Germany is known for its Weilnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets) generally held from November 22nd to December 23rd. You find them in big cities such as Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Stuttgart where the markets have several hundred vendors and in towns and villages where they have smaller Weilnachtsmarkts.
One of my favorites is in the 750-year-old town of Saint Blasien nestled in the valley of the Alb River. Walking along the Umgheumgstrasse there I was drawn to the Weilnachtsmarkt in front of the Dom Saint Blasien by the wafting aromas of sizzling sausages, roasting chestnuts, fresh baked pretzels and evergreens. The air in front of the church was filled with the haunting strains of a soloist singing Amazing Grace in German. With a cup of gluhwein (hot spiced wine) and some Lebkuchen (honey bread) in hand, I joined a hearty group gathered around a table joking and having a good time while listening to a choir singing Christmas carols.
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[pin icon=”red2″ center=”0″ tooltip=”Dom Sankt Blasien”]Fürstabt-Gerbert-Straße 16, 79837 St. Blasien, Germany[/pin]
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To me Saint Blasien’s market, with its forty small wooden chalets, felt more intimate than the big ones I had been to in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg and Esslingen. Here I had the opportunity to talk to the crafters and vendors about their work and get an up close look at how they created their jewelry, intricately carved paper, wooden and straw designs, hand knitted socks, scarfs, and of course the gluhwein and foods.
Photos by Stillman Rogers Photography
The Weilnachtsmarkt is held on weekends in December and draws crowds of up to 30,000. People come from other parts of Germany and as it’s close to the border of both France and Switzerland (less than two hours) the town is a major destination for visitors from Zurich and Strasbourg.
Surrounded by the Schwarzwald (Black Forest), Saint Blaisen is a village known for its stunning 9th century Benedictine monastery, distinctive architecture, and ancient stone bridges crisscrossing the river. It also has great skiing and hiking trails. Along with these are the many health resorts dotting the region. One is the Radon Revital Bad offering Finnish saunas, individualized water treatments arranged by a bath physician and thermal pools.
Photos by Stillman Rogers Photography
Towering over the town is the Dom Saint Blasien, standing 62 meters in height with a dome that measures 46 meters in width, making it one of the largest in Europe. This is the second church on this site, the first (the monastery’s abbey) having burned down in 1768. Architect Pierre Michel d’lxnard designed the present day church in the Baroque style in 1781.
Throughout the centuries merchants have sold their goods from stalls on the Domplatz in front of the cathedral. That tradition continues today with Saint Blasien’s Weihnachtsmarkt.
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