for food lovers. There are stalls selling holiday specialties like roasted almonds and gingerbread.
The stalls are set up in a traditional chalet-style wooden hut selling handicrafts, holiday gifts, ornaments, candles, woolen scarves, and carved wooden toys.
3. Christmas Market at Marktplatz in Bonn:
Marktplatz hosts a most picturesque christmas market with a background of Bonn Old Town. The Marktplatz christmas market is like a magical winter wonderland. There are small wooden stalls which are selling handcrafted wooden specialties, jewelry, scarves, and souvenirs.
There are also many stalls selling christmas ornaments and decorations. You can also find seasonal treats and warm drinks like Reibekuchen (crispy potato pancakes served with apple sauce), Bratwurst, and Raclette (melted cheese over potatoes or bread), Schneeballen (sweet pastry balls dusted with sugar), marzipan, and gingerbread.
Marktplatz is also famous among families and kids as they have different activities such as a carousel, and occasional live performances, such as carol singing or storytelling.
4. Christmas Market at Bottlerplatz in Bonn:
Christmas Market in Bottlerplatz is a bit relaxed and cozy christmas market as compared to the main christmas market. It has small wooden stalls with twinkling lights selling souvenirs, and wooden specialties, and there are stalls selling christmas food.
5. Christmas festivity at Drachenburg Castle in Konigswinter, Bonn:
Apart from the Christmas markets in the old town of Bonn, we would highly suggest visiting and experiencing the Christmas festivity in Drachenburg Castle in Konigswinter, Bonn.
It is around 18 KM from Bonn's main train station and is highly accessible by local trams in 25-30 minutes.
They have set up a Christmas market around the castle with beautiful stalls. They have created a scene from old times with hay and bushes spread on the floor.
They also have lots of stalls selling different specialties of christmas like decoration pieces, scarfs, woolen gloves, socks and many more. There were also food stalls offering food and drinks.
There is also a live performance going on for the audience and lots of families and kids are gathered around the stage and enjoying it.
Ending note:
To experience the medieval christmas market, we would highly suggest visiting Siegburg Christmas Market. Siegburg is around 20 minutes away from Bonn's main train station. The market presents the true authentic German flavor and takes back to the Middle Ages with traditional stalls, jugglers, and live performances.
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