Germany’s enduring new tradition

AACHEN, Germany — Carols ring out, bratwurst sizzle on griddles and the heady aroma of cinnamon-scented gluehwein warms the icy December air.

Nestled between the medieval city hall and the cathedral founded by Charlemagne, Aachen’s Weihnachtsmarkt is one of Germany’s best-known Christmas markets, its yuletide goodies drawing an estimated 1.5 million visitors to the tightly packed rows of wooden stalls.

Some Christmas markets, such as those in Dresden, Vienna or Strasbourg, date back to the Middle Ages. But the tradition has spread from German-speaking central Europe to become a much-loved advent event in cities from Birmingham to Budapest.

In Aachen, this seemingly venerable tradition actually dates back to the 1970s. Thanks to the city’s strategic location, it has become an enduring international success.

Aachen’s western suburbs lie over the border in the Netherlands. Belgium is four miles away to the southeast. And Aachen is barely a two-hour drive from the frontiers of France and Luxembourg. The one-time capital of Charlemagne’s European empire is also the closest German city for British day-tripping shoppers determined to stock up on handmade wooden toys, rock-hard gingerbread or just a hamper full of traditional German Christmas cheer.

This year they had to brave some of northern Europe’s heaviest December snowfalls in years, economic uncertainty and a terrorist scare.

“There are not so many people as last year,” said Sandra Freidenhoven, as she shook a batch of hot potato fritters from the pan at the Goldener Schwan food stall. “I think the weather is the main reason, then there’s that terrorism thing.”

Back in November, the German government warned there were “concrete indications” that Islamist militants were planning an attack in the country. Many feared the packed Christmas markets could be a prime target following the discovery by French and German police in 2000 of a plot to blow up the Christkindelsmaerik in the French border city of Strasbourg, one of Europe’s biggest Christmas markets.

Manfred Piana, managing director of the local retail association, said the warnings may have put some people off, particularly visitors from the Netherlands, where the terrorist warnings were headline news. Overall, however, numbers this year are fine, he insists, buoyed by the German economy's healthy recovery, which stands in stark contrast to much of the rest of Europe.

“The economy is very good and the mood is good. The retailers are making good sales, of course it depends on the weather from day to day, but overall we can be happy this Christmas,” said Piana. “Those selling hats and winter clothes are doing really well.”

Aachen was in the path of the blizzard that coated much of Europe in snow last weekend and the abundance of white stuff added to the festive atmosphere for those made it through. It certainly led to brisk sales at the stands selling mugs of steaming mulled wine or bowls of liver dumpling soup.

“There may be a little less than normal, but we’ve got enough people to keep us busy,” smiled Sandra Brammertz as she helped customers lining up at her stall to buy handcrafted Christmas decorations from the Bavarian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. A pewter Santa would set you back 14 euros ($18).

There are more than 2,500 Christmas markets held across Germany in the run-up to Christmas Eve, drawing a total of about 160 million visitors. These major tourist draws are estimated to contribute about 5 billion euros ($6.5 billion) to the national economy. In Aachen, 125 huts squeeze into the squares and lanes of the city’s historic heart from Nov. 12 through Dec. 23.

With a week still to go, Piana said the market had attracted 1,650 busloads of visitors in 2010, on par with 2009. Travelers from further afield often combine a visit to the market with a tour of the ninth-century, UNESCO-listed cathedral, the hot springs that have made Aachen a spa destination since Roman times, a trip to other nearby Christmas markets in Cologne or the fairytale village of Monschau deep in the Eifel hills.

For those who can’t make it over to Germany, several American cities now have their own Christmas markets. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket is sponsored by companies including Lufthansa and Mercedes-Benz and attracts over 1 million visitors. Usually supported by German-American communities, American Christmas markets often sell authentic German products, from glossy wooden nutcracker soldiers to star-shaped cinnamon cookies.

However, Piana pointed out an essential element missing from U.S. celebrations. Laws restricting public alcohol consumption in the United States mean the heady spices of mulled wine are often missing from the outdoor markets. “It’s just not the same without gluehwein,” he mused.