Weihnachtsmärkte Woche 1: Krampusse!

After last year’s ridiculous ban on Christmas markets, we are going nuts this festive season. I will make several small posts rather than one large post. Note: “Private” means sponsored by a business or organization, as opposed to being sponsored by a government entity.

Stadtgarten, Freising (private, on-going)

The Stadtgarten is a family-oriented Biergarten in the summer, located on the Lankesberg, a stone massive where 19th century brewers kept their wares cold in cellars later used as bomb shelters. In the Advent evenings they add open fires, sell hot drinks and seasonal food, and have some activities for children. When we popped by for a quick Glühwein (mulled wine) on the way to something else, we sat quite comfortably in a repurposed used ski-lift gondola. We took the “frequent buyer” punch card, which strongly implies our return…

Landshuter Christkindlmarkt (city, on-going)

Landshut is the next major city downstream from Freising; devoted readers will remember that my hero Eberhofer occasionally works here. This year the city’s Christmas market was moved to a new location to accommodate a Ferris Wheel, causing a kerfluffle among the residents. As outsiders, we enjoyed the short walk along the Isar from the convenient parking. Sorry not sorry.

This is a standard city market with the usual foods and vendors of gifts and holiday supplies–Mr Radish bought himself a hat–but I was there for the Krampusse (I still like “Krampeen” as the plural form of Krampus, myself…), who escorted St. Nikolaus to the stage, where he heard the Christmas wishes of young children.

We enjoyed our Glühwein on a wooden carousel, which I only photographed from within. Lots of fun, though; we have not been on a carousel since early 2019.