Having walked through the brighter market next door, this market felt quite dark. It added to the…read moreexperience, with the red stars adding an eerie illumination appropriate for the space by the church and the little devil. This market features handicrafts, supposedly those more appropriate for the historic market. The crepes, drinks, and food were all simpler. I quite enjoyed the wild boar bratwurst and mustard. I also had some punsch in a stoneware mug. They've got an olive wood booth, a meat and cheese booth, a sausage booth, a toy booth, a clothes booth, and a stage for some musical performances.

This was the first Christmas market that I visited. I thought that many of the stalls were…read moreslightly repetitive, offering many of the same things, with some variation in decoration. After visiting several nights in a row, I noticed more variation. This market has sweets, meats, drinks, ornaments, jewelry, spices, toys, and a carousel. I loved the lights hanging from the pole in the middle to the town hall and the huge Christmas trees. There was also the large Weihnachtspyramide just off the main street. All the decorations were charming, especially after dark. Most places charge you €2 for the deposit on your mug, and will give you a token or piece of paper to bring back when you're done. There are public toilets on the west side, closest to the big department store.

My wife and I took a day trip up to Lubeck from Hamburg to see the old town and the Christmas…read moremarkets. The main Christmas market featured cute stands although they had greater interior space. We had the best mushrooms we've ever had at one of the stands.