After two years, the colorful booths of the Christmas market are attractive again in the center of Stuttgart on the first weekend of Advent.
The Stuttgart Christmas market is back. And in all its glory. For 31 days, more than 200 stalls transform the city center, from Königsbau to Karls- and Schillerplatz to the Market Square, into a true Christmas wonderland. “I’m happy to be here with my kids. I was sad they had to go without stalls and rides for two years. Two years with nothing is much more formative for kids than it is for us. And I definitely wanted to take the train with them before they were too old,” says Mum. A young woman on a Saturday afternoon at Schlossplatz, who drove the same steam locomotive as a child. Other young families have gathered here on Schlossplatz, where the steam locomotive and children’s Ferris wheel make children’s eyes sparkle. Especially with the former, many grandparents line up to buy a ticket for their grandchildren for €2.50.
In the afternoon, strollers roll through the streets
Generally, many young families gather at the Christmas market in the afternoon and push strollers through the crowded streets. Not all of them want to use games. Many just want to get around, says a family of four from Rottweil. “We also like to just look at the ornate booths,” adds one family member.
The Swiss dialect has returned to Stuttgart
But it’s not just young families that are represented at the Christmas market. Tourists from Germany and abroad have also returned to Stuttgart after a two-year break from the Christmas market. Buses from Austria and Switzerland load and unload passengers at Karlsplatz. And at Schillerplatz, you can hear a few visitors with a Swiss accent enjoying delicacies at the Christmas market. But some people also want to increase their Christmas decorations “but we haven’t found anything nice yet,” said a tourist from France.
Most visitors come to eat
It seems like a lot of people feel the same way you do. At least some of the feeders say business has been slow so far. “The Swiss used to be rich customers, today that is no longer the case,” says a man selling cradle figures on the market square. So far, no major sales have been made, his colleagues will also tell you about it, he says. “Maybe it’s Black Week,” he shrugs. According to him, most visitors come here to eat and drink. In addition, the market is well attended, but it is not overly crowded on Saturday.
Traders still have hope
This is also confirmed by a woman with a headscarf holder: “There’s not much going on yet. But the weather is mild too, and that might be a reason. We still have a lot of selling days ahead of us,” she says. However, she is still somewhat uncertain: “Of course you are also nervous. A lot has changed in the past two years.”
So the feeders are hoping that business will pick up speed. At least some visitors have gone on a shopping spree. Just like two friends enjoying a hot dog between Schiller and Marktplatz. “We like to look for presents here, yes. But first of all, we want something tasty to eat together, because that’s the nice thing about a Christmas market.” To achieve this, the two are willing to dig a little deeper into their pockets: “The meat from this sausage is not from factory farming, so we’d be happy to spend a little more,” the two say.