As the temperatures plummet, there is only one thing guaranteed to keep any Berliner’s heart warm this side of Christmas. The various Weihnachtsmarkt (aka Christmas Market) that spring up across the city mean you are never too far away from a glass of glühwein and a spot of arts and crafts.
No exception is the sprawling Christmas marketat the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on Ku’damm, in the west of the city. Stepping out from the train at Zoologischer Garten, you’ll find a maze of stalls, selling the more commercial side of the Christmas Market. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – there are tons of food stalls and even brighter, twinkly lights to get you in the festive mood, particularly those adorning the 20ft christmas tree in the centre of it all. You can also find plenty of decorations and knick-knacks to pad out Christmas stockings, or just wander around and soak up the atmosphere.
And with the Kaiser Wilhelm Market, it’s all about location – visiting the Church is a treat in itself. Constructed in the 1890s, the grand building was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. The renovation of the Church, which happened between 1959 and 1963, still retains the fractured spire, adding some much needed edge to the Disney-esque proceedings.
Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church
Breitscheidplatz
10789 Berlin Charlottenburg
