Overview
- Braunschweig updated its security plan before opening, expanding vehicle barriers and coordinated policing so market areas cannot be driven into during operating hours, the city’s marketing chief Gerold Leppa said.
- A YouGov survey for dpa found 62% of Germans worry about safety at markets, yet 59% intend to visit; standard measures include road blockades, police patrols, private security and a nationwide knife ban introduced in 2024.
- Public pushback over prices and crowding surfaced within days of the Duisburg market’s launch, with complaints about a €5 bratwurst and steep parking fees, though some visitors praised the atmosphere.
- Early and extended seasons are becoming common: Bayreuth’s “Winterdorf” has been pouring Glühwein since October, while major markets such as Rothenburg (Nov 21) and Nürnberg (Nov 28) prepare traditional openings.
- Rising logistical and safety costs are prompting rethinks: the long-running “Bäuerliche Weihnacht” at Hofgut Bäldleschwaige is being significantly downsized after organizers said the former scale was no longer manageable.