Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market

Growing up near Chicago, I'd often head downtown over the winter months to visit the Christkindlmarket. Arriving in the UK just a few months away from the holiday season, I quickly started to hear about Christmas markets in different cities across England and Europe. I was very excited to check some of them out, and I finally took advantage of the opportunity a few weeks ago: I took a day trip to Birmingham to see the city and the Christmas Market it hosts throughout December. I was also hoping to see the Oxford Christmas Market a few days before, but unfortunately I came down with a bug during the week.

That weekend, I caught a morning train from Leicester to Birmimgham. The weather was beautiful, the sun actually made an appearance! The trip took about an hour and was quite pleasant. The station in Birmingham was bustling when I arrived.

It was still pretty early in the day and the markets hadn't fully opened yet, so I started by walking around a bit to see the area. I stopped into a café for a coffee and some delicious crumpets and jam while I did some reading and Sudoku.

Once I wrapped that up, I walked toward the main market areas around the different squares downtown. The Birmingham Christmas Market is called the Frankfurt Market due to its German-style, allegedly the largest authentic one outside of Germany and Austria. I didn't spend too much time walking through in the afternoon since I thought it would be better to see after dusk, more on that later.

After passing through much of the market, I headed through the town center to an area known as the Jewellery Quarter. The mixture of architecture along the way caught my attention. For instance, this was one of the main buildings off of the town square (you can spot part of the market on the right side of the photo).

The historic architecture was in sharp contrast with the Birmingham library for instance, which unfortunately was closed when I passed by but looked very modern and impressive.

Back to the Jewellery Quarter: true to its name, the area is known for having a strong history as a hub for jewelry stores and artists. Although most of the shops were also closed, it was a very pretty area to walk through. Here you can see the Button Shop (less true to its name, it's a pub) and, in the background toward the left, an iconic green clocktower at the core of the Quarter.

The buildings and overall atmosphere of the neighborhood was quaint and quiet, I passed a few very old churches and cemeteries on my walk. They added a distinguished touch to the city landscape, impressive and haunting especially in the somber wintry weather.

As you can see, the weather got increasingly gray as the afternoon went on and eventually began drizzling, so I started heading back in the general direction of the city center.

To avoid the worst of the rain, I stepped into a train station and contemporary art gallery on my way back to the centre. Since the drizzle kept up, I headed toward the Bullring shopping center adjacent to Grand Central station where I'd started.

I was impressed that, despite the gloomy weather, there were loads of people around. Outside of the Bullring, there was even a sizable group protesting in support of the Iranian community.

After passing them I wandered around to catch a glimpse of the iconic Selfridges building, another prime example of modern architecture. You can see a bit of its curvy facade on the right side of the photo below.

While I was inside I didn't do much shopping. Instead, I did some quick research on good pubs in the area to check out for dinner. Miraculously, by the time I headed back out the sun had reappeared! It made venturing back outside much more pleasant.

I passed some festivities on my way back over, including this fine penguin. During the day, I saw many of these creatively decorated statues around the city. There was a pathway of them dotted throughout Birmingham for the holiday celebrations, and I got enough steps in to see several of them during my day there. This was one of my favorites! It was located in an arcade, but not the kind you play games in; rather, it's a covered or enclosed alleyway lined with shops.

The city centre area was still decently crowded, and the first few pubs I stepped into were bustling. Luckily, I found one a bit off the beaten path with a traditional look but more unique fare. I enjoyed a delicious falafel burger and chips, accompanied by a pint of lager from the pub brewery. I ordered another drink and stayed in a while after my meal both to warm up some more and finish watching the first half of the first world cup game!

When I made my way back out, it was finally dark out and the lit-up markets seemed more beautiful and even a little magical against the cold night sky.

Here's an example of what I mean:

Both of these photos are from roughly the same area, as you can see from the Christmas carousel.

On one hand, the first is impressive since it's from when some blue sky peeked through following the afternoon rain. Personally, the second feels more festive. It may be cliché, but I suppose you do need darkness to fully appreciate the light.

Anyway, after the half wrapped up I revisited the main market areas I had passed through earlier. In one square, groups huddled around tables and torches listening to a live band play from a gazebo in front of an impressive cathedral.

Each of the pathways leading toward the center of the square was lined with shopfronts like miniature wooden chalets emblazoned with rows and rows of lights, which definitely reminded me of the Christkindlmarket back home.

This area in particular was probably my favorite as the shops featured more local vendors and artists than other spots. I was somewhat disappointed to find that the main drag featured many of the same products: German sweets, bratwurst, pretzels, donuts, frankfurters, gingerbread, ornaments, and similar on repeat. I hope future markets I visit may have some more unique offerings as well.

That said, I really enjoyed the market and the city as a whole. When I returned to the main area it was still bustling, filled with music and crowds of people enjoying gluhwein and other warming snacks and beverages which are a staple at any good Christmas market.

I treated myself to a mug of hot cocoa and some candied cinnamon almonds, which I enjoyed from beneath the platform which supported the massive Christmas tree at the base of the square.

At that point, I'd seen most of the market more than once and my hands were struggling to keep warm without the aid of the hot chocolate, so I decided to catch a train back to Leicester.

I had a fun, full day in Birmingham. I'm looking forward to returning in a different season, since it's so close-by, and visiting a few more Christmas markets this holiday season!