St. Martin's day means markets

The cold’s coming in, and it’s getting to be time to hunker down for the winter. Germans have recognized this fact for a long time, and one of the traditional events this time of year is the Martinimarkt. The name of this market stems from its proximity to St. Martin’s Day, Nov. 11. St. Martin, according to legend, was a Roman soldier-turned-monk-turned-saint for acts of kindness, including tearing his cloak in two to share it with a beggar.

What kind of things can you buy at a Martinimarkt? Whereas traditionally it might have been a day to stock up on goods needed to see you through the winter, nowadays Martinimarkts have by and large come to resemble craft or flea markets. The first two weeks of November, in fact, are chock-full of all kinds of markets, whether called Martinimarkt, Herbstmarkt, Vorweihnachtsmarkt, or otherwise.

My favorite markets of this type are to be found in small cities and towns. They are often held in multipurpose halls or right in the town center. You might also find some food stands and perhaps a carousel ride for the kiddies. Now’s the time to be keeping an eye out for posters advertising the dates of such an event in your town.  If you see one advertised, why not check it out? It could be the perfect opportunity to stock up on useful wares for yourself or gifts for loved ones. And one Christmas gift out of the way so early in the season could free you up for another mug of Glühwein at the Christmas market in a month or two.

Here are just a few dates for such markets within reasonable driving distance of U.S. bases in Germany during the first half of November. Some of these may be in very small towns, so I cannot vouch they will be huge affairs or of particularly great quality, but if they are near the place you call home, they just might be worth checking out. Note all these websites are in German only.

Erlangen, north of Nuremberg, Martinimarkt, in Atzelsberg Castle. Admission is charged: adults 7.50 euros, under age 16 free, Nov. 4-6.
Dieburg, east of Darmstadt, Martinsmarkt, Nov. 4-6.
Munich, Markt der Sinne, Praterinsel. Adults 5 euros, free under age 12, Nov. 4-6.
Pirmasens, south of Kaiserslautern, Novembermarkt, Nov. 4-6.
Bad Schwalbach, northwest of Wiesbaden, Martini-Markt, Nov. 4-8.
Rosstal, west of Nuremberg, Martinimarkt, Nov. 5.
Ettenheim, north of Freiburg, Martinimarkt, Nov. 5-6.
Marburg, northern Hessen, Kunsthandwerkermarkt, Nov. 5-6.
Lindau, on Lake Constance, Jahrmarkt, Nov. 5-8.
Herborn, northern Hessen, Martinimarkt, Nov. 6-7.
Herrstein, north of Baumholder, Martinimarkt, Nov. 5-6.
Erpolzheim, west of Mannheim on the German wine road, Martinsmarkt, Nov. 5-6.
Mosbach, west of Heidelberg, Kunsthandwerkermarkt, Nov. 5-6.
Feuchtwangen, southwest of Ansbach, Martinimarkt. This market features fish and game meats, Nov. 6.
Heuchelheim, next to Giessen, Martinsmarkt, Nov. 6.
Dahn, south of Kaiserslautern, Martinimarkt, Nov. 6.
Treuchtlingen, southeast of Ansbach, Martinimarkt, Nov. 6.
Völklingen, southwest of Landstuhl, Mondscheinmarkt, Nov. 11.
Crailsheim, southwest of Ansbach, Martinimarkt, Nov. 12.
Ramstein-Miesenbach, Kreativmarkt, Held in Haus des Bürgers, Nov. 12-13.
Gross-Umstadt, east of Darmstadt, EigenArt, arts and handicrafts market, Nov. 12-13.
Offenbach am Main, east of Frankfurt, Kreativmarkt, Nov. 12-13.
Bensheim, north of Heidelberg, Martinimarkt, Nov. 15.
Tübingen, south of Stuttgart, Martinimarkt, Nov. 15-16.
Ravensburg, south of Stuttgart, Martinimarkt, Nov. 18-19.

• Email
• Print
• More...