photo: Manfred Weber.
Have you ever experienced this? You’re standing in front of a packed buffet at the company Christmas party and you’re just about to start feasting when you think: wait a minute, where are the vegan and gluten-free dishes? Sometimes you’re lucky and find at least a selection of, well, one dish. But often there are simply no dishes that meet one or the other criterion – let alone both. Eating then becomes an exclusive and, let’s face it, exceedingly monotonous affair.
Heissa Holzmarkt.
With our nerves hanging on really thin threads these days due to the… – let’s just call it circumstance – there is only one thing really keeping us remotely sane: the prospect of Christmas. It’s like that one warm cozy light at the end of the tunnel that is the second year in a fucking pandemic.
While a lot of markets were actually not happening last year, the vaccinations and current regulations make it possible that they are happening again this year. We are glad they are because Christmas and Winter markets make up for a lot of the magic of the holiday season. And no better excuse to fill up on mulled wine than a visit to a Christmas market.
Of course, we wouldn’t be iHeartBerlin if we sent you to the regular markets happening in the usual places – you know where to find those. We picked the more unique and special ones that often come with a little twist as well. Here goes our Christmas Market guide for 2021. (Mind you, they all call themselves “Winter Markets” these days for whatever reason that might be…)
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Christmas season is upon us, and for many, it is connected with the necessity to assort a collection of suitable gifts for a number of people. If your schedule is so tight you can barely make it to any of the alternative Christmas markets we’ve listed here, there’s another option with more regular opening hours: the concept shopping mall Bikini Berlin with their many awesome stores and a unique gift-wrapping station, ready to welcome you right until December 24th!
Heissa Holzmarkt.
Although Berliners are known to hate the wintertime, December brings one special treat that somehow alleviates the pain. Even those hardened freelancers who don’t need to show up for work and seriously consider hibernating with takeout as a viable survival solution are likely to leave the comfort of their home office when they hear two magic words: Christmas markets. And seriously, what’s not to love? Berlin’s Christmas markets reflect the spirit of the town itself and many of them have little to do with the cheesy vibe of dumb consumerism. On the contrary – they present a chance to discover and support local creators, get to know locations that remain relevant all year round, and last but not least, have a glass of the classic Glühwein. Read on to discover the coolest Christmas markets and special sales going on this year!