“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”

– Calvin Coolidge

On the first weekend of December, I went with my family on a day trip to Flensburg, the third largest town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, founded in 1284, and situated just across the border from Denmark.

It’s a tradition for my family to go to a new Christmas market in Germany every year in December. Last year, we went to several big christmas markets in North Germany’s biggest city, Hamburg, and this year, it was time to experience the magic of a small Christmas market in the center of Flensburg.
The old town in Flensburg is heavily influenced by the Danish flair, and I even saw a big sign saying “Glædelig Jul”, which means “Merry Christmas” in Danish. Everywhere we went, I heard Danes talking. The experience in Flensburg was therefore very different from Hamburg, where we didn’t meet any Danes, and the markets felt completely German.

The tiny Christmas market stretches from Südermarkt Square through the pedestrian street all the way to Nordermarkt Square with beautifully decorated stalls selling various kinds of crafts, arts and Christmas treats from both Germany and Denmark.
We spent a good few hours looking at all the stalls, drinking mulled wine and hot chocolate, buying Christmas decorations and presents, and overall just enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the tiny Christmas market among Flensburg’s oldest buildings.

Although Germany is not a country that I would usually choose for my travels, I really enjoy going to the Christmas markets, as that’s one area where the country really delivers, no matter what city it’s in. I’ve been to numerous German Christmas markets, and I’ve never left feeling disappointed. Instead, going to the German Christmas markets always gets me in the Christmas spirit.

I’m already looking forward to next year in Kiel!