Exploring Gendarmenmarkt, A Plant-Filled Christmas Market in Berlin

Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt, one of the largest Christmas market’s in Berlin, is a seasonal (if crowded) destination for people looking to shop for artisanal provisions, wood-wares, plants, and more.

The charismatic vender of a traditional but stylish food hut invites passersby to enjoy a glass of Feuerzangenbowle, a traditional German red-wine punch that often consists of rum-soaked sugarloaf that is set on fire above a cup of hot mulled wine.

Ernst Kraus, a traditional wood carver from Bavaria, shapes a bear in the middle of the crowd. Every year Christmas market guests watch him create wooden sculptures in real-time.

Traditional, handmade wooden Christmas decor.

Two venders proffer their hand-made selection of floral-inspired hair decor.

Marion Paredes offers a whimsical mix of white ceramic and plants.

Chestnuts (en route to being roasted on an open fire).

Happy Holidays from Germany!