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The Silk Route - World Travel: Berlin at Xmas, Germany

Germany: Berlin at Xmas
1990, 2018

Christmas 1990 Christmas 2018
Xmas Berlin

 

Twenty eight years have made a huge difference in Berlin, not least in the Christmas markets - there are now many more around the city and masses of bright, colourful decorations.

Christmas 1990

Xmas
Xmas

 

When we first visited Berlin in December 1990 the Wall had been down only a year and the city was still quite grim in places.

One cheerful aspect, though was the Christmas Market near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

 

Xmas

 

Christmas lights were strung around the roofs of little hut-style stalls selling colourful Christmas goods.

Xmas
Xmas

Near the church there road was lined with stalls selling lots of different types of traditional German Christmas food and drink.

Xmas

 

Christmas 2018

Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
Entrance to the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, with the Brandenburg Gate behind.

When we returned in December 2018 the Christmas markets had expanded enormously and there were many in the city as well as in outlying districts.

We stayed at the Adlon Kempinski at the Brandenburg Gate, a truly wonderful hotel, beautifully decorated after recent renovations.

Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
Lobby of the Adlon Kempinski.
Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
The famous elephant fountain, a gift from the Maharaja of Patiala around 1930.

 

Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin

Breakfast at the hotel is fabulous - possibly the best hotel breakfast we've had anywhere! Impossible to list the huge range of foods on offer, as well as freshly prepared by the chefs.

Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
At least three kinds of caviar and champagne at breakfast.
Berlin at Xmas
Brandenburg Gate
Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
Currywurst and beer at Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt.

 

Xmas Berlin
Konzerthaus Berlin on Gendarmenmarkt.

The city has numerous Christmas markets, the Gendarmenmarkt being within walking distance of the hotel. We headed for it after checking in, taking in a late excellent currywurst lunch and beer at the Augustiner. At either end of the square stand the German and French cathedrals.

A choir was signing traditional German Christmas songs - very atmospheric.

Xmas Berlin
German Cathedral at the south end of Gendarmenmarkt.
Xmas Berlin
Adlon Kempinski Hotel Berlin
Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin
Traditional sausages and schnitzels.

The Christmas market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is now much bigger with a much greater variety of offerings and illuminated decorations.

Xmas Berlin
Decorated tree inside KaDeWe.
Xmas Berlin
The TV tower at Alexanderplatz.
Xmas Berlin
Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.
Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin

Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin

 

 

 

Alexanderplatz is home to a large Christmas Market, though we did find that here the vast majority of stalls were selling food of some description.

Xmas Berlin
Green cabbage and sausages did not tempt us!

Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin
Charlottenburg Palace

In the west of the city there is a very nice Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace. Andrew had an extremely good Grand Marnier crêpe here.

Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin
Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace.

Xmas Berlin
Grand Marnier crêpe at Charlottenburg.
Xmas Berlin
Xmas Berlin