The only all-you-can-eat Christmas market is in Europe and has mulled wine, beer and pulled pork burgers
TIS the season to visit a Christmas market – although trips to the festive fairs can get pretty pricey, especially when paying for food and drink on top of entry.
If the thought of buying grub at a Christmas market already hurts your wallet, then you might want to visit an all-inclusive one in Germany.
Located in Berlin in the Spreespeicher, an even location along the River Spree, lies Weihnachten an der Spree – an all-inclusive, all-you-can-eat, Christmas market.
Entry tickets to the German Christmas market include all food, selected drinks, and activities like curling, log nailing and giant Jenga.
There’s plenty of food too like flame-grilled salmon baguettes, pulled pork burgers and chilli con carne.
Other dishes include pumpkin soup, potato pancakes, käsespätzle (a cheesy pasta dish), sauteed mushrooms, Leberkäse (a German meatloaf), vegan Leberkäse and pretzels.
For something sweeter, there’s also crepes, waffles, roasted almonds, sweet dumplings and dough balls.
Drinks like tea, hot chocolate, mulled wine, non-alcoholic drinks, beer and sparkling wine are included in the price of the ticket.
Additional drinks like fruit brandy and mulled wine with a liqueur shot cost extra.
TikTok user erictriesit posted a video on the social media platform detailing everything he ate during his visit to Weihnachten an der spree.
The holidaymaker ate käsespätzle, a pulled pork burger with red cabbage, goulash, flammlachs, bratwurst, vegan meatballs and vegan käsespätzle.
He also had other items like candy floss, a crepe, a waffle, kartoffelpuffer, a bag of sweets and two glasses of mulled wine.
At the end of the video, he said: “Overall, I feel like it was so worth it. I would’ve spent more at a regular market”.
Festive activities like curling, giant jenga, log nailing and connect four are also included in the price of the ticket.
Weihnachten an der spree opened on November 18, 2024, and will run until December 30, 2024 – although the market will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Apart from those two days, the Christmas market will be open from 5pm until 10pm.
All-inclusive tickets start from €29.90 (£24.78) with prices reaching €45.90 (£38.04) on the weekends.
VIP tickets are also available from €65.00 (£53.87) per person.
They include a separate entrance, exclusive access to a heated tent and a private mulled wine and drinks station.
Direct UK flights operate from London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Leeds, with return fares from £56 per person in December.
Three other unusually located Christmas markets to visit
HERE are three other unusual Christmas markets to visit in Europe.
Kerststad Valkenburg, the Netherlands
The award-winning Christmas market covers every corner of the town, with events at several locations, including several underground caves. One of those is the Velvet Cave Christmas Market, which is situated underneath Valkenburg’s ruined castle. It is home to more than 50 stalls that sell handmade gifts and other items.
Fraueninsel Christmas Market
Every winter, the island of Fraueninsel (also known as Frauenchiemsee), in Bavaria, Germany is transformed into a festive attraction thanks to its Christmas market. Fraueninsel is the second-largest island on Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria and is the only island in Germany with its very own Christmas market.
Fraueninsel Christmas Market has been described as one of the “most wonderful” in Bavaria by The Best Places to Visit in Germany. The Christmas market spills across the entirety of the island with both decorations and lights hung from trees and lampposts. There are over 90 wooden stalls at the market that sell handmade gifts, mulled wine, and local delicacies.
Winter Wonder Weeks, the Netherlands
Each year, Leiden in the Netherlands is transformed into a picturesque winter wonderland. The award-winning Christmas Market covers the entire city, with attractions held outside Hooglandse Kerkgracht (a gothic church) and Garenmarktplein (a square in the city).
Known as Winter Wonder Weeks, the Christmas market was previously named the best in Europe in 2016. The Christmas market spans across the entire town, with one of its most unique features being its floating ice rink.
Meanwhile, this travel writer thinks their hometown has the best Christmas attraction in the UK.
A city in Germany has been dubbed “Christmas city” because it has one of the world’s oldest and most famous Christmas markets.