It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

One of the experiences I was most excited for during my year in Germany was exploring German Holiday markets. I was lucky enough to get to explore three separate markets- in Paderborn, Kassel, and in Köln. The Köln Christmas market is renowned for being festive, so I was delighted when my host family agreed to take me there. 

Early in the morning, we all packed into the family car. Because I am the thinnest, I always go in the middle seat. Maybe this will give me encouragement to bulk up. The drive from my town to Köln takes about 3 hours. As my host sister’s music played, I did what I do best in a car- I drifted off to sleep. There’s not much more I can say about the car ride, as the next time I was awake we were on the outskirts of Köln.

My host dad explained the plan. Traffic in Köln is awful, he said, so we were going to ride the tram into the city. I didn’t mind this; though, as the tram would provide me with my first ever glimpses of the city.

Although I was crammed between two strangers, I managed to squeeze my way to a window. The day was cold and a slight drizzle caused fog to cover the glass. As I wiped the fog clear, I peered out and saw the lights of the city against the grey sky. We passed over the Rhine and it was then I saw the famous Köln Cathedral.

The tram screeched into the central station. Like a massive wave, all the people on the train splashed out of the door. Stuck in this madness, I looked to find my host family. My host brother was easy to find, but it took us a few seconds to find my host mom, sister, and dad.

Filling up the escalator, we moved from the underground station to up to the street. High above the rest of the city, the cathedral was opposite of the street, standing tall above the Christmas market stalls to greet us. All around were Bratwurst stands, handmade craft shops, and the smell of Glühwein wafted through the thick breeze. The day itself was a miserable one. I zipped up my jacket at the top of the escalator as soon as I felt the cold, and walking out a faint mist met us. However, the greyness of the sky and the howl of the wind seemed to lighten against the Christmas lights of the market.

First thing was first- we had to tour the cathedral. After roping in my host dad to take a picture of me out front, we waited in the long line to get inside (I was beginning to understand what my host dad meant by the traffic being awful- there were so many people, most of which were there to see the city like we were). I have been to many churches  since my arrival here in Germany, yet this one put them all to shame. The gothic exterior was a wonder to look at. Once we finally got inside, it was like stepping back into the past. Flickering candles proved light in the darkness of the halls. Century old paintings hung all around. It was cool to be there with my host mom, who was very knowledgeable about the church.

Going back outside into the cold from the breathtaking cathedral was hard, but the lights of the Christmas markets, the reason we came, put the serine church in the back of my mind for the moment.  Hearing my stomach growl, I became aware of how hungry I was. I guess my host brother was hungry too, as he made a beeline to the first bratwurst stall nearby. Surprisingly, American Christmas music played all around, giving me a little taste of back home as I waited for my sausage. Germany is beautiful, I thought to myself, and even more so in the middle of a Christmas market.