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As 2021 draws to a close, the question that’s been on our minds for months already—“will Christmas markets be held in Germany this year?”—has not one, but several answers: yes, no and sort of. As all things pandemic-related, the answer is highly nuanced, ever-evolving and subject to last-minute changes.
But first, let’s focus on the good. Even if they don’t ultimately appear in the same form as we’ve come to know and love them, the very fact that Christmas markets shall come to pass at all should be enough to make hearts rejoice.
Organizers of Christmas markets and city councils have been working hard behind the scenes for months already, grappling with the challenge of safely staging these non-ticketed events that draw thousands of visitors into close quarters. Solutions have ranged from spreading stalls out across more space to devising one-way pedestrian flows of traffic and regulating the on-site consumption of food and drink. Some markets will go forward only as the so-called “3G” (entry to those who are vaccinated, recovered or tested) or “2G” events (open only to those vaccinated or recovered). All events are subject to change in accordance with the development of the pandemic and the COVID-19 regulations in force at any given time.
Now more than ever, be sure to check organizer’s websites before traveling any distance and have all the necessary documentation attesting to your health status through apps such as CovPass and Luca readily available on your mobile phone, or carry paper copies, along with an official form of ID. In some places, anticipate that only original documentation will be recognized. For an oversight of the COVID-19 regulations currently in place for each German state, see https://tourismus-wegweiser.de/.
