The Oberhausen Christmas market

Each year around Christmas time, many German cities are having a Christmas market. We all know that Germany is a specialist on Christmas markets, so if you happen to be in the country during this time of the year, you should definitely visit one of the many markets. Since I live in the Netherlands, close to Germany, I can easily visit one of the cities. Two years ago, I already spent some time on the Christmas market of Cologne and this year it was time to explore the one in Oberhausen! I had such a great time: I did a lot of shopping, watched many beautiful products on the Christmas market and ate a lot. In this article I will tell more about the Oberhausen Christmas market.

Christmas market near CentrO
This Christmas market is the most popular and commercial market of Oberhausen. Most day trips are going to this Christmas market. The market is located around the big shopping mall CentrO and has approximately 150 wooden cabins where you can buy anything. Not only can you find stand with traditional, German dishes, but there are also a lot of crafts, like a glass blower and a carpenter. You can also buy products, like candles, jewellery and beautiful Christmas decoration. The Christmas market has a really nice atmosphere and brings you immediately in the holiday ambiance.

Shopping mall CentrO
A nice combination with the Christmas market is to visit the shopping mall CentrO as well. Since the Christmas market is just in front of the shopping mall, you can easily combine the two. CentrO knows some international shops, like H&M, Zara and Lush. It also has a ‘square’ with all kinds of eateries and cafés. In the middle of the square you can sit and enjoy your meal. CentrO also features a lot of Christmas decoration. It is very beautiful, at the middle of the square where you can sit, you can also find a huge Christmas tree. The decoration makes it so cosy and gives the shopping mall a nice atmosphere.

Food
I just love food, and I love to try new dishes. A big advantage of Christmas markets is the fact that there are many, many food stands. I think you would not be that surprised if I tell you I ate and drank a lot last Sunday. You can try out all kinds of traditional, German dishes. As lunch we ate baked potato with garlic butter and cheese, which was really delicious. Later that day, we also ate a well-known ‘Bratwurst’. As snack we decided to get a crêpe (which is actually not German, but still yummie) and last, but not least, we bought ourselves some ‘tete de negres’ in all kinds of flavours (from latte macchiato to raspberry). During the day we also tried ‘eierpunsch’, which we never had before. It is a hot drink, including milk, cognac and egg. It was really delicious; I liked it better than glühwein.

Ofcourse the Christmas markets have many more traditional dishes, like ‘reibekuchen’ and roasted mushrooms. The markets are, like you can read, for the real food lovers!

Christmas market at the old market
During my day in Oberhausen, I unfortunately did not went to this Christmas market. As compared to the Christmas market nearby CentrO, this Christmas market is smaller and more traditional. In the ‘Oberhausener Weihnachtswald’ you can find marketstands and high pine trees: it makes you feel like you are in a real forest! This Christmas market is also more suitable for families with children. Here you can find a carousel and a little train for the children.

Some tips
– If you would like to go to Oberhausen and spend the night in the city, you should book a hotel really early. By the time that the Christmas market has started, it can already be fully booked. This is also a tip for other popular cities with a big Christmas market.
– Furthermore, try not to go in the weekend just before Christmas. I went last Sunday and it was really crowded, actually too crowded. It is better if you go on Monday until Friday, because then it would be less crowded.
– If you are planning to go by car, you can be sure you get a parking spot. Close to CentrO, there are around 14.000 free parking spots, so there is always room to park your car. After parking, the Christmas market and shopping mall are only on a few minutes walking distance.

Have you ever been to Oberhausen before for the Christmas market? Let me know what you think about it!

Haven’t you heard enough about Christmas markets yet? Lucky you! Author Daphne has recently been to the Christmas market in Cologne, so stay tuned for her experiences during the day trip.

I would like to wish you all a very, merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Author: Tamara