Stepping into the beautiful old town of Idstein always feels like a mini-vacation or perhaps that I am walking onto a movie set. The annual Christmas Market is held for only three days, so I knew that I could not miss to see what this picturesque town looks like with a splash of Christmas on it! It was so spectacular that you must mark your calendar for next year! 

What to Expect

Last time I was in Idstein, it was shortly after Halloween and I went up the Witches Tower alone! Now the pumpkins have been swapped with Christmas trees and the hanging ghosts are now red shiny balls.

The market is located in the old town square and it spreads out on a few small cobbled streets that surround the center. Every market has its own character, and this one seemed to focus on enjoying comfort food while taking in the charm of the old town.

Food Vendors and Stalls

There were so many delicious options and everyone seemed to be eating! A positive about being a small market is that there were no lines at the food and drinks vendors. The food that we saw was all very tempting warm Christmas fest food such as thick stews, hot dogs, steaks and fresh baked breads.

I saw some great shopping stalls, while the opened stores were very busy. The shopping stalls had mostly modern goods for sale compared to other markets I had recently visited. I think it is great to have this variety among the holiday markets because some might prefer modern gifts while others enjoy handmade ones.

Family Activities

The Idstein Market had two big rides for kids, which of course we went on both several times each! They were fast with fun music, and of course every time my daughter went by on the train we had to high-five!

Idstein’s market had a living nativity scene set up! Visitors were encouraged to enter the manager and were also able to touch the feathers on the wings of the beautiful angel. The shepherd even had real sheep and donkeys that could be petted.

We went on fun rides, had a nice walk through the old town and also bought a few goodies to take home. So it was time to leave this enchanting town. I love how you actually enter and leave through the archway of a tower!

After the sights and smells at this yummy market gave us craving for Christmas comfort food, we went home and made gingerbread men like we saw at the market.

Granted, ours didn’t turn out as pretty as theirs, but they sure tasted good! Here is a link to the recipe we used.

2016 Dates:

Friday, Dec 2 – from 5 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Dec 3 – from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, Dec 4 – from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

How to Get There

Idstein is approximately 30 minutes north of Wiesbaden, 1 hour and 30 minutes north of Kaiserslautern and 2 hours and 20 minutes north of Stuttgart. Click on DB Bahn for train details.

Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

Featured Image Photo Credit: © Gemma