Newsletter – December 2014
www.expat-karlsruhe.com
Dear Expats,
The first Sunday of Advent is already on November 30 th, therefore this special Christmas edition of the
expat-karlsruhe newsletter is going out a bit early.
Christmas, and the pre-Christmas season, is one of the most magical times in Germany. The days are
short and to compensate, just about every town stages a Christmas market starting at the end of
November. This lights up the inner cities and makes being outside more enjoyable. Many towns also
set up temporary ice-skating rinks complete with skate rental and piped in holiday music.
For a listing of the markets in the area, check out Christmas Markets. Many of these markets tend to
be commercial – with some exceptions. Smaller cities and towns host a Christmas market on one or
two weekends during Advent, where local clubs and groups sell food and drinks to help finance their
yearly activities. Each market has it's own charm.
If it's cold out, remember to wear warm socks! Make an evening of it to enjoy the lights.
Important dates in December
December 6 - Saint Nikolaus (Nikolaustag). Put your shoes out the night before and maybe they will
be filled with sweets and other goodies – or a birch branch if you were naughty. Eat a Dambedei, the
yeast dough formed like a man, sometimes with a pipe.
December 24 — Christmas Eve. Stores usually close in the early afternoon. Christmas Eve is
considered the most important time for family in Germany. Those celebrating will probably have a
decorated Christmas tree. Presents are distributed on Christmas Eve.
December 25 and 26 are national German holidays. Just about everything is closed on Dec 25th. If
you would like to eat out, be sure to make reservations. Dec 26th is like a Sunday - stores and
government institutions are closed; most museums and restaurants are open.
January 1 is a national German holiday. Dec 31st stores usually close earlier.
At midnight on December 31st (Silvester), you are allowed to shoot your own firecrackers — these
may only be purchased a few days ahead of time and may only be used on New Years Eve. If you live
in a town with lots of old buildings, your town council may forbid fireworks. Even if you are at a
private party or a celebration inside a club or restaurant, most people leave shortly before or after
midnight to go outside to watch fireworks.
Traditional Christmas Markets
Karlsruhe (Nov 27 - Dec 23, 2014): In Karlsruhe the Christkindlesmarkt is at Friedrichsplatz and a
special area for kids is next to the St. Stephan church. A temporary ice skating rink is set up in front of
the Schloss. Nearby Durlach has a medieval Christmas market (Nov 27 - Dec 22).
Ettlingen (Nov 27 - Dec 28, 2014): Sternlesmartkt throughout the center of town.
Baden-Baden (Nov 24 - Dec 30, 2014): Most of the market is in front of the Casino/Kurhaus.
Heidelberg (Nov 24 - Dec 22, 2014): The old town is charming, as is the market. Part of the market is
up in the castle (Schloss).
Strasbourg (Nov 28 - Dec 31, 2014): One of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe and the oldest
one in France. The city is worth a visit anytime, but the Marche de Noel makes it that much nicer.
Stuttgart (Nov 26 - Dec 23, 2014): Over 290 stands selling Christmas goodies and food.
Newsletter – December 2014
www.expat-karlsruhe.com
Special Weekend-Only Markets
Maulbronn (UNESCO World Heritage Site) hosts a Christmas market on the 6th and 7th of
December.
Schloss Neunbürg (southwest of Pforzheim): December 13 and 14 — Advent market with artists and
artisans selling their wares.
Bad Wimpfen — it's not that close, but many consider this to be one of the most picturesque markets
around. Be prepared for crowds. First three weekends of Advent (Fri-Sun). Info in English here.
Schloss Gondelsheim (between Bretten and Bruchsal): Dec 11 - 14 - Santa Lucia Market where artists
and artisans sell their goods.
Christmas Shopping
For hand-made or special articles, try these:
November 28 – 30 — Artvent #14 in the Orgelfabrik. 20 regional artists and designers sell their
works on the first weekend of Advent.
December 6 - 14 — Karlsruhe Christmas Market for Applied Arts (Weihnachtsmesse für Angewandte
Kunst). Very high quality hand-made articles for purchase just in time for the holidays at the Museum
am Markt in Karlsruhe.
December 12 - 13 — Lametta. The alternative Christmas market. Design and Art/Craft Market at
Tollhaus in Karlsruhe. Locals show and sell their truly unique, non-traditional stuff.
December 14 — Art Auction to benefit AIDS Help. In the Karlsruhe Schloss Gartensaal starting at 5
pm. Viewing starting at 3 p.m.
In addition, the city wants you to shop, so December 6 is Late Night Shopping. Most shops in the
inner city of Karlsruhe are open for shopping until midnight.
Transportation, Construction & Traffic
Just in time for holiday shopping, the city has developed an App to help you reach the inner city. It
gives an estimated time of arrival for your route, details about parking garage capacities, as well as
traffic flow in real time (in German). We have not personally tested it, but it may help you navigate
through the many construction zones popping up all over. Download for free here.
Plan a bit of extra time when trying to get from here to there, especially on the Saturdays before
Christmas. A map of the public transportation routes is available in the transportation section of our
website.
Because of the Christmas market on Friedrichsplatz, the bike street is closed and a detour route is
marked. In general, as a bicyclist in winter, remember to turn on your headlight and wear reflective
clothing in order to be seen.
The tunnel in Grötzingen is closed until March causing traffic jams on the B10.
The underpass near Ettlinger Tor is closed causing some traffic jams in and around Ettlinger Tor.
Eventually motorized traffic will go through a tunnel underneath the Kreigstrasse, while trams,
bicycles and pedestrians will be above ground. Estimated date of completion is 2019.
Newsletter – December 2014
www.expat-karlsruhe.com
As of this writing, the labor conflicts at Lufthansa and DeutscheBahn have not yet been resolved. The
unions have promised to warn the public in advance of the next strike(s). If you are planning any trips,
be sure to check on-line ahead of time if your flight or train is still scheduled.
What to do in Karlsruhe in December
The most current listing of events can be found in the What's Up section of our website. There's a lot
this time of year, so have a look.
Theater in English
This month you have two opportunities to experience theater in English. The first is at Jakobus
Theater, while the second is the student production at the European School in Karlsruhe.
December 4 & 5 — Grüße aus dem Schützengraben - Greetings from the trenches. A dramatic
reading by Phil Lowe at the Jakobus-Theater in Karlsruhe. Many German and English soldiers
exchanged addresses during the Great War Christmas truce of 1914 with the promise to write after
the war was over. 'Greetings from the trenches' is a poetic new performance piece by Nottingham
actor and writer Phil Lowe and examines the imaginary lives of soldiers Hans Schwabe and Frank
Phillips through their correspondence. Now an elderly and successful writer and poet Frank arrives in
Karlsruhe, the former home of the deceased Hans Schwabe to record their shared memoirs and
poetry. In English and German and starring Emma Brown mezzo-soprano and actress and Phil Lowe.
December 6 — "An Inspector Calls " - an evening of theater in English at the European School of
Karlsruhe starting at 7:30 p.m. The student production of J.B. Priestley's classic, set just before the
outbreak of the First World War, where the crimes of a middle-class British family are exposed one by
one by the impenetrable Inspector Goole...Whodunnit?
Christmas Music
Look for special concerts in the local churches – most often organ concerts or choirs. Try the
Evanglische Stadtkirche am Marktplatz, the Durlacher Stadtkirche, St. Bonifatius, Christuskirche,
Lutherkirche, St. Stephan and more. Expect to pay something – either for a ticket or a donation.
December 13 —Christmas Carol Singing in the Kleine Kirche in Karlsruhe at 4 pm. Organized by the
Mittelstadtgemeinde. Come early - event fills fast and no reservations taken.
Winter Worries
You are responsible for snow and ice removal from sidewalks and stairs in front of your building. In
apartment houses there may be a schedule stating which apartment is responsible for which week. In
Karlsruhe, the sidewalks must be clear between 7:30 am and 9 pm on weekdays and starting at 9 am
on Sundays and holidays. In addition, in Karlsruhe you may not use salt to clear the ice – only gravel,
sand or ashes are allowed. These are the rules – not everyone follows them, but for legal reasons they
are important. The same holds true for houses. Your apartment may have a Hausmeister or have
engaged a snow removal service, in which case you can enjoy the snow. (What snow?)
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it on!
We wish you all a very merry holiday season and all the best in the New Year!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please let us know. If we are missing any events or information you think
might be interesting &/or useful for the expat community, drop us a line.
If you wish to be removed from the mailing list please reply to this email directly. Otherwise we will continue to send you
periodic emails about interesting events and opportunities in the greater Karlsruhe area.