Christmas is the most important and lively festival of the year in Germany. The windows, exterior walls and courtyards of every household are decorated, and the Christmas tree stands either inside the house or in the courtyard. The most solemn one is the Christmas market. Among the Christmas markets around the world, Germany is one of the biggest, most popular and of course the most traditional.
Slightly larger cities, there are at least 10 or so Christmas markets. After a stroll, you will be surrounded by a strong Christmas atmosphere. The air is filled with the burnt fragrance of grilled sausages, the sweet fragrance of warm wine, and the familiar Christmas music lingers in your ears. No one will not be infected by this fairy tale Christmas.
Food, warm wine, Christmas music, holiday lights, the Christmas season in Bavaria, Germany, is like a feast of the senses, full of joy and tradition, which has been like this for hundreds of years. Entering December, the most romantic sentence is: "Let's go to Bavaria for Christmas!" Say it softly to TA, and no one will refuse. Because, in Bavaria, in Germany, there is a pure Christmas culture.
Outside the window, the eyes are full of green, and there are even dots of rape blossoms blooming, which makes it hard to believe that this is the winter of December. From the Alps in the south of Bavaria to the grape forest valley in Franken in the north, walking in the ancient town of famous historical and cultural cities, immersed in the beauty of all kinds of exquisite buildings, the whole person is ignited by the strong Christmas style.
Munich, the church and the summer palace are the gifts of the prince's birth
Munich is the first to know Bavaria, Germany. In the past, as soon as you arrive in Munich, drop off your luggage and immediately rush to Marienplatz to join the sea of beer carnival. The green of two onions in Maria Church, the brown-black Gothic architecture of the old city hall, and the colorful colors of many famous restaurants and cafes all make this square a symbol of Munich.
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Now, there is a booming Christmas market in Maria Square. Merchants sell specialties, handicrafts and all kinds of Christmas ornaments in newly decorated huts. People come here to enjoy Christmas cakes, warm wine with cinnamon and other spices, or with their families, friends or alone. The cheerful performances of choirs and wind orchestras turn the whole square into a sea of music. A mouthful of warm red wine and a mouthful of gingerbread (some gingerbread is only for decoration) make Munich, which is not cold, warmer in winter.
In Europe, the most lively Christmas market is in Germany, right here in Bavaria. Every year, the Christmas market opens from the end of November and lasts for four weeks until Christmas. If we have to compare it, it may be equivalent to China's New Year Street, where food, drink, clothing and use are all-encompassing, and you can find everything for holidays and winter.
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In addition to the must-see punch-in places such as Maria Square in Munich, there are many places that have left the historical mark of Bavaria in those days, including the Theatiner Church not far from the square. Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria married the French princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy and was childless for many years. Until 1662, when Maximilian II Emanuel was born, he naturally became the heir of the royal family.
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To celebrate the birth of the royal heir, the Elector began to build this baroque church, and made many sculptures of the holy baby inside. This church, designed by Italian architects, has a distinct Mediterranean appearance and yellow tone, which makes it stand out from many surrounding buildings. Since then, Tieatina Church has become a famous place for seeking children, and it is said that it is quite effective.
The Elector gave his wife more than one church, and the Schloss Nymphemburg Palace on the outskirts of Munich was also built as a gift for the prince's birth. Celebrating the accident, the baroque style of this summer palace can also calm the princess's homesickness sigh. It was also from this royal palace that the Baroque era of architecture began in Bavaria, and even in Germany as a whole.
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Nymphenburg, with its magnificent interiors and royal majesty, together with its huge gardens, became the top of Bavarian palaces. The era of Nymphenburg was also the time when the eastern civilization flocked to the west. There is a Chinese-style room in the palace, which is completely Chinese-style from decoration to furnishings, including lacquerware, porcelain, wallpaper, screens and portraits.
At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon in Nymphenburg, * rose in the horizon, and it was ready to debut at night. This is the case in winter in Munich. Perhaps this is why Christmas markets are popular in Germany. It is not too cold outdoors, long winter nights, and there is a lively market, which will add a lot of fun to people at night.
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In fact, Nymphenburg is also the birthplace of Ludwig II. Neuschwanstein Castle, which almost everyone knows, was built by this sad Bavarian king.
Bayreuth, feel the hardship of booking a ticket in ten years
From Munich to the north, Bayreuth, located in Upper Franken, Bavaria, awaits people with the same Christmas market and the same Bavarian characteristics.
During the festival, children are the happiest, and they are looking forward to the next festival after the festival. At the Christmas market in front of Bayreuth City Hall, children are very happy. Besides eating and fun, they can also take photos with Santa Claus, and then they can put their hands into Santa Claus's big pocket and take out their own gifts. Adults also took photos with Santa Claus, only to find that childhood has become extravagant hope.
Bayreuth is a small city, but it has influential figures to this day, the opera master Wilhelm Richard Wagner and the prodigal daughter Marie Augusta Wilhelmine, who left behind two opera houses.
Princess Wilhelminie was the mother of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, and grandmother of Ludwig II. As a gift for her daughter's wedding, she presided over the construction of the Markgräflichen Opera House, the only existing pure wood opera house in the world. For this, she almost exhausted the duchy's treasury.
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Wilhelminnie was the most influential woman in Germany in the 18 th century. Although she was defeated, she also turned Bayreuth into a dazzling cultural city. From the statues and paintings, it can be seen that her costumes are very elegant and the most fashionable in that era. Marquis Opera House was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2012. It was closed and renovated for six years, and it bloomed again this year.
In 1872, when Wagner settled in Bayreuth, it became obvious that the Marquis Opera House could not only perform his own repertoire, so he decided to build his own opera house. Eight years ago, he was extremely poor, but he met his admirer: King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who finally completed the construction of the theater wholly. In the Castle of Hochschwanstein in Fussen, Ludwig II reserved a room for Wagner.
During the year, the Wagner Opera House is only used for four weeks during the Wagner Music Festival. At other times, it is only open to visits, and there are no performances. Even the restaurant and cafe next to it only operates for four weeks with the music festival. The theater has a special entrance for King Ludwig II, who doesn't like outsiders. Today, this entrance is used by Merkel and other dignitaries to enter and leave Wagner Opera House.
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In order to maintain the best viewing effect, the theater is not air-conditioned, and the orchestra pit is located below the stage, which is invisible to the audience. Because of the heat, the musicians of the orchestra can even play shirtless. The theater has only 2,000 seats, and it is a particularly simple wooden seat, which is a great challenge for watching each performance continuously for four days.
Wagner fans who want to enjoy his opera in Bayreuth in person need to book 7 to 10 years in advance to succeed. For a 10-year contract, the ticket price of 300 euros per ticket is still worth it. During the music festival, many people hold signs at the entrance of the theater waiting for others to refund their tickets, even for 8 euro seats that can only be listened to but not watched. It seems that this should be regarded as an early hunger marketing.
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Today, Wagner's residence for the last 10 years of his lifetime has been turned into a museum. After his death, he was buried in the backyard of this residence without a tombstone. In the front yard of the museum, there is a small sculpture of Ludwig II, which is quite meaningful.
Regensburg, where the Danube flows slowly
Regensburg, on the banks of the Danube, has a history of the barracks set up by the Romans in the second century AD, and the ruins of the city wall still remain today. During World War II, the old city was fortunately preserved, but the aircraft factory on the outskirts of the city was heavily bombed by the Allies.
In the old city, hundreds of years of houses abound, and any one of them can tell a story: the Holy Roman Empire, the Elector, the Free City and the Marquis. In the city, the closer to the Danube, the more poor people live. On the contrary, the higher terrain is the residence of rich and noble people.
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The stone bridge was built in the 12 th century. For 800 years after its first repair, the stone bridge has been the only bridge across the Danube between Ulm and Vienna. Emperor Frederick I of Barbarossa set off from here in May 1189, leading his army on the Third Crusade.
According to legend, the architects who built the stone bridge and the cathedral made a bet to see who would finish the work first. Seeing that the cathedral was clearly ahead of the construction speed, the architect of the stone bridge made a promise to the devil: if he could get help, he would give the first three souls to cross the bridge to the devil. Finally, the stone bridge was finished before the cathedral. The devil asked the architect for a promise, but the architect drove three chickens across the bridge after the stone bridge was opened. This angered the devil, who pushed the stone bridge so hard that it became an arched bridge. Now walking over the stone bridge, you can see the obvious arching. In fact, the cathedral was first built in 1273, when the stone bridge had been completed for more than 100 years.
Thurn and Taxis Castle is not open at night at ordinary times. There are only night tours during Christmas season, and the courtyards and gardens will be transformed into Christmas markets. How wonderful it is here at night.
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The Marquis Palace is naturally located high up in the old city. At first, the family purchased the Benedictine St. Much of the Emmeram Monastery, and extended considerably on this basis, finally formed the magnificent appearance it has today.
Outside is the lively Christmas market, and in the palace listen to the stories of the Thurn and Taxis family, how the postal system was first established in the name of the emperor in the 15 th century, operating continuously for more than 350 years. The previous Marquis was 53 years old when he married 20-year-old Gloria, and died 10 years later. His son Albert succeeded him as the 12 th Marquis of Thurn and Taxis. He was only 8 years old at that time and inherited more than $3 billion in assets. Albert's two sisters moved to big cities one after another. Now, the Marquis occasionally returns to live, when flags are raised on the roof of the palace.
Regensburg, with a population of 160,000, has six Christmas markets, among which this market in Neupfarr Kirche has a history of more than 200 years.
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On weekends, it's also very lively during the day. People choose their beloved Christmas gifts one after another, and even the dinner table has little space. The lunch here is dominated by Regensburg sausage, followed by a glass of mulled white wine, and surrounded by a strong Christmas mood.
Regensburg sausage is baked, while Bavarian breakfast classic white sausage is cooked in warm water. This originated from an unexpected lack of ingredients by a chef in Munich in 1857, but it became famous among diners. Neumarkt, not far from Regensburg, has the only white sausage museum and white sausage college in the world.
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The museum provides a white sausage making class. The boss "Professor White Sausage" personally explains the making method of white sausage, how to chop meat, how to make enema, and you can eat the white sausage made by yourself. The filled white sausage can be cooked in hot water at 71 degrees for 25 minutes before it can be eaten, and it should be eaten before the church bell rings at 12 noon. Of course, this was the time when there was no refrigerator to keep it fresh in the past, but now you can eat delicious food at any time.
Wuerstkuche on the Danube River is a thousand-year-old shop, which is still so attractive. Diners here usually order the most distinctive charcoal-grilled sausage in Regensburg, which is thumb-thick but juicy and delicious. According to even numbers, you can order 8-10 sausages for normal appetite, plus sauerkraut, beer and Bavarian bread dipped in salt.
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Christmas lights have been lit. This winter, let's embrace and warm in Bavaria.
3-day tour of Bavaria
For detailed itinerary, please reply to "Bavaria" in the background.
D 1: Munich: Nymphenburg Palace-Tieratina Church-Marienplatz
D 2: Bayreuth: Marquis Opera-Wagner Museum-Meiser Beer Museum-Town Hall Christmas Market
D 3: Regensburg: Neumart White Sausage Museum-Neupfarr Kirche Christmas Market-Regensburg Cathedral-Stone Bridge-City Hall-Thurn and Taxis Palace
