Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham

The Frankfurt Christmas Market has been lighting up the streets of Birmingham for 12 years and has become the centrepiece of the Birmingham Christmas calendar for both tourists and locals alike.

I decided to pay a visit at the start of December to get myself properly excited for the festive season and I certainly wasn't disappointed.


Birmingham by fairy lights!

I would definitely advise going to the market in the evening, the atmosphere is wonderful with the sheds all lit up and the smells of sausage and mulled wine filling the air. The sheds selling crafts and food are all wonderful, and some are incredibly intricate and unique, with some as high as three stories as the pictures will illustrate.

View down the street

As the market is situated down a long street I advise that you start at one end and work your way down to get the most from your visit. The first picture shows the main square which has the majority of sausage stalls and mulled wine vendors but also a building where local singers could showcase their talent.

Gluhwein mugs

Sausages

We couldn't leave without sampling some traditional Gluhwein which was absolutely delicious - they also had other flavours with more unique spirits such as Amaretto and fruit liqueurs for around £4 a mug. You have to put a deposit down for each of the mugs as they are all really unique which you get back after you give them back, however I was tempted to keep mine - it was a very sweet snowman!






The majority of the stalls sell all sorts of food, from the incredibly detailed chocolate work to the flavoured marshmallow domes, however there are also stalls with wooden toys, Christmas decorations and present ideas. I would advise allocating at least 90 minutes to look around this magical Christmas attraction, and certainly more if you think you may be tempted by the array of 'wurst' stalls on offer.

I would definitely recommend the Christmas market in Birmingham, it really got me into the festive spirit and the mulled wine was some of the best I'd ever tasted. Being on one of the main shopping streets in Birmingham means there are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from if you fancy a bit of warmth, we decided to visit a new place called 'The Lost and Found' for a few happy hour cocktails and a bite to eat after we had finished perusing the stalls (a blog on this unique eating establishment is to follow).