• Source: Dortmund Christmas Market

The Dortmund Christmas Market (German: Dortmunder Weihnachtsmarkt) is an annual outdoor Christmas market held in central Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With more than three and a half million visitors and 300 stalls, it is one of the biggest Christmas markets in the world. It is estimated that the city earns a profit of €100 million from this 38-day-long market.
The Christmas tree of the Dortmund Christmas Market is the largest natural Christmas tree in the world.




History


The market's origins date back to 1878. There were no markets between 1939 and 1948. In recent years, the Dortmund Christmas Market has become the largest Christmas market in Germany, hosting well over 3.5 million visitors annually.
The Christmas market opens in late November, and continues until just before New Year's Eve (normally December 30). It occupies a large area in central Dortmund, including Alter Markt around the St. Reinold's Church, Hansaplatz, Kleppingstraße, and Westenhellweg.




Vendors and attractions



Today, the most famous feature of the Dortmund Christmas Market is the world's largest Christmas tree that stands more than 45 meters tall. The tree is made of 1,700 spruces from Sauerland. Twenty huge candles and 48,000 lights shine over the Christmas market. The top is decorated with a four-meter-high angel. The total weight of this structure at a height of 45 meters is 40 tons. Foundation laying with glühwein and bratwurst will take place on 23 October at 4 p.m. at Hansaplatz. Workers needed four weeks to assemble the red spruces.
Christmas Village

Situated in the Dortmund Christmas Market is a children's adventure world called 'Weihnachtsdorf' (English: 'Christmas Village'). In the Christmas Village children can read poems aloud, sing songs, do crafts and bake. There is also a puppet theatre, merry-go-round and a Santa chair with a Fairy tale show.

Candle pyramids (Christmas pyramid)
In many parts of Germany, the candle pyramid (light stock) is brought out every year to light up the room at Christmas. Two to five round wooden tiers, gradually smaller towards the top, are built onto a central rod which rotates, driven by the heat of candles rising up into a rotor at the top. The whole ornament is usually about 50 cm high, but one of the tallest pyramid in the world takes pride of place at the Dortmund Christmas Market, towering a full 12m in the air. Originally, the pyramid was a much simpler affair, simply a frame to hang sprigs of fir upon; the modern-day pyramid did not evolve until the early 19th century.

Alter Markt Stage
The “Alter Markt” stage presents a program every day. On December 8, the popular WDR 4 'Christmas' show features international stars.




Food and drinks


Glühwein (mulled wine)
One tradition in Dortmund is drinking mugs of mulled wine at the Weihnachtsmarkt. The hot red wine spiced with cloves and cinnamon is served in specially decorated mugs. The mug features a different design every year and has become a collector's item.
Glühbier (mulled beer)
Dortmund has over 550 years of brewing tradition, some of the oldest breweries in Westphalia are founded around the Old Market in Dortmund. A new chapter of the breweries are mulled beer. Mulled beer is a hot beer with honey, brown sugar and winter spices – such as star anise, cinnamon and cardamom.
Reibekuchen (potato fritters)
Reibekuchen may be served with applesauce, pumpernickel bread, treacle, or with Maggi-brand seasoning sauce. They are often sold at street fairs and markets, such as Christmas markets in Germany.
Dortmunder Salzkuchen (Saltcake)
A Dortmund tradition meal is bread buns with caraway fruits, salt, meat and onions.




Medieval Christmas Market Fredenbaum


Throughout Dortmund, three Christmas markets have been opened, each of which is surrounded by souvenir stalls, a carousel, a Nativity scene, and a local tree. Europe's largest Medieval Christmas Market can be found at Fredenbaumpark, in the north of Downtown which takes place starting November 23 every weekend.




See also



List of Christmas markets




References

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