Depending on your family’s traditions, winter’s day has come to hang up your stockings carefully, trim the tree, and open the first day on your event calendar. What’s behind door number 1? Chocolate? A small gift? Or something bigger? How about opening the town hall window for an Advent calendar with thousands of others in full Christmas cheer?
For more than 15 years, the picturesque town of Gengenbach in Baden-Württemberg has transformed its entire Rathaus (Town Hall) into the world’s largest Advent Calendar House, or – auf Deutsch – » Das weltgrößte Adventskalenderhaus «. The 24 windows (two rows of 11 plus 2 on the roof) are decorated in a festive Christmas scene with a new window revealed every night until Christmas.
Advent calendar in Gengenbach
After months of preparation, the soft pink city hall is lit up and waiting like a package waiting to be opened. Around 100,000 visitors descend on this small town of just over 10,000 to celebrate each day of the Christmas season.
A huge Christmas tree glows in front of the City Hall as crowds gather in the dark. Eager watchers show up before 6:00 p.m. each night to watch the show. The senses are awakened, first by the smell when a spicy fragrance of Glühwein makes its way through the icy air; then, in view, the baroque façade of the 200-year-old town hall lights up and comes to life. Amid all this movement, the first window door opens and a vignette by a world-famous artist is revealed.
If you miss the show, you can still check out the full Advent Calendar through January 6, 2015 with scenes like Gruffalo, Harry Potter, and Pippi Longstocking. For impressive light shows in other cities, consider the Berlin Festival of Lights.
Christmas market in Gengenbach
What is an advent calendar program without a Christmas market? The Gegenbach market opens on November 28 and runs until December 23. Browse the more than 50 market stalls for seasonal delicacies.
Also, keep an eye out for the daily schedule of Christmas events beginning on the 30th and ending on the 23rd. Events begin at 5:00 PM Monday through Friday and 3:00 PM on weekends with the full schedule available online.
- Gengenbach Christmas Market Hours : Monday to Friday from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday 12:00 – 20:00
Other attractions in Gengenbach
If you miss the Christmas season entirely or are looking for more things to do in charming Gengenbach, go no further than the medieval Old Town ( Altstadt ). Founded in the 13th century, the city has the nickname “pearl among the romantic half-timbered cities”. The center maintains its old wall defenses with imposing watchtowers. For another example of beautiful medieval architecture, consider a visit to Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
If you arrive during the Carnival season, the city has another side to share. Gengenbach is famous for its celebration of Fasnacht . Festival goers dress in flashy costumes with unique carved wooden masks. Discover more of the city’s unique traditions at the Gegenbach site or the Fasnacht museum.
- Gegenbach Tourist Website : http://www.stadt-gengenbach.de/en/tourism/
- Gegenbach Map : http://www.badische-seiten.de/karte/?karte=901
How to get to Gengenbach
Gengenbach is located on the western edge of the Black Forest, about 40 kilometers southeast of Strasbourg. The Black Forest Mountain Route ( Schwarzwaldhochstraße ), which is part of Bundesstraße 500, is nearby and offers easy access.
