Evidently this Christmas market had moved a couple years ago, but now it's back in its original location (across from our hotel). It was our first visit and set a good example for comparison. It's tidy, with matching vendor booths. Each vendor had their own gluwein mug which seemed odd. But if you wanted to collect them you'd get a lot in one place. I really liked the big arts and crafts booth. It's was a coveted building (great to get warm) and most of the vendors were actually demonstrating their crafts (woodworker from Oberommergau, mammoth bone carver, a potter, etc). Some pricier items but nice to see truly unique options that were actually local. A lot of the booths in the main area had the same kinds of items we've seen at markets in the US. Nice but nothing special. Food booths though had nice variety. And there was a stage with acrobats, singing, plate spinning, just fun entertainment. It's free during the week days, but a 2 euro fee on weekends and weekday evenings. read more

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Visited for Christmas Market. Unlike other markets, there was an admission, which was only 2Euro but, for some reason, this Market was so jam-packed with people you could not get near any of the stalls much less the gluhvein huts. Yes, the quality of the crafts and souvenirs were much nicer than in other Markets but they were all very overpriced. The food smelled good, but again, you couldn't get near any of them to see or purchase the food. Yes, I visited on the Saturday before Christmas but at 4pm I can't imagine how much worse it would be at 8pm. People were rude and pushing and it completely ruined the experience. Disappointing. read more

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Quaint and classy Christmas market. It took forever to find. The location/direction on Yelp was not correct. We and several others were walking in circles trying to find and a local helped us out. They need to update their Yelp page. They have two listings...once we found it we enjoyed the Glühwein and the vendor quality and variety was great. It cost 1 euro but was worth it. Most are free. read more

WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt - Christmas market - Christmas Markets Near Me - Berlin, BE

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What a fun Christmas market! It was recommended by some locals because not only is it nice but also charges 1 Euro, which keeps the begging gypsies out. Good idea! Located in the heart of Mitte, this market was large and packed with people. Happy, drunk people! Beer and mulled wine stands were all over the market. Mmmm, mulled wine...good stuff. The cute little "stores" under tents were plentiful. And quite expensive. This didn't stop people from buying, the the whole place was elbow to elbow, which is why I didn't give 5 stars. I felt a little claustrophobic. I still recommend this nice market that was festive full of local fare. read more

WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt - 2015 Christmas Gendarmenmarkt - Christmas Markets Near Me - Berlin, BE

This was rated as one of the top Christmas Markets in Berlin, and was across the street from our hotel (Hilton Berlin). We popped in the night we arrived just before the market was officially closed. Most of the vendors had already closed down for the day, but there was one open still serving drinks. We were greeted with a very warm welcome, and a glass of champagne! Apparently that's what the vendor felt I needed at that hour of the night. On our second visit to WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt we paid a euro like everyone else. We found traditional craft vendors, tons of brats, live entertainment and more! There were even a few sections where they had set up temporary walls to host more expensive vendors and even two restaurants! The heated area of vendors had very high quality (and higher priced) merchandise. We sampled the gluhwein and noshed on traditional German treats. I will say that the market is very pretty at night, so if you get the chance at least pass by at night. read more

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So, you are in Berlin for Christmas and wondering which Weihnachtsmarkt to visit? If you have the time, you will probably stumble upon most of them while making your way through the city. However, if time isn't your friend, then WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt is where you would like to go first. Well decorated, plenty of shop, crowded, music, glühwein galore, wurst galore, marzipan, all things Christmas - it is here. It was even snowing when I visited, so this added up to the Christmas magic. If you feel like warming up a bit and glühwein isn't helping, there's a covered area with neat shops inside. They offer variety of stuff - from Christmas related to some totally random (at least for me). From the traditional for every Christmas market Weihnachtspyramide shop, through a handmade handbags shop and even a place to have a snack at. There is a stage at the market, with some events going on at certain times, so you may want to check the schedule for anything that might be of interest to you. And just mentioning this as a fact - there's 1 euro admission fee. I went to Berlin especially to feel its Christmas magic and the Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt did not disappoint at all. read more

WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt - Christmas Markets Near Me - Berlin, BE

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Flying half way around the world to experience Christmas Markets in Germany was one of the best decisions of my life. I chose Berlin since I heard there was 50, but I only had 30 hours and visiting two was more than enough. I started with the largest Weihnachtszauber (Christmas Magic) Gendarmenmarkt (open Nov 26-Dec31s) packed more than Disneyland and I spent 6 hours walking at a foot shuffle pace taking photos and sampling nearly every Christmas food offered. But this isn't just a tourist activity, Christmas Markets are a hangout for locals at night gathering around drinking Christmas drinks and eating the most delicious foods. I was surprised how incredible the food was, no idea why I had the assumption that I would not care for German food. The Sausage and pretzels are nothing I've tried or knew, they were amazing! My favorites were: *Lecker Hahmbrot, Sourdough, sour cream, bacon & green onions fresh out of a coal stove oven. *Thuringer Bratwurst. Most amazing tasting Sausage I've ever tried! *The pretzel, nothing like I've tried anywhere else in the world. It was bready and flavorful. *Raclette served on sourdough and bacon. *Langos Fried sweet dough with garlic oil, sour cream, and parsley. *Glühwein and Eierpunsch (eggnog cocktail) and served in the cutest souvenir mugs. I took home the cutest glass ball that lights up beautifully with a tea candle, gingerbread and four mugs. Only negative was one of the workers were grumpy and unpleasant. Thankfully only 20% or so. Tip: Get there close to when they open after 11am as it get super packed at sundown and unable to walk more than a shuffle pace. read more

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This is one of the more beautiful and well-organized Christmas markets in Berlin. The decoration is tasteful, the layout is precise and pristine, and there doesn't seem to be too much overlap in the different products being sold. Also, many of the booths are "indoors" with shield from the cold and heating. Having places to sit also helps cut down on all the foot traffic. That said, for a vegan, there is little to be excited about. Most, if not all of the food is meat and cheese, so come having already eaten or bring your own snacks. As for the goods sold, there is a nice variety, but likely nothing Î would buy. The only stand I stopped at was the candy one, and they didn't even have peppermint candy canes. All that said, I think this place exudes a lot of atmosphere, and definitely recommend it for a Christmas market first-timer. It's definitely the kind of place I would take my parents if they visited during Christmas season. Pro tip: It costs 1€to enter, but show up before 2 p.m. on a week day to get in for free. It is guaranteed to be less cold, and less crowded. read more

This is market not to be missed. Beautiful buildings are the backdrop for adorable booths and a gorgeous Christmas tree. They have live music often and a covered area with shops and restaurants to warm up. While none of the wares or food are totally novel, you can find a tasty langos, amazing cheese and warm gluhwein. As well as some very nice ornaments and crafts. My previous review was cynical and I let a cranky attendant put me in an unreasonably foul mood. read more

This review is for the Christmas Market at Gendarmenmarkt. The 1 euro admission price sure goes a long way here. A huge variety of local food/drink options from various stands, almost continuous live entertainment (at least during the evening), neat shops selling all sorts of doodads, and some of the best people watching around. Highlights: - Sausage: The essential German street food. They do it right here. Fresh off the wood burning grills. - Glögg: Basically mulled wine. I highly suggest you go with the version containing vanilla vodka, slices almonds, and raisins. Warmth and comfort in a glass. Just make sure to return that glass, ~3 euro deposit. -Flammkuchen: Small flat bread with sour cream, chives and bacon cooked in a wood fired oven. Sounds a little weird to this American, but boy was it tasty. -Cheesy bread: Craziest food thing I have seen in a while. You basically walk up to a counter and order one with or without bacon. The cook has several half-wheels of high quality cheese melting under a heater. She takes a knife and scrapes off the top layer of goodness onto a slice of toast and tops with bacon. A-m-a-z-i-n-g! -Music: Lots of Xmas music. Most of it well performed especially after several Glögg's. -Hours: Longest open Xmas market that I know of. Best of all, open after Xmas; November 21 - December 31 for 2011 -New Year's Eve: The exception to the 1 euro admission. It's actually 10 euro on NYE, but the fireworks show at midnight is worth the price. Also, the crowd was much more tame than the main celebration at Brandenburg Gate read more

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Nothing beats holiday season in Europe like a good ole Christmas Market. You can find a plethora of Christmas Markets in a big city like Berlin, but by and far from the ones I visited in Alexander platz, and Potsdamer platz (though the two have better Glühwein mugs) I preferred the Gendarmenmarkt. All markets tend to be the same in terms of vendors thats sell the following: christmas decorations, wool items, olive wood items, soaps, sweets, nuts, alcohol and wurst. This market has a couple of indoor tents that are nicely heated that have some great artisan crafts from woodwork, leather makers, and nice scale jewelry among things- actual items that you would buy as gifts for friends for the holidays, and not so much as souvenir items. The food, in my opinion also was better at this market. They had delicious raclettes! (which I didn't find in any of others I went to) Whats a raclette you may ask? A cheese fondue melting in its original wax casing, that then gets scraped on to your choice of potatoes or toast and sprinkled with smoked ham and spices. On a cold snowy Berlin day, hot cheese on starch is always nice! Glühwein: What makes any Christmas market tolerable given the freezing weather conditions. Hot mulled wine is standard at any market and drunken by everyone, I particularly like mine with rum. Flammkuchen: The german version of pizza, though instead of cheese they used a béchamel sauce. They have some great vendor that rolls out the dough right then and there and throw it into a fire oven. Tongues water at the sight when they open the oven and lines form right away. Longos: Deep fried dough that you can have savory (pizza like toppings and sour cream) or sweet (nutella or applesauce, or just butter and powdered sugar). Marone: Roasted chestnuts in a giants cast iron pot! If you ever find yourself in Berlin during christmas, any christmas market will do. But if I could take my pick I would come back to this one particularly. note* they do charge 1€ on the weekends as part of an entertainment fee (carolers, musicians etc..) read more

This will cost you 1 euro per person to enter, but it is very spacious with unique shops. Lots of food options as well. There is also a little outside bar just past 1 of the entrances that has glüwein for 3.50 euro that is the size equivalent of 2 mugs inside, at least! The bathrooms here are very nice and will cost you 0.50 euro. All in all, a great market with lots of things to see. Would return! read more

'which market have you visited?' was the question asked most about Berlin. 'the one between two churches' we said excitedly, not wanting to butcher the german pronounciation of gendarmenmarkt. This market was great, sure a euro to get in, but all in all, it was the one that I went to visit twice because I loved the atmosphere so much, it was like a really nice mix of locals and british tourists, and OMG I LOVED THE CHRISTMAS BAUBLE STORE. I never knew you could have a whole shop dedicated to christmas decorations and ornaments. it was PURE kitsch. Do you know what else I loved- the drinks that came with a souvenir mug/glass. They were too adorable. and the hot apple drink was lovely! Talking about drinks, trying to order a half pint in berlin here is hard. They gave me a pint instead. not that i should complain because I ordered a really yummy beer. But it was bigger than the size of my face. and half the size of my body. (TOILETS PLEASE- which is 30 cents....but when you gotta go, you gotta go) They also have a stage dedicated to live music- and there was an acapella german man band who did a backstreet boys tribute song, with boyband dance moves. I loved it, it was amazing! (also, it's really the skinny small guy in the group that has the deepest singing voice- i mean, at least you know there's a god...) This market is also laden with sit down restaurant type booths- and it's got panes of plastic window to keep the heat in whilst you eat. Definitely recommend the Gendarmenmarkt if you go berlin around Christmas time! read more

This is a must-do if you're in Berlin during December. One of the oldest christmas fairs in Berlin and nestled between the German and French Dome, the setting is simply magical. There is a 1 EUR cover charge and sometimes live music. The vendors are typical and range from German to French to Italian to Austrian to Dutch food, and also handcrafted leather goods, trinkets, jewelry, cheeses and pastries. If you're carnivorous, get a Thueringer Rostbratwurst. It will put any other sausage you've ever had to shame. Gluehwein is another must, it's hot red wine with sugar and spices and totally delicious on a cold Berlin day. For dessert, look for Quarkbaellchen. They are the German version of mini doughnuts, but we add cottage cheese to the batter, which makes them moist and a little tangy, did I mention addictive? Be forewarned, once you start eating these you will finish the entire bag. Vegetarians won't have many options here besides sweets. Look for a booth right at the entrance on your left selling "Reibekuchen": fried potato pancakes made with finely grated potato, egg and flour, served with apple sauce. I must have these at least once when I am in Berlin, and they are always best at the street fair. read more

This is my favorite Christmas market in Berlin! It is one of the few that you need to pay for, but its definitely worth it. My favorite is grabbing a few cups of mulled wine to help wash down a langos. Of course, candied nuts are a take home delight. read more

This was the first Christmas market we visited while we were in Berlin (if you don't count the one near the train station we stopped at to pick up some Gluhwein on our way to the Brandenburg Gate and ultimately here). I heard good things about it, so we paid our 1 Euro and went in. The surrounding area was really cool. The churches create a nice atmosphere. The booths are set up in tight rows making it slightly difficult to maneuver around as there are a ton of people who come to this market. And honestly, that's a huge problem. It wouldn't be a massive problem if it were just people, but because it's outdoors, people feel like they can just light up cigarettes wherever they are. Even though there are probably at least 10-20 non-smokers in the immediate area. So while you're wandering through the crowded aisles, having someone suddenly blow their crappy cigarette smoke in your face is really unpleasant. (Here's a hint Berlin, ban smoking at these things, it would make it much more enjoyable.) Also the shops all kind of seemed to be the same. Warm nuts, chocolate, food stuffs, wooden things. There wasn't a whole lot of variety when it came to shopping. And that's why we were here. To check out the markets and do some Christmas shopping for family. And when all the booths start repeating, you aren't that excited to stick around. They did have the best Gluhwein of the markets though, and I recommend ordering the slightly more expensive one as it was really spot on. read more

A great Christmas market in the heart of Berlin. The 1€ entry fee is kind of silly but it's worth the price of admission. A wide selection of fine dining, as well as more hearty and normal fare. A wide selection of craft goods, including hand carved Christmas figurines. The main stage also features a rotation of talented musicians and performers. But what makes this market so lovely is the location in Gendarmenmarkt, one of the most beautiful spots in Berlin. It's amazing being in the midst of all the Christmas decorations amongst the gorgeous buildings in the square read more

Great Xmas market near the Berliner Dom. Yes you have to pay 1€ to get in, but it is worth it. They have a few indoor restaurants to choose from plus many shops as well. Weekday nights are less crowded! read more

Great acts great atmosphere all round fantastic, the cloudy beer was amazing I will definitely do another boxing day day visit from England.

A business-funded trip to Berlin was my 1st ever trip to Europe, so needless to say I did plenty of research before I arrived. The 1st thing everyone familiar with Germany suggested I check out was the Christmas Markets. If you only have about 2 days time to sight see, get your American @ss over here! Was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The market gets crowded, but try as much food as you can handle, drink as much gluhwein (hot mulled wine) as possible, and end the night getting glitter sprinkled over your head. I couldn't tell you about this tradition other than what the 2 women who were performing told me - it activates your luck. I'm the least luckiest person alive but hey, its the thought that counts. read more

A beautiful, picturesque Christmas market. It had the holiday spirit! And quite possibly the best waffle I've ever had. The cherry mulled wine was tasty and the eierpunsch was out of this world! Check out the Apfel chip stand for a really yummy healthy treat! read more

We had a tonne of fun here. Many times over. Good food, good wine/schnapps, good people, good music. Very very festive.

Entrance fee here of 1 euro is not the norm at Christmas markets. And once insdie prices are higher than normal as well. But the setting! It's the best in Berlin and not to be missed. read more

Great food (try the soup!), bloggers but way too crowded, can barely walk in aisles. German people very nice & polite.