The scent of roasted almonds and sweet chestnuts as well as the tasty flavour of cinnamon and Glühwein (hot mulled wine) rise into the noses of the visitors strolling at ease through these winterly markets. At the Mönckebrunnen 10000 candles illuminate a 60 feet high christmas tree. 150 merchants entice customers into downtown.
Very popular is the hanseatic Christmas market at Gänsemarkt due to its special appearance, the classical arts and crafts, the wide variety of toys and the marvellous Christmas decorations. Food and drinks are served in a nice and familiar atmosphere. Every day at six o´clock the famous Alsterspatzen-choir sings, and frequently, at announced hours, a story teller reads fairytales.
While the adults go shopping, the children have the possibility to take part in many activities on one of the five fairytale-steamers on the Alster Lake (23.11.-23.12.), each beautifully decorated as a unique wonderland. On board these ships the children can do magic tricks, handicrafts and make-up, paint, dance, play music and theatre, listen to fairytales and watch movies or bake christmas cookies.
The shops in the shopping streets and malls downtown are opened till 6 p.m. on each of the four saturdays before christmas. The main shopping district between the Hauptbahnhof, Rathaus and Gänsemarkt offers a manifold assortment of goods which guarantees that no wish remains unanswered. Street bands playing Christmas songs and the beautiful decorations create an atmosphere in which the word stress does not exist. The shoppers stroll relaxed through the streets and malls gathering inspiration from the window displays. But Hamburg\'s shopping arcades are not just a shopper\'s mecca; they are also an architectural wonder world. Marble, redbrick, steel and glass set the scene. The network of covered shopping arcades in the city centre is closely interlinked. You can almost tour them all without getting your feet wet.
Christmas concerts and oratories in the main churches, Christmas-plays in many theatres and the special menues many restaurants and hotels in Hamburg offer increase the pace of expecting hearts.
A unique charm embraces downtown Hamburg if the weather turns really winterly: observing the Christmas activities on the snowy streets and places, or to go for a stroll on the frozen Alster Lake - a great pleasure for the locals - are unforgettable highlights of the winter in Hamburg.
Further information can be obtained by the Hamburg Tourist Board , Hamburg Hotline, phone: +49/ 40/ 300 51 300, Fax +49/ 40/ 300 51 333,
e-mail : info@hamburg-tourism.de , Internet : www.hamburg-tourism.de .