If you don’t know where Heidenheim an der Brenz is, it’s totally all right – I didn’t either. It’s a very small town in Baden-Württemberg, close to Aalen and Ulm. They don’t have a big Christmas market – in fact, it’s only a small area with a few stalls for food and drinks. So if you’re going there (for whatever reason), don’t expect a festive atmosphere some of the other famous German markets are known for; instead, go for an authentic experience that allows you to mingle with the locals from this friendly town.

Heidenheim an der Brenz

Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Size: ★☆☆☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Diversity of goods: ★☆☆☆☆

Date visited: Nov 11, 2012 (Sunday)

I didn’t go to Heidenheim for the Christmas market; I went there because my friend, LW, is doing an exchange there and I just wanted to visit her. I was surprised to see the market – Nov 11 would be a bit too early for that but then this is Germany, where Christmas decors appear in shops in September or even August. Heidenheim is a tiny town so naturally the “Weihnachtsmarkt” is pretty small, too. I think there’re fewer than 10 stalls and most are for food or drinks. The only thing I got there was a bratwurst (€3), which tasted super good (probably because I was hungry).

And on a side note, Heidenheim is worth visiting only if you don’t live too far. It took me nearly 4 hours to get there by regional trains. The town itself is really small; we had lunch in a shopping mall and hung out at her place for hours, and we still had time to visit the castle and drop by the Christmas market. The little town is actually quite pretty and people there were very friendly. I’d recommend a day trip if you enjoy small European towns.