Strawberry festival is along with Medieval & Christmas market the most romantic event in Esslingen…read more Once a year in June from the early morning hundreds of meters of tables on Küferstraße are set up with strawberry and strawberry cake. I strongly recommend not to miss official cutting of huge heart-shaped strawberry cake at 10 o'clock (Ottilienplatz). After that you can buy a piece of cake for you and your sweetheart ;)))

Onion festival is wonderful annual event which takes place in August in Esslingen am Neckar…read more Every year on marketplace of the city there is a huge variety of delicacies from kitchen and wine-cellar from Swabian specialities, onion dishes to fresh German beer and good wine from Esslingen vineyards.

We loved this Weihnachtsmarkt because of the craft vendors all had very good pricing of quality…read morecraftsmanship! We spent a lot of money and it was not crowded. It has a great setting and one of the best Weißer Nicholaus Glühwein! The vendors were all very friendly and the bellmaker was the most interesting to watch. I also loved the crafthouse maker that was located inside the old water mill. We will come here again next year.

It's always nice getting to dress in traditional German garb and comingle with the locals at…read moreStuttgarter-Frühlingsfest. For the most part everybody is super friendly and just there to have a good time. You might run into a couple of unfriendly drunk folks here or there but ... water off a duck's back. The overall energy here is fun, lively, and welcoming. One thing people don't realize is that Stuttgarter-Frühlingsfest is actually the 2nd largest fest in Germany, and honestly I prefer it over Oktoberfest. The weather is WAY nicer compared to the colder fall fests, which makes it much more enjoyable to walk around, eat, drink, and actually stay outside without freezing. Just avoid them nasty ass "Quicky" shots. Lol I've been here in both 2025 and 2026 and spent time in the Benz VIP Tent, which was such a blast. Sitting around partying with traditional German food, beer, and live music while realizing the locals know the same American songs we do was hilarious to me. Who knew Sweet Caroline, My Heart Will Go On, and The Macarena were global hits? Lol. Everybody singing together after a few drinks is truly an experience. There's plenty of rides, games, beer tents, and traditional carnival food everywhere you look. Honestly it reminds me a lot of the local carnivals back home in Hampton Roads, just on a much bigger scale and with way more beer and lederhosen. Overall this is one of my favorite traditions I've picked up while living in Germany, and I hope to keep coming back every year for as long as I'm here.

If you are bummed to be traveling in Germany in the springtime because you're missing out on late…read moreSeptember's Oktoberfest, then I have good news. The lesser known Frühlingsfest in Stuttgart provides much of the same experience in my opinion. I came here with a group of friends and we all had a ton of fun. We paid €20 to enter a huge party tent but received €20 worth of drinking tokens back- the admission is just a guarantee that you'll pay for at least two huge beers there basically. The beers are served in liter size mugs which was a bit much for a slow beer drinker like me but others in my group didn't seem to mind. Also available were 1/2 liter mugs filled with wine that I eventually switched to which greatly improved my experience. Overall this was definitely one of the most fun days of my life. The Germans were all very welcoming and taught us the dances and songs that they were joining in on as there was a live band the whole time leading renditions of drinking songs. Overall this is a great place for a group of friends to visit.

Heidelberg Xmas Market is just the best. Spanning multiple locations down the busy Hauptstrasse,…read moreyou have to visit all to avoid missing out on the unique offerings. There is an ice rink right below the castle location. The church location offers the Heidelberger Fass experience, where you can chill in giant barrels. The university location has my favorite tea shop, carousel, champignon booth, and the best "steak" sandwich. Next to Cafe Extrablatt, you can get your photos taken with a fake Santa. Last but not least, you haven't lived if you haven't tried the Flammlachs (flaming lox) at the Bismarkplatz location. Maybe I'm biased because I grew up here, but in my book, this is the best Christmas market experience in Germany--period.

It was the highlight of our recent 3-day weihnachtsmarkt trip to West Germany and Luxembourg, and…read moreit was one of the best ones among seven cities (and I'm counting altogether five markets we visited in Heidelberg as one) we visited in total. We parked and started our route at Karlsplatz just under the Heidelberg Castle (photo). Fortunately, the entrance line was not too long since we arrived sort of early in the evening before the crowd. Heidelberg Christmas Markets are the only one that mandated 2G+ COVID Requirement during our trip. That meant you had to have a negative PCR test results as well as vaccination certificate. Due to that requirement the entry point was a little congested and slow for checking everyone with proper paperwork, but once you got cleared to enter, you were given a wrist band that would allow you go to enter any other markets in town. That saved us a ton of time later. There were some PCR Testing sites near some markets, but since we have gotten it done earlier, we didn't have to bother with that, either. As the evening progressed, there were long lines at both testing sites and entrances. Now, weihnachtsmarkts were wonderful. There were some very nice vendor huts and food choices. I enjoyed some potato pancakes, Glühwein and Nürnberger lebkuchen. I believe ice skate rink was very popular. All five markets were nicely placed within about three city blocks along the main street (Hauptstraße) from Karlsplatz to Marketplatz. It was very enjoyable.

One piece of advice if you are considering visiting these Christmas markets in Germany: RUN. Like,…read moreseriously: RUN! Better hurry, too, before tourists ruin these gems like they have just about every other market in Germany. Over the years, tour buses and Hallmark movies and overtourism have really ruined the magic of the German Christmas Markets, but any OG Christmas Market fan will tell you that the Mittelaltermarkt & Weihnachtsmarkt in Esslinger are what markets used to be! These were by far my favorite markets in all of Germany. We grabbed an Uber from Stuttgart to get to town, and it cost us less than $50 and took about 20 minutes. Coming back, we hopped a local train to Stuttgart that was cheap and fast. It was so easy to get there via either travel method. Esslingen has two major markets in town (just follow the crowds). Both have their charms. The first is mostly a foodie market so if you like treats and eats, this is your place! Go with an empty stomach! The second is an incredible medieval themed market that feels like a Renaissance Faire sprinkled with holiday magic! I loved both of these markets so much. The foodie market had so many good eats. From cinnamon rolls to cheeses to fondue to sausage on a stick to smoked ham and fish, you won't go hungry here. We found the food prices to be pretty cheap, considering. Think 5 Euro sausages, 9 Euro fondue. The Medieval market had Renaissance Fair type food, served in fun ways (like potatoes on sticks, drinkable grogs of soup, and the like). Each had a few rides or fair type games, but not a lot. This was mostly about eating and enjoying the atmosphere. The Medieval market has an unbeatable atmosphere. Shopkeeps dressed in traditional garb, flaming torches providing candlelight, craftspeople carving wood and making horsehoes, and even a parade with a visit from Krampus! Plan to spend several hours here, and make sure you stay to see it at night! It is magical! Restrooms are difficult to find, and there's a very small one (with a very long, long line) that costs money to use. Many of the local restaurants don't provide bathrooms either, so be aware if you were planning to buy something so you could go. Both markets were absolutely jam packed with people, but they still captured a local flair. In other words, more locals than foreign tourists - but as soon as the word gets out, that is going to change, and hordes of American and British and Canadian tourists crammed into overstuffed mega-tour buses will descent on the markets and totally take them over (in other words, ruin them). Yes, I realize I'm an American tourist, but I'm talking about the worst kind of tourists, not the ones who respect and want to learn about the local culture. Any traveller knows what I mean.

An amazing market in one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. It is part of the Fachwerkstrasse…read moreand has beautiful old buildings and the medieval market is fantastic. Food is excellent the entertainment is great and the vibe is amazing. Not to be missed if in Stuttgart during Christmas market time. Opens on the 1st advent day and carries on for a few weeks.

Sommerfest is a big festival that takes place for four days every August in the heart of…read moreStuttgart-city. It is surely not the largest festival in Stuttgart but it is definitely great pleasure for everybody and one of the most beautiful summer city festivals in Germany! Music for all ages and interesting entertainment program, famous Swabian gastronomy and fairy-tale atmosphere make an excellent impression!..