Erfurt (dpa/th) - After a two-year Corona break for Christmas markets in Thuringia, the state capital Erfurt is again expecting a lot of hustle and bustle at the pre-Christmas market this year. Market master Sven Kaestner is hoping for up to 1.5 million guests for the 172nd Erfurt Christmas market, as he said on Thursday in Erfurt. "Then we can be very satisfied." Thuringia's largest Christmas market against the backdrop of Mariendom and Severikirche will open on November 22nd and at 31 days this year will last longer than the last edition in the pre-pandemic year 2019.
Stands and rides from 163 dealers and showmen await guests on the cathedral square until December 22nd. The 24 meter high spruce for the Christmas market has been on Domplatz for a week. A Christmas pyramid, a five-meter-high Advent wreath and a nativity scene are also intended to put guests in a festive mood. Away from the hustle and bustle of the market, a fairytale forest with scenically designed fairytales by the Erfurt artists Hannelore Reichenbach and Kurt Buchspieß is set up for children.
The Erfurt Christmas market is one of the largest in Germany. In 2019, more than two million guests came. Compared to the last year before the pandemic, the stand rents for traders have remained unchanged, according to the city administration.
Last year, Christmas markets that had already been set up in Thuringia, including in Erfurt, had to be dismantled again unused due to the dramatic worsening of the Corona situation. This year, the markets in other cities are again attracting visitors with the scent of mulled wine, tree decorations and handicrafts. It also starts in Weimar on November 22nd. The market in Eisenach will open on Monday (November 21st), the fairytale market in Gera will follow on November 24th, and the Christmas market in Jena one day later.
