Cuando los centros de las ciudades alemanas se engalanan, cuando las calles y los mercados se transforman en un mar de luces, cuando el aroma del pan de jengibre, las manzanas asadas y las almendras tostadas llega a la nariz, es que la Navidad está a la vuelta de la esquina. La fiesta de la familia, contemplativa, apacible, impregnada de tradición. El Adviento, que este año comienza el 3 de diciembre, se llena de anticipación y preparativos. Esto incluye una visita a un mercado navideño, donde se pueden encontrar cosas bonitas y con ambiente, artesanía regional y dulces navideños. Tiempo para un vino caliente o un ponche para niños y para elegir regalos, pero también para las delicias invernales. A la nieve, de excursión y en trineo. Déjenos inspirarle con consejos sobre mercados navideños, diversión invernal y las costumbres y tradiciones más bonitas.
Anímese con una selección de canciones navideñas o pruebe a hornear pan de jengibre y stollen. En nuestro podcast, los expertos en viajes también revelan sus consejos para la época navideña.
Pepinillos, chucherías y compañía.
En Turingia han surgido brillantes tradiciones navideñas que hoy se conocen en todo el mundo: desde el árbol a la chuchería, pasando por los villancicos. ¿Qué otras caprichosas ocurrencias hay aquí?
Ninguna otra celebración está asociada a tantas recetas tradicionales de deliciosas galletas como la Navidad. Para los niños, hornear galletas juntos es una de las mejores alegrías del Adviento. Cada región de Alemania tiene sus propias delicias culinarias, muchas de las cuales son populares en todo el país: Las manzanas asadas, el pan de jengibre de Núremberg y el Christstollen de Dresde son algunas de las más conocidas. El Adviento es tiempo de repostería: le presentamos las recetas más bonitas.
¿Quién no los conoce? Los deliciosos panes de jengibre de Núremberg son imprescindibles en todas las Navidades. Ya en el siglo XI, la gente disfrutaba de esta especialidad, que originalmente se horneaba en las panaderías de los monasterios.
El sabroso mazapán de Lübeck se consideraba un remedio y debía comerse dos veces al día antes de las comidas. Sea curativo o no, en cualquier caso sabe bien.
En Navidad no puede faltar un original Christstollen de Dresde. Ya en el siglo XVIII se enviaba como regalo a cortes reales y casas aristocráticas de toda Europa.
Las manzanas asadas son una sabrosa especialidad navideña en Alemania. Para conseguir la consistencia deseada y un sabor delicioso se utilizan variedades de manzanas firmes y ácidas.
¿Qué es la Navidad en Alemania sin vino caliente? El Kinderpunsch es una versión sin alcohol del vino caliente y crea un ambiente festivo para grandes y pequeños. El Kinderpunsch suele elaborarse a partir de zumos de frutas y refinarse con especias invernales.
Las dominós son un delicioso tentempié navideño inventado por un chololate de Dresde. Estos cubitos de chocolate se componen de diferentes capas: Pan de especias, mazapán y una capa de gelatina.
Son innumerables las canciones que acompañan a la Navidad. Canciones infantiles como "O du Fröhliche!", tradicionales y contemplativas como "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" (Noche de paz, noche santa), que se considera en todo el mundo el epítome de la Navidad alemana, y versiones modernas de clásicos como "Jingle Bells": durante el Adviento, los sonidos navideños están por todas partes: en la radio, en los villancicos de Adviento en la iglesia, en el mercado navideño. Hemos recopilado para usted listas de reproducción que le pondrán en el ambiente navideño tal y como a usted le gusta.
Cada familia, cada región organiza el Adviento y la Navidad según sus propias ideas y tradiciones. En algunos mercados navideños puede encontrarse con el Niño Jesús, en otros con la Reina de las Nieves o Papá Noel. Y hay alegrías invernales incluso cuando no hay nieve. En un viaje sonoro por la Alemania prenavideña, expertos en viajes de toda Alemania le dan sus consejos personales sobre actividades, tradiciones y eventos típicos.
... y déjenos llevarle en un viaje navideño a través de Alemania.
02 DZT Podcast - Winter and Christmas
Intro with music:
“Experience Germany – A Surprising Journey of Discovery”
INTRO
In the run-up to Christmas, the smell of roasted almonds, gingerbread and mulled wine is found everywhere in Germany. Each city has its own Christmas market. One of the most famous is the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt and it is opened by the Christ Child himself, says City Councilor Dr. Michael Fraas.
OST Dr. Michael Fraas, Nuremberg, Bavaria
Man: It is the Friday of the first Advent weekend, it is dark at the main market. All the lights will be turned off, including those in surrounding buildings and stalls. The square is dark. Then a big spotlight comes on, directed at the balcony of the Frauenkirche, and suddenly the Christ Child is standing there in his golden robe and crown and says: “The Christ Child invites you to his market and everyone is welcome.”
And the oldest German Christmas market is actually the Striezelmarkt in Dresden, dating back to 1434. Like Nuremberg with its gingerbread, Dresden’s Christmas market is also associated with a famous pastry, reports Veronika Hiebl of Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen.
OST Veronika Hiebl, Dresden, Saxony
Woman: The Dresden Striezelmarkt and the Dresden Christstollen share a common history, and this history continues to this day, as the Dresden Striezelmarkt owes its name to the traditional pastry originally known as Striezel.
But when it comes to the capital city of Christmas markets, Christian Tänzler of Visit Berlin clearly sees this as the German capital, with more than 50 themed markets ranging from royal to urban.
OST Christian Tänzler, Visit Berlin
Man: We have a Christmas market for dog lovers, for example. Of course, we also have nice things like a children’s Christmas market, a winter camp for the LGBTQI community, we have an old railroad, which is a bit magical and atmospheric in an old locomotive shed. And, what is very, very important in Berlin is the issue of sustainability. We have an organic market at Kollwitz Square. Therefore, everyone can find what they are looking for.
The 17 Christmas markets in “Holy Hamburg” also range from the cheeky and frivolous “Santa Pauli” on the Reeperbahn to maritime Christmas flair, explains Guido Neumann from Hamburg Tourismus.
OST Guido Neumann, Hamburg Tourismus
Man: We have a Christmas market in the Hafencity right on the waterfront, overlooking the harbor, a Christmas market around the Binnenalster lake or there are two Christmas markets on the waterways, on the canals. In addition, there are many things that take place on ships: Christmas fairy tales on steamboats on the Alster river, boat trips and Christmas-themed cruises on the Elbe through the brightly lit harbor.
Grog instead of mulled wine, fish sandwiches instead of the usual bratwurst. But stollen, cookies, Santa Claus, Christmas carols and Advent calendars are also part of the Advent season. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest Advent calendar house in the world is located in the Black Forest, according to Oliver Gerhard, spokesman for the town of Gengenbach.
OST Oliver Gelhardt, Gengenbach Advent calendar, Baden-Württemberg
Man: The town hall happens to have 24 windows, and this town hall is illuminated and becomes a giant Advent calendar, and every evening at 6 pm a window opens. The special thing about the Gengenbach Advent calendar is that great artists are always included. We already had paintings by Chagall, by Tomi Ungerer … There is always great art in these windows.
If you want to see the German cities with the most beautiful Christmas decorations through a window, you can book river cruises to romantic winter destinations on the Rhine, Danube or Elbe. From November to March, so-called winter punting trips are also offered on the Spreewald, says Patrick Kastner from Reiseland Brandenburg.
OST Patrick Kastner, Spreewald, Brandenburg
Man: These are unique Winter moments to enjoy snuggled up in a warm wool blanket with mulled wine in hand. You can listen dreamily to stories of the bargemen, who stand at the end and steer the ship almost like a gondola in Venice.
If you travel to Germany’s northernmost tip, you can find fir trees in Freest and on the island of Rügen, which are decorated with apples, potatoes and rose hips instead of baubles, angels and tinsel, because that’s where Lütten Christmas is celebrated, the Christmas festival of animals based on a book by Hans Fallada, explains Kathrin Hackbarth from Tourismusverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
OST Kathrin Hackbarth, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania: Lütten Christmas
Woman: The animals also find it difficult to find the appropriate food: there is snow on the Baltic coast in some places. So the idea came up to create edible ornaments. These can be titmouse rings, carrots, clay pots filled with lard and seeds or fruit, which are then laid out for the animals.
A small joy for the forest animals in the snow. And the snow also makes skiers happy, especially in the Bavarian Alps and the Black Forest. But there are also lifts on the Wasserkuppe mountain in Hesse, on the Fichtelberg in Saxony and on the Erbeskopf in the Palatinate. And Andreas Lehmberg from the Harzer Tourismusverband recommends winter vacations in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
OST Andreas Lehmberg, Harz ski resorts
Man: There are large ski resorts for alpine skiing in Braunlage on the Wurmberg or the Matthias-Schmidt-Berg in Sankt Andreasberg, and in the ski resort on the Bocksberg mountain in Hahnenklee. Those are the big ones. In addition to alpine skiing, cross-country skiing in the Harz Mountains is of course very exciting, where we have over 500 km of cross-country trails. And also, the Harz Mountains are very important when it comes to tobogganing, because from the north we are the first mountain range where you can go tobogganing on a longer stretch. That is why we have a dense network of winter hiking trails prepared.
If you want to get really active this winter, you’ll find plenty of sporting highlights at the Olympic base in Oberhof in the Thuringian Forest, reveals Thuringian sports journalist Katja Bauroth.
OST Katja Bauroth, Oberhof, Thuringia
Woman: There is the ski jump. Walking up and down the steps is great for the leg muscles. You will meet international athletes in the biathlon stadium on the Grenzadler. It is also possible for tourists there to have a go at the targets themselves. The cross-country ski hall allows year-round cross-country skiing and you can also meet the international crème de la crème of Nordic skiing there.
Well then, have fun in Germany in the wintertime!
OUTRO