Christmas Market

Advent Village Erkelenz

18.11.2024 - 22.12.2024

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until the market opens.

What does the Christmas market in the Advent village of Erkelenz look like?

The Christmas market in the Advent village of Erkelenz is characterised by the charm of the exhibitors’ decorative clothing and the dance of the lights shining in the reflection of the artificial snow.

The festive atmosphere is complemented by seating areas with covered tables and chairs.

The look of the Christmas market, with its thematically decorated stalls and poles, glass walls covered with golden curtains, fir wax on the poles and the beams of the stalls decorated with artificial snow, gave visitors the feeling of being in the middle of a magical land, a secret clearing set amidst fir trees, adorned with wreaths sprinkled with beautiful, immaculate white snow.

An idyllic place where you would expect Father Christmas himself to appear out of nowhere at any moment with festive jingling, landing his reindeer-drawn sleigh in the middle of this mythical setting for a little break from mulled wine and gingerbread.

The Christmas Village in Erkelenz has already become a tradition that is joyfully awaited by all the inhabitants of the small German town.

The event takes the form of a Christmas market with modular, uniform stands made of solid wood that can be set up and dismantled very easily and quickly and are innovative in this respect.

The market is visited by thousands and attracts tourists who are interested in the handicrafts of the traders, the various commercial and gastronomic offers.

The market is a point of attraction and a meeting place that has become a long-standing tradition for both the town’s residents and visitors from afar.

Address at the Christmas Market

What is special about the Advent Village Erkelenz Christmas Market?

Structurally, the overall Christmas market concept in Erkelenz consists of completely modular systems made of solid wood, comprising between 30 and 60 stalls arranged individually or in a network. In this way, the stands can be arranged into a self-contained village that can be completely roofed over, making it pleasant to stay even in bad weather.

This is a waterproof tarpaulin that can be attached to the sides of the wooden stands integrated “window modules”. These elements primarily serve functional design purposes and allow better visibility, the incidence of natural light and a distinctive look reminiscent of windows of small alpine huts.

For the comfort of visitors and exhibitors, the Christmas market has its own heating system with electrically operated radiant heaters. The flooring is encased in fire-resistant treated wood chips, both for safety reasons to comply with fire regulations and for comfort and to protect the feet from the cold.

The main attraction is the mulled wine and drinks stand in the centre of the covered area, which forms the “social hub of the village” – a place where families and groups of friends can relax with a steaming cup of tea or mulled wine, or enjoy the culinary specialities of the food stands at the side of the central tent.

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Short history of scenic Erkelenz

The location of Erkelenz at the intersection of the old trade routes between Cologne-Roermond and Krefeld-Aachen helped the town to develop positively and grow rapidly.

In 1326, Erkelenz received the town charter from Count Reinald II of Guelders.

In 1794 the French occupied Erkelenz, and in 1815 Erkelenz became the centre of the wide surrounding area as the seat of the district administration.

In 1944 the evacuated town was destroyed by bombs.

Reconstruction was almost completed in 1954. With the municipal reorganization on January 1, 1972, Erkelenz lost its district status.

By merging Erkelenz with the neighbouring municipalities Erkelenz-Land and Holzweiler – the former municipalities Lövenich – Granterath and the villages Geneiken and Kuckum – Erkelenz got its present size.

Erkelenz

Due to its economic importance and its excellent school, sports and cultural facilities, Erkelenz is still the centre of the surrounding natural area, the “Erkelenzer Börde”.

How did the “mulled wine and gingerbread story” of the Advent Village Erkelenz Christmas Market began?

On the initiative of a young and ambitious team, which is guided by a common goal, namely to provide joy and festive mood in as many cities and towns as possible, an event concept was created that is different from all others on the Christmas market.

In the small, picturesque town of Erkelenz in North Rhine-Westphalia, which can look back on more than 1000 years of history and tradition, the Advent Village Erkelenz Christmas Market took place for the first time in 2017, to the great delight of the about 45,000 inhabitants.

Visitors were surprised to discover that instead of a boring market with monotonous booths, a real Christmas village has been created near the Old Town Hall, which blends harmoniously into the wintry atmosphere, thanks to the idyllically decorated stalls made of solid wood, the closest thing to the atmosphere of Christmas stories and carols.

The Christmas market, executed with great architectural mastery and attention to detail, takes the form of a closed entity, a small citadel of celebration and good cheer, where crafts representative of the history of the area, various commercial offers, as well as attractions for children (nostalgic merry-go-round), but also for adults lured around a rustic tavern, where the aroma of warm wine and culinary delights of all kinds await.

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