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Michelstadt and neighboring Erbach are already adorable towns right out of a fairy tale. Add a Christmas market and you’re walking right down Christmasstrasse! This was our Favorite Christmas Market of 2013 based purely on its charm.
The beautiful Historisches Rathaus presides over the Fachwerk-filled town. A choir and brass band members gathered underneath to give a wonderful performance during our first visit to the market.
Michelstadt is a sprawling market with Glühwein stands down every alley, vendors on streets and in cellars. The streets are packed. This market is a huge tourist draw–people are bussed in from all around.
But I wasn’t drinking Glühwein in Michelstadt–I was drinking the Heisse Oma. The ‘hot grandma’ is hot cocoa with amaretto and whipped cream. Y-U-M. Grandpa’s manly Heisser Opa contains rum instead of amaretto. In the name of science, I sampled Feuerzangenbowle, which I’d read about in a Germany, Ja! post. It’s pretty strong. I’m sticking to Granny’s hot cocoa.
One of my favorite details of this market was the large nutcrackers and wooden figures typical of the Odenwald; they were scattered throughout the market.
In a cellar near the Christmas Pyramid, artisans sold their carvings and other handmade items. Some of the kiosks out in the street sold items not made in Germany, but in the cellar of this building, you know you’re getting the real deal. Some of it was quite pricey. A glass shop was nearby.
For the kids, there were a carousel and a small train ride.
You have to pay attention in Michelstadt–it’s full of cul-de-sacs and alleyways, so it is very easy to get turned around. But who cares? You’re in magical Michelstadt!
What we bought: a wooden ornament, socks, cookie cutters, and some Jack Wolfskin products from one of the several well-stocked outdoor wear stores in town.
