Almost every German city and town puts on an elaborate Christmas market during the Advent season.
The Stuttgart market — held since at least 1692 — is an excellent one. It made The Telegraph’s top 10 list this year.
As I walked around it on Thursday, taking these snapshots with my phone, I wished that I could also capture its wonderful smells: bread and pastry, sausage, and hot spiced wine (Glühwein).
Click on any thumbnail below to scroll through all my (larger) photos and captions.
Looking down Königstraße, a 1.2 km. pedestrian shopping avenue, which begins at the main train station.
Two parallel rows of pollarded plane trees are a feature of the avenue.
A Christmas tree seller.
The trees set in half-log stands.
I bought one of these little trees and carried it home via U-bahn and bus.
The seller was also carving decorative items on the spot.
In this area, most of the stands were selling flowers and greenery.
A wreath seller.
Cut long-stem amaryllis flowers.
Boxes of small apples for decoration.
Ornamental kale.
I meant to buy a pot of two of these amaryllis, but the seller had closed by the time I walked back that way — which is just as well; I could never have carried them and the little tree. A good reason to go back.
Elaborately and expertly decorated roofs are a feature of the stands at Schillerplatz and Marktplatz.
What’s better than an early afternoon glühwein or, in my case, hot spiced wine with honey mead.
This stand sells products from wild boar meat.
At Schillerplatz, in front of the Old Palace.
No, that’s her index finger.
A hat seller.
Christmas stollen.
Everyone wants a mid-afternoon Berliner Pfannkuchen.
Schillerplatz.
At Schlossplatz or Palace Square, there was a miniature train and model city. The ice rink is in the background.
Pretty much a typical southern German small town.
enclos*ure 