I was in the mood for a good German Christmas market experience this year. The most brilliant one I’ve had in my time in Europe was in Vienna. So I was in search for the same experience.
I learned that just as people and places are different, so too are Christmas markets. Düsseldorf was fantastic. Nestled between plazas and open spaces, you could walk from one market to another. It was very crowded, it being the last weekend before Christmas. It was made harder by my friend pushing a double pram through the crowds. Some complained. Most have way.
The wooden huts were filled with all sorts of goodies: wooden Angels, candles, cheese, sausages, glass goods, crystals. And repeat. I didn’t buy anything, only food. I’m in my non-acquisition-unless-it-pleaseth-me phase. My minimalist phase, my Marie Kondo phase. So I bought food. After all, the experience is in the eating and sharing, is it not?
Our trip into Düsseldorf was very easy. Our friends live just outside a train stop, and this is a far better option than driving in. In total, it cost us €13 for a day ticket for our whole family of three. In London, that would have been just one person.
Düsseldorf is rebuilding its city, much of it around its waterfront. I’m told Düsseldorf means Little River by the village. Apparently, this is used as a point of rivalry by nearby Cologne. Ancient spat matches. It’s a lovely city, great walkways, nice shops and restaurants, and boulevards.
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