Baden Baden Christmas Markets, Germany

To kick this blog post off. My first recommendation is to combine Baden Baden markets with Karlsruhe markets, take a look at what I have written and you can see the ways to best get to the general area here. Specifically getting to Baden Baden from Karlsruhe, the train is really very easy and I would say it is the best option. If you decide to drive you may find parking and traffic issues. The S Bahn/slow train takes about 30 minutes, runs pretty frequently and is around 10 Euro. The fast train takes 15 minutes but is a crazy 25 or 30 Euro – one way! What’s 15 minutes? Go for the slow one and spend your savings at the markets!

Baden Baden, any idea what this means? Directly translated it basically means Bath Bath. Baden Baden is a historic bath and therapeutic water/spa town. Unlike Karlsruhe, the town, and its center, are attractive. Arriving here, it gave a very historic feel, it has a distinctive affluent, turn of the century 1800s/1900s, health retreat vibe – go and you will see what I mean. I got the impression that visiting in summer, it would be bustling with tourists. And I think at some point we will visit here in the warmer months, maybe even having a wellness and spa weekend and imagining I am an aristocratic tourist from Victorian Britain!

Also to point out, perhaps as I have described it, and the image you are making in your head, of spa touristy town, you are perhaps, as I did, thinking small, village like place. You, as I was, would be quite wrong! The train station is miles from the town center, I am not exaggerating, its 5km or so, a bit too far to walk, so grab a bus heading to town. I don’t think it’s a massive place, but it is quite big and certainly a town or city rather than a village.

Right, let’s talk markets! You are on the bus from the station, consider jumping off the bus at Augustaplatz, not a bad starting point, at first glance I thought the markets were small, and we would be done in 10 minutes or so – looks can be deceiving! We spent a full day here and could have stayed a bit longer, into the evening actually.

From the bus stop Augustaplatz, you can enter the markets by going past an outdoor, but covered, ice rink (feel free to have a slide), crossing a small foot bridge, straight out of a period drama, turn right, following the stream through the park to the start of the markets near the casino, the walk is a few minutes only.

If you enter the markets from the route I have given you, on the right-hand side as you go in, will be some small kids rides. The little Christmas train choo chooing along its route, which these days makes an appearance at most markets. A small Ferris Wheel, the kids can go on this solo if they like. As well as a few other rides, definitely more appealing to the younger kids, if they are 10 or older I suspect they may be too old for such rides.

Something nice here, in this area, is a do-it-yourself bakery. It is around 10 euro, and the kids can go in, bake Christmas Cookies with friendly staff helping them – even available in English language, as well as German. This is a good option to make the trip fun for the little ones as well as you. If they are old enough to not need close supervision, you can leave them with the staff and take yourself off for 45 minutes while they are happily baking their cookies.

These markets are quite different from Karlsruhe, it had a much more, ‘here to shop’ feel about it rather than ‘I’m here to soak in the vibe’. There are a lot of craft and gift stands, some selling beautiful decorations, plenty selling craft alcohol, for taking home rather than drinking there - usually they will allow you to sample it. And as always, of course they are present, the drink and food stands with plenty of variety.

If you remember, I told you on the right as you enter you have the kids rides, well go left, and all the way to the end, on the left-hand side, you will find plenty of public toilets to use if needed.

This market is compact, I didn’t feel squeezed, but it was a bit tight, they squeeze a lot in. At the top end of the park, and heading in towards the park itself, is the food area, it’s more spacious here, and lots of options to cater for all tastes, there is space to perch and eat your dish of choice, and/or to socialise with a stranger over a warm beverage. In this particular area you will also see a stage, and if you have luck, you will catch a performance of whatever genre is on at that time.

The markets are spread all over the park, you can follow the route in a semi logical and organised way to make sure you see each and every stand. Moving down one of the interconnecting paths joining two of the main routes, on one side, they had stained glass windows designed and painted by local school kids, and the other side had igloo pods serving you a sit-down meal. Roaming around the markets you will eventually find yourself at what is called Trinkhalle (pump house), a nice old, semi open, building, with a Christmas tree inside it and a display of nativity scenes.

Inside here are also toilets you can use – at my age, always good to know where these are. Gluhwein and cold air has its effect.

Down below the Trinkhalle, essentially at the other entrance of the markets to the one you have used, will be some installations to have pictures taken, sleighs, reindeers etc etc. It’s all about the social media post these days right!

Baden Baden Christmas markets cover a large area, from what I have seen, all located in the same place and not spread over the city, like other towns have them. It is a nice day out and I would suggest getting there to have a look. For a weekend it may be a bit small to just do Baden Baden, so you really should consider, with a few days in the area, combining the markets at Karlsruhe, or, of course combine it with a wellness hotel in town and pamper yourself on the days you are not at the markets.

There is quite a lot around here in what would be a relatively short distance. Stuttgart, and Manheim in Germany, or Strasbourg, and Colmar in France, even Basel in Switzerland, they are big cities, all with their own markets.

Moving away from the Baden Baden markets, while still remaining in town, you can head into the pedestrianised shopping zone and high street. It’s a very nice downtown. Make sure you navigate yourself to Brunnen am Jesuitenplatz, here are a couple of restaurants, Laterne and Löwenbräu Keller. They have gone mad for Christmas, this square and the buildings have just about decorated every inch. Singing reindeer, Santa doing gymnastics, there was an actual Santa posing for pictures - for a fee, and a street performer close by entertaining the crowds that flock to this square. It is done very nicely, of course its tacky and cheesy, but it is Christmas, and it’s amazing. Don’t miss it. And feel free to rest your tired feet, warming up in one of the two venues I mention above. Have some food or just a drink.

We just went for a day trip from Karlsruhe and easily filled our time. If you are staying in town longer and have already treated yourself to a spa and wellness, some other ideas to share would be the Fabergé Museum, you know, those decorated and prized Russian eggs. Well, Fabergè was actually a jeweller and some of his creation can be found in this dedicated museum. Otherwise maybe you want to see the ruins of the Roman baths, maybe you would even want to bath how the Romans did back in the day, at the Friedrichsbad. Or just wondering around, the bigger than expected, downtown streets, the old town and shopping area, it would be interesting and very pleasant use of your time.

What’s interesting about Germany, certainly their markets, cash is very much king. It was not so easy to pay by card at the markets, so do take plenty of cash, maybe they begin to move with the times, but from our experience, mostly we had to pay cash. If you are in Karlsruhe for the weekend and visiting Baden Baden for the day, it will be easier to get money out of the bank in Karlsruhe. I didn’t find a cash machine that easily in Baden Baden, although of course they are around.

If you are needing to get back to a hotel that’s a train ride away, meander along until you find a bus stop, as long as you are on the side of the road, that traffic is going in the direction of the train station, locals told us just about every bus will go there. Bahnhof, would be the German word for train station.

Before I finish, one last gem of information. Baden Baden markets are actually open into the first week of January. In my experience this is rare for Germany, where all the markets typically shut on the 23rd of December. Obviously far from ideal if you go to the markets looking for tree decorations! But it is great if you are having a Christmas, and or a New Year break/celebration in town or close by - you will still get to see and enjoy the markets and festive spirit right up until the rest of us are back at work, recalling Christmas as a distant memory.

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Janus.Skyr-Gobbler@NewYearsEveWithKids.com

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