Inspiring Germany
9 colorful weekly markets: a treat for the eyes and the palate
Weekly and gourmet markets are a living part of German culture. After all, they bring together regional and seasonal products, craftsmanship, and culinary delights, and as lively open-air venues, they offer a space for socializing, interacting, and a unique kind of sightseeing. One thing they certainly are: an experience for the senses!
Munich’s Viktualienmarkt: a gourmet mecca under a blue-and-white sky
An outdated word for food? Viktualien! The name of one of Germany’s largest permanent markets has kept this term alive since 1807. The square of the same name in the heart of Munich is truly bustling with activity. Over 140 permanent stalls offer exotic fruits, high-quality cheeses, fine wines, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, you can continue strolling through the Schrannenhalle next door - or treat yourself to a cold beer in the beer garden under the chestnut trees.
Hamburg’s Isemarkt: a street food paradise stretching over 600 meters
For some, it’s the perfect spot for a chat; for others, a top shopping destination; and for most, simply a unique feast for the eyes and the palate: the Isemarkt in Eppendorf. Every Tuesday and Friday, more than 200 vendors offer their wares there under a historic elevated railway viaduct. Thanks to this unique canopy, nothing stands in the way of an extensive culinary discovery tour - from organic burgers to delicate fish sandwiches - even in “crappy weather.”
Freiburg’s Münstermarkt: feasting and strolling
Freiburg: Minster Market at the Minster Square
©DZT (Francesco Carovillano)
From Monday to Saturday, market vendors gather around the cathedral - home to the “most beautiful tower in Christendom” - behind stalls brimming with vegetables, fruit, and salads. All sorts of other goods are sold here as well, though the market has been strictly divided for centuries. On the north side is the farmers’ market, featuring locally grown produce. The south side is home to a mix of diverse vendors offering nearly everything from ceramics to straw shoes.
Konstablerwache farmers’ market: where bankers shop at the farmers’ stalls
Right in the heart of Germany’s most important financial hub, the region has been gathering twice a week since 1989 at the “Konsti” on the Zeil to enjoy the market. At the farmers’ and producers’ market, farmers and winemakers bring their products straight from the farm to the city: crisp fruits and vegetables, fragrant bread, cheese, sausage, and, of course, plenty of “Äppelwoi.” Amid market stalls and beer tables, locals and visitors alike - and by no means just Frankfurt bankers - taste, chat, and feast.
Mainz weekly market: Weck, Worscht, Woi and other goods
Three times a week, the picturesque squares of Höfchen, Liebfrauenplatz, and Domplatz become even more picturesque: namely, when a colorful market bustle takes over the up to 100 stalls. For connoisseurs, a staple market ritual from April to November is Weck, Worscht, and Woi - that is, rolls, sausage, and wine. The best day for this? Saturday, when the action kicks off with the market breakfast served by Mainz’s restaurateurs.
Organic market at Berlin’s Kollwitzplatz: sustainability made relaxing
Berlin: Two women at the eco market at Kollwitzplatz
©DZT (Dagmar Schwelle)
The triangular Kollwitzplatz in Prenzlauer Berg is a great spot, especially on Thursdays. Anyone strolling through the rows of stalls quickly realizes: Here, organic isn’t a trend, but everyday life. The organic market brings farmers, bakers, and cheesemakers from the surrounding area right into the neighborhood. The tables are piled high with crisp vegetables, crusty bread, farm-fresh eggs, and seasonal specialties. In between: strollers, coffee in hand, and conversations about the best pesto of the week.
Lüneburg weekly market: street food, northern German style
In the center of the market square’s fountain, the goddess Luna, armed with a bow and arrow, watches over the historic city center - and over the roughly 70 vendors and local producers who offer their goods here on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The selection ranges from potatoes to vegetables, fruit, meat, and cheese specialties, all the way to rare heath honey. What visitors from near and far particularly appreciate is the market’s charming atmosphere. This is greatly enhanced by the backdrop of City Hall, toward whose magnificent Baroque façade all the rows of stalls lead.
Market at the cathedral in Münster: everything a shopper’s heart desires
On Wednesdays and Saturdays, up to 150 stalls spread out at the foot of St. Paul’s Cathedral, where visitors can find not only fruits and vegetables, bread, and cakes, but also poultry, fish, and seafood. Especially in late summer, gardeners from Münster and the surrounding area entice visitors with a veritable sea of flowers. The predominantly regional offerings of this lively open-air market are complemented by Dutch licorice, Persian sweets, basketry, and costume jewelry.
Erfurt weekly market: a historic setting, fresh produce
Market square in Erfurt with cathedral and Severi church
©Thüringer Tourismus GmbH (Gregor Lengler)
The setting is truly magnificent: towering above are the imposing cathedral and the equally impressive Severi Church next door, and then 70 steps - growing wider as they descend - lead down to the spacious Cathedral Square. There, vendors set up their stalls six times a week - Sundays are a day off - offering fresh vegetables, cheese, flowers, and regional specialties. People laugh, chat, and sample the goods - especially authentic Thuringian grilled sausages, because in Erfurt, they’re simply a must when visiting the market.