Munich has the largest Manger Market and you can find everything you need to create the perfect nativity scene. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
Ever see locks attached to a bridge? They are Love Locks. Couples will attach a lock and then throw away the key to signify their lasting love together. I've seen them all over Europe and even started to see them in the US. (The photos here are from Frankfurt, Germany.) But the weight of these locks can damage the bridges and they are costly to remove, so many cities are trying to encourage the practice to stop.
Räuchermann are German Smokers, figurines that you place incense in and then the smoke comes out of the figure, in this case, Santa's mouth where a pipe hangs from. I got this beautiful one in the medieval town of Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber. This type of crafting is from the same area of Germany that created Nutcrackers, Christmas Pyramids, and Schwibbögen. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.
This is one of my favorite ornaments from Germany. It's a Käthe Wohlfahrt frozen moon and stars ornament. I got it at a little stall at the Frankfurt Christmas Market. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.
As I've written before, you'll often find these porcelain houses at German Christmas Markets. You place a candle inside and the light flickers in the windows. Some even have a chimney where you can put oil to burn for fragrance or place a small incense cone to simulate a smoking chimney. This one is made by Kastel Keramik Haus (or they are also known as Lichthauser) and I purchased it at my first Christmas Market in Frankfurt. It was the last night of their market, and so I got some of these little houses for 50% off. It is called "Stone House
We had been traveling for hours in the cold. Over 4 hours to be exact. On trains, and metros, and taxis. We wanted to get into our comfy rented apartment and crash before heading back out to Munich's Christmas Markets. But it was December 23rd in Germany, and most everything would be closed for a few days over Christmas. So we dropped our bags at the entrance and went off in search of food and supplies. After getting plenty of provisions, we were ready to climb the 4 flights of marble stairs (luggage in tow). However, our German housekeeper was...quite
Walking around Rothenburg ob der Tauber I kept seeing these snowball-sized round balls. They are called Schneeball (Snowball) and are a local creation. It is pie dough wrapped into a ball, deep fried, and traditionally covered in powdered sugar. As you can see, many different varieties are now sold! Try one if you find yourself in Rothenburg!
Today is the first snow in Colorado. I prefer to be warm over fashionable in winter. That means lots of layers and completely bundled up. The above photo was my look for Germany in 2011. But the further back I go I see more examples. For example, I sported this stunning blue look in Venice 2005. To be fair it was running and snowing on NYE, and so it was especially cold. However, my mother is always fabulously dressed, so I wonder where I get this... Oh yeah from Dad! He looked even more intimidating at night with his hood on. Also
This amazing Viking treasure was revealed in 1873 after flooding on the German island of Hiddensee on the Baltic Sea. It is believed to have been created in the late Viking Age (10th century) possibly for the Danish King Harald Bluetooth. It was all pure gold and weighs about 600 grams. The center piece in the above photo is a fibula (brooch) and contains imagery of both Viking and Christian symbols. Scandinavian metalsmiths were renowned for their skill, and the detail of twisting gold represents snakes or dragons. Imagery on the pendants combined an eagle or owl head almost forming a Thor-like hammer
A Schwibbögen is a Christmas arch candle holder made in Germany. This one is electric and is designed to be hung in the window. It features the Star of Bethlehem with a Nativity scene within it. Its tail has little stars and flourishes. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.