While it is on the smaller side, if you collect mugs or love the smaller, more quaint markets, this is definitely worth a stop! I thought it was a perfectly lovely start to what is sure to be a fun and festive holiday season!
Dates: November 8th, 2023, to December 23rd, 2023
Closed: November 19th & November 26th
Times: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Ludwigshafen Berliner Platz.
Disclaimer: Please always reference the website to check for any changes before making the trip! This is the current information that I pulled, but it may not be accurate at a later date/time.
You can find mostly food & drink vendors here, but I think I saw around 4-5 stalls you could shop at for other things. So, this wouldn't be the best place to shop, but it had all my favorite foods present!
But that's not where my day started off!
My friends lived in Korea for a while and told me that every time they go to this area, they hit up the Korean BBQ Chicken restaurant in Mannheim, and boy was it yummy! It is a large open restaurant with simple food and lots of seating. The special sauced chicken was my favorite, with the honey garlic coming in second. I did not care for the galbi at all, and the fries weren't anything to write home about. They were very plain. You can order family style, with the chicken platter in the photo above being the larger size (for reference). Delicious!
If you love to shop, right next door is a huge mall called the Q6Q7 Shopping Mall (if that's really the name, that's super weird). I'd suggest making this a day trip, taking time to explore the area a little. I wish I could have spent more time between eating lunch and the market because I wasn't hungry once we arrived, and market food is my favorite!
Hey Allie, since you told me to explore, how about suggestions on what to do!?
Certainly!
A quick look at attractions shows me a Planetarium, the Baroque Palace, the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum, and a couple of popular parks called the Luisenpark and Herzogenried Park. It's not a huge city, but there seems to be plenty to do in one day!
Disclaimer: I have not done any of those suggested activities myself.
Since we parked about a 30-minute walk from the market and had a small child with us, we decided to take the tram to Berliner Platz. There are machines to purchase tickets next to the stops with an option for English, and they accept cards. However, to buy your tickets beforehand, go to the Deutsch Bahn Website (or app). Then, type in Departure: Wasserturm (our closest tram stop) with Arrival: Berliner Platz (destination tram stop). I specified the mode of transport as local transport only and hit search (ensure you have the right day in there). Just click on any of the offered choices, and you'll be presented with numerous options. Pay attention to the dates and valid time periods. You can click on the red details arrow provided towards the bottom to see what each ticket fully entails. I usually am with a group, so the "tages-ticket gruppe," or group day ticket, is often the most beneficial option for me. That way, I don't commit myself to a specific time period and can explore as I'd like!
Ok, Allie, I thought this was a Christmas Market post??
Whoops! I got a little sidetracked!
I promise it is. Let me get back to it!
As you can see, I was having loads of fun.
I love it when they play Christmas music at the markets; this one did not disappoint! I was dancing and singing and having a grand old time.
Apparently, a couple of you who follow me were there and one even said hi! If you ever see me, please come up and introduce yourself! I'd love to meet you!
Disclaimer: I love people and will be thrilled to meet you, BUT I have a brain like a sieve, especially with people. I meet so many weekly with what I do, and I sadly have NO memory. So, if you introduce yourself, and the next time I see you, I don't remember, please don't be offended! It's not that I don't care; that's just not one of my strengths. I sincerely apologize!
One of the highlights for me was they had a variety of mugs for sale (for you mug collectors)! There was only one with the official name on it, but several others had cute designs. I love anything hearts, so naturally, this heart mug was calling my name. Take my money!
The obligatory Weihnachtspyramide (Christmas Pyramid) was present, along with a Ferris wheel and maybe one or two other small rides for children.
Please enjoy the slideshow below (click on the photo to see all).
Above, you can see a slideshow of some of the vendors that were present! I don't have an opinion to offer because (as previously stated) sadly, I was full from lunch earlier.
Please enjoy the slideshow below (click on the photo to see all).
In the slideshow above, you can view photos of some of the pricing signs so you can see how much things cost on average.
Don't forget your cash!
Their Dornfelder Glühwein is their unique variety, and I quite enjoyed it! I'm not a big fan of rot glühwein (red), but I can say I'd recommend this one.
Bathrooms were likewise small (maybe three stalls total) and cost 50 cents. They were right on the market grounds, towards the back.
That's about all! It's a simple market and not anything super special, so I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way for it. For me, though, I love markets and will take any chance I get to add to my mug collection and soak up some holiday cheer!
Enjoy the short video I made from my visit below.
Wishing you a safe, joyous, and wonderful holiday season. Lots of love, and I hope all your wishes and dreams come true! Happy holidays!
Additional Information:
The Kaiserslautern Day Tripper made an excellent post on this market if you would like to check out her review!
Parking near the BBQ Chicken Restaurant:
It was about 10 euros for half the day. I will warn you, though, that traffic into the city this Friday was pretty bad. Getting to this parking garage was slow. So, depending on when you go, I would maybe recommend parking further out and taking public transportation in or simply taking the train into Mannheim.
Parking suggested by the Kaiserslautern Day Tripper:
BBQ Chicken Google Maps Link:
Berliner Platz Google Maps Link:
Ludwigshafener Weihnachtsmarkt Website:
New to Christmas Markets? I created a helpful guide for y'all here:
I have also been notified that there are two other markets in the city. One near the Rhine Gallery and a band & fire pit situation outside of the mall (unsure exactly which mall this references, so that's probably not that helpful).
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