Christmas in Hamburg 2018: markets, shopping, and seasonal delights

Hamburg, 19 November 2018 (HHT) – Towards the end of this month, Hamburg will once again be transformed into the Christmas capital of Northern Germany: from 26 November, as many as 18 Christmas markets will dress the city in a festive robe, attracting over six million visitors. And every guest to Hamburg will find exactly the Christmas market of their choice – ranging from traditional and nostalgic to festive and even frivolous. All information on Hamburg’s upcoming Christmas season plus many shopping tips and inspiring Christmas videos are available at www.hamburg-travel.com/christmas

Traditionally, Hamburg’s Christmas markets open their gates on the Monday following the Sunday of the Dead, i.e. on 26 November this year. The weeks that follow are perhaps the best time for retail therapy in Germany‘s north, for only the festive season allows you to combine your shopping tour with a stroll around Hamburg’s 18 Christmas markets. And what could be more fun than enjoying delicious mulled wine to warm yourself up and relax before you are once again hitting the shops? Hamburg’s Christmas markets are spread throughout the city centre and invite you to experience the magic of Christmas. Here are but a few examples:

Hamburg’s historic Christmas market, for instance, awaits you with a journey into your childhood days, with Christmas wonders and that special nostalgic feeling. Against the impressive backdrop of Hamburg’s town hall, some 80 vendors, craftsmen and other merchants from around Germany will once again be presenting their goods to the public. Tasty organic mulled wine, mouth-watering sweets, quality arts and crafts and a flying Santa Claus will make not only children’s hearts beat faster (26/11 to 23/12, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday & Saturday until 10 p.m.).

Only a stone’s throw away, you will find the Winter Magic market on Hamburg's magnificent Jungfernstieg boulevard. The scent of mulled wine, cinnamon and roasted almonds fills the air on the stretch between the Nivea Haus and Europapassage, while a Christmas Ferris wheel offers a great view of the city centre, and the traditional fairy tale ships on the Alster Lake invite young and old to enjoy book readings and baking sessions on board (26/11 to 23/12 and 26/12 to 30/12.,11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday & Saturday until 10 p.m.).

Also this year, the traditional Winterwald market will be one of the main meeting points in the city centre. The lovingly decorated stalls on Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz just off the Mönckebergstrasse shopping mile will be selling arts and crafts, traditional food, mulled wine, and much more – and all of this in the middle of natural pine trees. The market even boasts Hamburg’s tallest Christmas tree, which will be decorated with more than 100,000 lights (26/11 to 29/12, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.).

With its lovely little gingerbread cottages, the gingerbread village on the Gänsemarkt square promises a truly heart-warming experience. Here you can expect specialities from roast suckling pig to gingerbread, creative decorations as well as a variety of handcrafted products – and all of this embedded in a nostalgic Christmas setting that is centred around the Gotthold Ephraim Lessing monument in the middle of the square (26/11 to 22/12, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.).

The somewhat hidden market on the Fleetinsel represents the more tranquil side of Christmas. In the absence of street noise and bright lighting and with its maritime flair directly on the canal, the Fleetinsel market, including the Fleet Lounge, is an ideal spot for ringing out the day peacefully with a glass of mulled wine in your hand (26/11 to 23/12, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.).

Exactly the opposite scenario awaits you just outside the city centre on what is arguably the world's quirkiest Christmas market: Santa Pauli. Situated directly on the Reeperbahn, the boundaries are blurring between conventional Christmas traditions and frivolous St Pauli ways. The market lures visitors with live music on several show stages as well as seductive angels in the strip tent. And at the creative market stalls you can find virtually everything your heart desires (19/11 to 23/12, Monday to  Wednesday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday & Saturday 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.).

Just as lively: the Christmas market of Hamburg's LBGT community in the vibrant St Georg neighbourhood. On the streets adjacent to the central railway station, visitors can expect cool music tunes rather than traditional Christmas carols, and on Fridays and Saturdays there will be guest performances by renowned DJs (26/11 to 30/12, Friday to Saturday 12 p.m. to midnight, Sunday to Thursday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., closed between 24 and 26 December).

Hamburg's newest urban district, the HafenCity Hamburg, is adopting a slightly more active approach: in front of the Old Harbour Office on the Überseeboulevard, visitors can expect a very special Christmas experience – with a Christmas lounge and a large ice rink, and free skating for children and young people under 18 (26/11 to 30/12., 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed on 24 and 25 December).

To view a full list of Hamburg’s Christmas markets, an overview of this year’s Advent season highlights as well as attractive package deals, please visit www.hamburg-travel.com/christmas.

Showtime at the Christmas Parade and the Hamburg DOM

The Christmas season in Hamburg does not only include contemplative and vibrant scenarios, but also offers some great shows – for example, at the Hamburg Christmas Parade, which is inspired by US Christmas parades and is celebrated in Hamburg’s city centre between Mönckebergstrasse and Jungfernstieg (1/12; 8/12; 15/12; 22/12 at 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.). Until 9 December, plenty of action also awaits you at the Hamburg DOM funfair on the Heiligengeistfeld, where some 250 attractions will be lined up on a 1.6 kilometre stretch. As well as offering lots of entertainment and tasty food from around the globe, the Hamburg DOM also hosts a big fireworks display on Sundays.

Christmas in Hamburg: from 185 euro for four days including train ticket within Germany

Hamburg Tourismus GmbH (HHT) has compiled a number of attractive offers and accommodation packages for your trip to Hamburg during the pre-Christmas period. Starting from 185 euro per person, guests can enjoy three overnight stays at a hotel including breakfast, a comfortable Deutsche Bahn journey from within Germany as well as one Hamburg CARD – the discovery ticket that includes reduced rates as well as free travel within the local public transport network. So there will be enough time to discover Hamburg during the festive season and to indulge in extensive Christmas shopping. Bookings can be made online at www.hamburg-tourismus.de/bahnhit or by telephone by calling +49 40 300 51 701.

Still on the hunt for Christmas gifts?

Are you still on the lookout for Christmas gifts for your loved ones? How about an unforgettable stay in Hamburg then. You can book a Hamburg voucher with the design of your choice and from the comfort of your own home. To learn more, please visit www.hamburg-tourism.de/suchen-buchen/hamburg-gutschein-schenken/ (content available in German only).

Further information on Hamburg:

- Media services as well as general information on Hamburg: mediarelations.hamburg.de

- Comprehensive digital press kit on Christmas in Hamburg: www.marketing.hamburg.de/weihnachten

- Christmas-themed Hamburg pictures: http://marketing.hamburg.de/download-center

More Hamburg:

Many more Hamburg tips for download or online at the following Websites:

- HHT website: hamburg-travel.com

- Hamburg CARD: hamburg-tourismus.de/card

- Calendar of events: www.hamburg-travel.com/experience/events

- Event app, including “culture alert”: hh-events.de

- Hamburg App: hh-app.de