The most important thing for me when buying some Christmas presents is to consider something that is cool and unique to the area that I live in. But at the same time, I also want to give something with a purpose. Needless to say a little figurine of a ship with the word “Hamburg” on it isn’t really optimal.

Plus, bringing presents from another country gives a little bit of an “exotic” factor, so you don’t have to spend very much money for the receiver to get excited!

Instead, here are my top 5 souvenir presents to bring back from Hamburg:

1. Chocolates or sweets

German chocolate and other candies are really delicious. I especially love to bring back marzipan treats from the company Niederegger, which is founded in the city of Lübeck, just an hour or so north of Hamburg. As well as being delicious, I know this is a really good quality product that is made from 100% almond paste and no sugar. Plus, it looks special to bring back a locally produced product.

2. Beer

Everyone knows that Germany is famous for having great beer. Pilsner, wheat beer and other varieties are famous, especially because of huge festivals such as the Oktoberfest in Munich. My favorite kind to bring home, however, is from a craft brewery in Hamburg known as Ratsherrn. As well as being one of my favorite beers ever, they also have lots of cool seasonal flavors that are perfect gifts for the holiday season.

3. Ornament or Decoration

German Christmas markets are the optimal place to find nice ornaments or decorations that are a great gift for the holiday season. You can definitely find ones that are in English, but I think it’s more special to give an ornament that says something in German such as “Frohe Weihnachten” (Merry Christmas). This way, it can always be a reminder of your time abroad and it’s a great conversation starter hanging on the tree! One of the most famous makers of German Christmas decorations is Käthe Wohlfahrt, which you can find at most Christmas Markets such as the Hamburg Rathaus Christmas Market.

4. Souvenir mugs

For those who love their morning coffee or tea, a souvenir mug is a great idea. I love to collect mugs from the different places I’ve visited along the way. Each morning, drinking out of one of my many souvenir mugs, I am always reminded of that happy memory of my trip. If you want to a bit of a rebel, the best souvenir mugs come from the Christmas markets themselves. You have to pay a deposit when you order a drink that comes in a mug anyway, so if you don’t return the mug you don’t get the deposit back… but hey who doesn’t want a cool mug with an interesting back-story?

5. Typical foods

It may sound silly to someone who grew up in Germany, but one of my favorite things to bring home is the bread spreads known as “streichcreme” that are sold at any supermarket. They are super typical for Germans, but as someone who grew up in the U.S. I’ve never had that before and they are totally delicious!

What are your favorite souvenirs?

Festive Drinks

Nothing quite signals the start of the German wintertime like the smell of the simmering spices of the traditional hot mulled wine known as Glühwein. Though popular in many other European countries as well, the popularity of the German Christmas Market brings the Glühwein consumption to a whole new level!

The word “Glühwein” itself roughly translates to “glow-wine”, which comes from the hot irons that were once used for mulling. Essentially Glühwein is a mulled wine beverage made from red wine that has been heated with spices such as cinnamon and cloves as well as citrus and sugar flavors added. You can also choose to add a schuss (shot) of Rum or Amaretto for an extra kick, or there are also other varieties such as made from white wine, or other fruits such as apples or pears.

Also- check out Feuerzangenbowle, which shares the same recipe to Glühwein, except that a rum-soaked sugarloaf is set on fire and dripped into the mulled wine (really!). Usually, hot drinks are served in a festive mug too!

Savory Foods

Throughout the year grilled sausages such as bratwurst (traditional white German pork sausages), Krakauer (lightly spiced red version of bratwurst) or Currywurst (a sliced bratwurst with a side of curry ketchup) are popular and definitely a staple of any German Christmas market food list. You can typically find them cooking over a schwenkgrill, a tripod in which a large hanging circular grill suspended by chains to give the meat a more intense, smoky flavor.

Another popular option I see at a lot of the markets is Grünkohl und Pinkel (cooked kale and sausage). It is thought of as a winter comfort food and super delicious!

Also- Flammlachs (smoked salmon) is another popular savory food. Typically these are stuck to some sort of board and placed right next to an open flame, ensuring that you can smell the smoky flavor from far, far away!

Sweet Foods

My favorite of all the sweets is Schmalzkuchen, small dough pastries that are deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar or paired with Nutella, apple sauce or some other topping. Think of them like a little bite sized donut!

Lebkuchen is another sweet you can be sure to find at all the markets. It is a traditional baked treat, similar to gingerbread. You can find them in many shapes such as hearts with piped icing words (also popular at Oktoberfest) saying things such as “Merry Christmas”.

As well, there are many other bite-sized sweets such as candies, dipped fruits, nuts, etc. that are part of the Christmas market food and drink staples.

What is your favorite German Christmas market food and drink? And if you’re in Hamburg, Germany don’t forget to check out the Rathaus Christmas Market and the St. Pauli Christmas Market!