Quedlinburg Christmas Market

Quedlinburg's Christmas market takes advantage of the town's UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town, one of Germany's best-preserved collections of half-timbered architecture, to create a setting considered especially atmospheric even by the standards of Germany's famously popular Christmas market tradition. Stalls selling handmade crafts, ornaments, and festive food spread through the Marktplatz and continue up toward the Schlossberg hill, where Quedlinburg's castle and collegiate church overlook the town. Because Quedlinburg's old town is smaller and more compact than Magdeburg's or Halle's city centres, its Christmas market has an intimate, walkable character, with the historic half-timbered shopfronts themselves forming part of the seasonal scenery. The market draws visitors from across the region and beyond specifically for its architectural setting, so December weekends can be considerably busier than an equivalent weekday visit elsewhere in the state.