What To Eat at the Christmas Markets in Frankfurt & Mainz
Updated: Aug 23, 2021
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Is it really the holiday season without stopping at at least one Christmas market? The answer is no. Over the past few years, I've tried quite a few markets in the UK, so I thought it was a good time to go further afield. And what better market to try than one of Germany's, and Europe's, best! Frankfurt's Christmas market takes up a very large portion of the city. It's by far the largest one I've ever been to. It was full of beautiful stalls selling everything from dried meats, to hand crafted ornaments, to delicious looking chocolates and sweets.
The centre of the market is located in Romerberg, the picturesque main square of Frankfurt's old town. If you're taking a ride on the carousel though, make sure you pay beforehand - it's not free apparently! The best part of any market though, is the food. And there is so much food to choose from! I think we did pretty well during our 3 days in Frankfurt, tasting some of the best things on offer, and I made sure to eat a couple of my favourites as well. We even took a quick train ride over to Mainz and explored their medieval market, and of course checked out its incredible cathedral. Here are my recommendations on what to eat at the Christmas markets:
Medieval buildings and a market, what more could you ask for? Römerberg is the heart of Frankfurt's Christmas market, but it spreads throughout the city too, and is fantastic to walk around during the day or in the evening. If you're looking for places to go in Germany at Christmas time, Frankfurt has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe, so it should be very high on your list.
Kartoffelpuffer is my latest food obsession. It's basically potato pancakes with a garlic dipping sauce. They're crunchy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. I could eat these all day, every day. They're also a fairly cheap food option compared to other things on offer.
The lead up to this trip consisted of me saying: "I want to get a Bratwurst". I was probably too excited while eating this, but it's one of my favourite things to eat from a market stall. Most of the stalls give you the option of having it in a bun or sliced on a plate.
Ahhh schnitzel. This is also one of my favourite German foods. I opted for chicken here, but the pork one is also delicious. When I was younger we used to make this for dinner all the time, so if I see it on the menu anywhere I usually get it.
We noticed that everyone, and I mean everyone, was walking around the market with this, so we had to give it a go! Bratkartoffeln is basically the German version of home fries, but thinly sliced with a side of sliced Bratwurst. Delicious.
Eat a Frankfurter in Frankfurt? Check! I was slightly disappointed that it tasted like a hot dog, but I was determined to cross this off of my bucket list. These can be found in any of the sausage stalls, and they're very budget friendly too.
We had some spare time during our 3 days in Frankfurt, so we decided to take a short train ride to Mainz and take a walk around their Christmas market. Of course, the first thing we came across was Kartoffelpuffer, so I immediately devoured some more of these.
Dinnete was a new one for me, and is also known as Swabian pizza. I love pizza, so this was just incredible. The dough was perfect, the creamy sauce was tasty, and the potatoes and bacon on top just added to this amazing creation. I regret not going back and getting another one. We found that the Christmas market in Mainz had a few different food options than the one in Frankfurt, which was great for us!
I had no idea what this was when I bought it, but I knew I had to try it. Turns out a schneeball is a ball of shortcrust pastry, dipped in chocolate. Result? Deliciousness! It was actually quite messy to eat as it kept crumbling, so make sure you take a napkin from the stall when you buy one of these.
So much food, so little time! The gingerbread hearts are a personal favourite of mine, and can be found decorating a large majority of the stalls in any Christmas market. They're almost too nice to eat. Almost, but not quite.
Frankfurt at Christmas is absolutely beautiful, and well worth visiting. Not only does Frankfurt have one of the best Christmas markets in Europe, it's also perfectly located to take a day trip to a second Christmas market, in Mainz. So, if you're hoping to go on a Christmas market getaway in the near future, you can't go wrong in this corner of Germany!
Remember to check out 3 Days in Frankfurt, Germany for some helpful travel tips and recommendations. If you're looking for accommodation close to the old town, I would recommend Living Hotel. Or if you want to be nearer to the main train station in Frankfurt, staying at QGREENHOTEL by Meliá is a great option. Don't forget to get in touch and follow me on Instagram!
