The 52nd Bochum Christmas market has already opened

Tuesday, 28 November 2023 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

We were traveling in Bochum, had a few appointments to take care of and therefore still had some time to visit the Christmas market in the city centre that had already opened.

Opinions differ widely regarding the early opening dates around November 20th, as to whether the pre-Christmas period starts very early, but everyone should judge that for themselves. Of course, the festive lighting was missing around lunchtime, but we were still able to get a first impression because the number of visitors in Bochum's city centre was already quite large - a crowd puller?

Attraction during the Bochum Christmas market

The Bochum Christmas market not only offers 200 lovingly decorated market stalls, a medieval market directly at the Pauluskirche, a fairytale forest, a curling rink and huge light sculptures.

Pauluskirche - the centre of the medieval market

The simple design of the St. Paul's Church is a hall church made of quarry stone, which stands on an elevated, formerly centrally located square and therefore offers an excellent centre for the medieval market. The building with a three-sided choir closure was built from 1655 to 1659. The church was destroyed during the Second World War, but was restored in a simplified form by Karl Ernst Prein from 1949 to 1950. A bell chamber was added to the tower shaft. The rusticated tower portal with Ionic columns on high pedestals is marked 1655. There is a coat of arms and a dedicatory stone on the attic; Remains of an ogival window have been preserved above. A flat wooden ceiling was installed in the interior. The choir is separated by a three-part arcade. The choir windows were created by Willy Heyer from 1962 to 1964.

Santa Claus Falko Traber at Dr.-Ruer-Platz.

A special attraction that is unique in the Ruhr area is the flying Santa Claus, who “takes to the skies”. The name behind the “Flying Santa Claus” already foreshadows big things. After all, Falko Traber comes from a famous family of high-wire artists. At a height of 33 meters, he floats over Dr.-Ruer-Platz on his sleigh pulled by reindeer. The route is 125 meters long and these are exciting minutes for visitors. Santa Claus tells a Christmas story above the heads of the audience. Santa Claus is particularly happy afterwards when children recite a poem or sing a song with him. It's worth being brave - a surprise awaits the little participants.

Falko Traber is a professional high-wire artist who belongs to the Traber family of artists, who have been presenting high-wire artistry continuously since 1799. Since his birth, Falko Traber and his family have travelled to over 40 countries. Falko Traber has set a number of world records on the high wire in recent decades. Since 2002, his story and that of his family has been on display in the Baden State Museum in Karlsruhe. Falko Traber is the last of his brothers still on the high wire; his brother Charlie Traber died in 2007 at the age of 54.

The official opening of the Christmas market took place on Thursday, November 22nd, 2023 at 6 p.m. on the Sparkasse Christmas stage at Dr.-Ruer-Platz. From 11 a.m. every day on Thursday, the first huts will spread Christmas spirit in the city centre.

The Bochum Christmas headquarters is also new

Visitors to the Christmas market have the opportunity until December 23rd to experience the festive atmosphere in the city centre and to discover around 200 stalls and attractions from the boulevard via Kortumstrasse and Dr.-Ruer-Platz to the town hall forecourt: whether artisans, medieval market, fairytale forest, curling next to a London double-decker bus, virtual sleigh ride or light sculptures. This year, for the first time, there will be the “Bochum Christmas Headquarters” at Huestrasse 21, where questions about the Christmas market can be answered and Christmas presents with local colour are available. You can also get hold of the Christmas pass here, which goes on sale on November 23rd. With the included 35 vouchers you can save 50 percent each. And a Bogestra HappyHourTicket is also included for the price of 10 euros.