Paderborn Christmas market

Don't know about the rest of you, but me and my wife absolutely loved our time in germany and we miss the old German Christmas Markets. For us they were one of the best things about Germany. If you want to reminisce just google Paderborn Weather Webcam and follow the link you'll get an image of the Paderborn Rathaus, in front of which is the top end of the Christmas market. There's a time lapse camera on it so you can see the scene every 30 minutes of the day between certain hours of the day. Just click on the 'most recent image', and as the screen changes, click on the 'video' button at the bottom of the picture. There's a couple of bars there and I must admit to being envious. Depite the cold weather, it was great to stand outdoors getting slowly pissed on gluhwein and whatever spirit you fancied mixing with it. The atmosphere was always very welcoming. I had some great times in PB and Sennelager and I'd go back tomorrow.

here's the link:

http://www.webcams.travel/webcam/1182187355-Weather-Padrborn-Townhall-Paderborn-Rathaus-Paderborn

I also have very fond memories of Weihnactsmarkts (Christmas Markets), but mine hail from Soest, down in the old market place curling around the Rathaus, St. Patroclus Cathedral and St. Petrikirche. The aroma of roasted chestnuts, candy floss, and fresh bread products floating on the crisp air, the aroma (and flavour!) of gluhwein, absolutely (although a couple of mugs of that always gave me a yucky headache...so I opted for beer!). While often chilly, since I hailed from Canada (aka The Great Frozen North) what some experienced as "cold" I experienced as "a tad chilly." :-) Nothing a warm jacket, a sweater and soft cozy scarf couldn't deal with!

One season, after I returned to work in Soest, a German friend of mine who was the DJ at the Palette and I made and sold hand-painted stonemen...gawdawful things and working down in his basement store room gluing and lacquering those things made us both higher than kites...I'm surprised I haven't experienced liver problems all these years later from inhaling those fumes!

We didn't sell a whole bunch either, so all that time collecting smooth stones and rocks, painting faces on them, gluing them (head, body feet) then lacquering them -- and there were dozens and dozens and dozens of these damned things! -- wasn't exactly profitable...fun, though.

We took our kids up to the Soest Christmas market just before we left Germany in December 2005. It was great, they loved it. It's small enough so not as to have you trapsing about, but big enough to keep the kids entertained. As we knew that it would be our last market for a while, we stocked up on just about everything you could buy there. The Dortmund one was also worth a visit, but due to its size, the kids tire out quickly, then start annoying you by constantly asking to go back to the car...that's after they've tried every ride that there is and eaten as many sweets and pommes frittes that they can stuff themselves with.

Thanks for the link, we really miss the Xmas markets and are lucky to be posted back there after Xmas and can't wait, the best years of our lives have been spent in Germany, good times.

Ahhhhhh Dont, I left Germany in 84 after serving there for most of 17 years on and off throught my Army life, the Christmas markets were a star attraction for all of us with young Children.

I returned to Germany for Christmas 2002 and the atmosphere was exactly the same as it was when I savoured my first one all those years before in 1964.

God Bless you all.

Chris, My Wife comes from Wickede/Ruhr just over the hill from the Werl camps. I well remember the Soest markets and the annual fair held there. Not wishing to rub it in, I will be there in two weeks time for a long week-end.

the xmas markets were something else,gluwien,those brotchen with thick slices of pork and a couple of jagermeister to keep out the cold.memories,memories....graham.

And here in Detmold its "fair" time again,and the gluhwein is going well on the Xmas markt.Only thing missing is the snow,but its a rare thing now at Xmas.The best Xmas markt I went to was in Nurnberg,we are in Berlin for the New Year celebrations,so will report back on this.So next time in Detmold will drink all your health on a glass of gluhwein!
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Don

Even when I was living in Soest, circa 1970-71 and 73-74, I'd have to say snow was not that common although I do recall when I returned to Soest in 73, and was searching for a small flat to call my own, it was in around November (I think) and remember trudging around in heavy damp snow in totally inadequate footwear. I didn't care; I was back in Soest!!

When attending some of the Christmas Markets in Soest -- and Rocky is quite right, the Soest Market was small enough not to be overwhelming but large and interesting enough to be...well...interesting -- I don't now recall there being much if any snow. Winters in Soest were relatively mild anyway and usually there'd only be enough snow to blanket the roofs and steeples, adding that lovely Yule look to the old town.

When we lived in Iserlohn, a much larger town than Soest and beset with urban sprawl from Hemer/Stephanopel, through Hemer proper, into Iserlohn and beyond into Lethmathe and Summern, the Christmas fair down by Karstadt's was huge and, it seemed to us, lacking in the cozy quality we were used to from the one in Soest. The Iserlohn one seemed far too "commercial."

The closest comparison I can think of using a Canadian example (but one UKers can probably relate to) is having an event dominated by chain stores and large department stores versus one set up by small independent 'mom & pop' enterprises.

The other thing I miss about Christmastime in Germany was getting an Advent Calendar, those sparkly cardboard calendars with a Christmas scene (St Nicholas, elves, perhaps or medieval scenes or gnomes on red-spotted toadstools etc) where one opened a small door each day on the calendar to reveal a "present" in behind it. Lovely and perfect for building Christmas excitement in a young kid...would that I approached Christmas now with the same sort of excitement!

The window displays, especially in the major centres such as Dortmund and Dusseldorf, were amazing. Remember, this was the early 1970's and even then the displays utilized animatronics and robotic figures, characters that moved, eyes that rolled or open and closed, little hands that reached out and revealed some delight...pure magic!

Christmas was, back then, a magical time for me. Such is not the case anymore, sad to say.

This Friday past I attended a German Christmas Market here in Winnipeg a yearly event. With Gluewein and many other trimmings. I'm trying to talk Mrs E (my German wife) into spending a Xmas in Germany in her old village. She left when she was 5, it would be a real shaker for her. Especialy to attend these events in Germany.