Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market

Birmingham’s is the real thing, and that distinction matters. Most British markets described as “German” are British markets selling bratwurst. Birmingham’s is an actual civic partnership with Frankfurt, running since 2001, with traders who travel over from Germany for the season and return home afterwards. It is the largest authentic German market outside Germany and Austria, and standing in Victoria Square on a dark afternoon with a stein in your hand is the closest thing in Britain to being in a German market square.

What to expect

The stalls run from Victoria Square, in front of the Council House and the Town Hall, down New Street towards the Bullring. The goods are the German repertoire rather than local craft: wooden toys, Erzgebirge nutcrackers and candle arches, hand-blown glass baubles, leather goods, and an enormous amount of food. Bratwurst and schnitzel, pretzels the size of a dinner plate, roasted almonds, and Glühwein in steins with a deposit on them.

It is loud, and deliberately so. There is usually a bar with an oompah band, and by six on a Friday the square in front of the Town Hall has the atmosphere of a beer festival with tinsel. If you want quiet artisan shopping this is the wrong market; the Craft Market that runs alongside it at Centenary Square is where that lives.

Getting there

New Street station comes up directly into the Bullring, which puts you at the bottom end of the market; walk uphill along New Street and you are in Victoria Square in five minutes. Moor Street and Snow Hill are both a short walk. Driving in December is not worth the trouble.

When to go

It opens earlier than almost any other major UK market — 5 November — which means the first two weeks are unusually civilised. From late November, Friday and Saturday evenings are extremely busy. Weekday lunchtimes are the sweet spot if you actually want to look at the stalls.

Worth knowing

It runs right through to Christmas Eve, which is rarer than you would think among UK markets and makes it a genuine option for last-minute presents. Cash is useful — many of the German traders still prefer it, and the queues move faster.