Have you noticed that Christmas in July has seriously become a huge thing over the past few years? I’m not sure why but it is EVERYWHERE right now, which reminded me of a store we visited in Berlin a few months ago called Käthe Wohlfahrt. Keep reading for all the Christmas tales of this magical store and what you can find there (all year long!)
I started collecting Christmas ornaments from our trips several years ago. So I dedicated a Christmas tree to them which we call our “travel tree”. As a result, I try to find tree ornaments from every new place we visit (this is not always easy as we rarely travel during the holidays). Even with the difficulty of trying to find Christmas ornaments before and after the holiday season, I’ve been able to do pretty well at most places we’ve visited in Europe. However, I definitely hit the Christmas jackpot when I found Käthe, an entire Christmas store in Berlin! I just recently wrote about my Top 10 Places To Visit In Berlin, and this easily could’ve easily made number 11!
Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market) in Germany (and a few other European cities) is a street market associated with Christmas. It’s history goes back to the middle ages (but has upgraded a little since then). I always thought it would be fun to visit the market when it was actually Christmas but frankly I do not travel well in cold weather (let alone shop outside when it is) so this has never been at the top of my list. So, imagine my delight to be able to have a similar experience when the weather was actually warm!
As you walk in the front door past two huge, cheerful Nutcrackers, you immediately feel the Christmas vibe. A sign in both German and English says, “This way to Käthe’s Christmas World”. You walk from the first floor filled with Christmas decorations up a winding ramp (with a giant Christmas tree in the middle) to the second floor which is filled with even more decorations.
This store literally has everything, traditional and modern, that you would ever need for Christmas. Even things you don’t need but you just MUST have: Traditional German nutcrackers, every tree ornament imaginable, candles, Santas, etc., etc., etc. Prices are not cheap but all of the items are high quality, so you’re getting what you paid for.
Of course, I bought a few ornaments for my tree as well as for gifts (talk about being on top of Christmas shopping this year), but two very traditional German decorations really caught my eye.
You might have seen the first, the Christmas pyramid, without realizing its German origin. It is a carousel decorated with a nativity scene and other Christmas figures with blades that look like airplane propellers. The blades seem to move magically but it’s really just simple physics as the heat from the candles below create the movement. Now, you know what I’m talking about right? If not, look at the photo below.
But the decoration that really caught my attention was the Schwibbogen (I know..I don’t know how to pronounce it either). I have seen these in other Christmas stores but they were always in small sizes. These, on the other hand, were not small! These Christmas candle holders (now also powered by electrical lights) originated in Saxony Germany in 1740 but over the years the purpose has evolved but what remains is its link to Christmas tradition. I fell in love with a large one and decided I wanted to be part of this Christmas tradition. So I purchased it right on the spot to keep my other tree ornaments company.
I could have spent hours in this store but already spent more money than I had anticipated so decided, for the benefit of my wallet, it was time to go. But if I want to visit again, it is good to know that Käthe has other locations in Germany including their company headquarters in Rothenburg ob der Tauber (which has definitely made my list of places to go next in Germany).
Even if you are not a huge fan of Christmas outside of the “holiday season” I think you will appreciate the magic you feel once you walk inside this store. It’s certainly worth a visit. It is free to walk inside but will be hard to avoid walking out with a few things you MUST have. Good luck!
Yorumlar