The romantically decorated old town of Naumburg, a small but nice Christmas market and the unique Naumburg nativity scene with its larger-than-life wooden figures (we have already written an article about this) are now hoping for numerous visitors again, because the cathedral city is particularly attractive during Advent.

Snow is part of Christmas time, just as the beach is part of life in summer. And what has always seemed a bit poor in recent years will (hopefully) turn out to be more typical of the season in 2023: the snow.

Shopping spree through the snow-covered old town

Even if shovelling snow and slippery roads are certainly not “in trend”. However, if the number of small shops is unfortunately continuously decreasing due to our consumer behaviour and the desire for “cheap and concentrated” (we already miss the wonderfully decorated, versatile tea shop with its knowledgeable owner), then a piece of the city centre's cultural heritage has been lost again but it was still nice to visit the city centre with its historic building structure. That's exactly why a little food for thought.

Sometimes your thoughts go back to the good old days, to the corner shop around the corner; today there is no infrastructure at all in the villages, neither a baker nor a butcher, nor an ÖVP transport connection, not even a kiosk, what not is just a shame, but also has a social and ultimately fatal component for the population: rural exodus and isolation. What's actually nice about shopping in a shopping centre, waiting in queues at the checkout, only annoyed people around you, no staff time for customer advice! And these super shopping centres were and are still being lured into the inner cities with tax subsidies. The fairy tale of job creation has long been over. Then why not support the small businesses with rent / additional costs / subsidies towards their costs and “taxes” for staying and thus living in the inner cities. Although one has to say: in the East it still works, at least to some extent.

Do we really need shopping centres?

Today, a store is good if it offers everything centrally, so you buy furniture at the discount store, Add Blue at the hardware store and bread at the gas station. Is it all socially healthy? The result is dead inner cities with all their problems.

Migration from the villages is the consequence. The result is vacancy and decay. Why are there always new buildings? Wouldn't it make sense to renovate the existing property, provide good infrastructure and not just continually focus on profit.

Simply taxing multinational corporations fairly and equally as every citizen and shop owner would be a step in the right direction. And suddenly the multinationals would also have to deal with the same survival policy.

Where such paths lead has only just become clear again at Galeria Kaufhof - there a person collects "business" with people who work there for their meager living, collects billions in subsidies, then things go wrong and this person also arranges bankruptcy itself, but has billions in private ownership. Is the world crazy?

But now back to the Christmas market

The small, cozy Christmas market invites all visitors to stroll and linger in an atmospheric atmosphere. The market square with its historic town houses in the background offers the right ambience for the Naumburg Christmas market. The huge Christmas tree decorated for Christmas towers over the entire market and creates a festive atmosphere. Typical winter and Christmas offer as well as varied culinary delicacies await you from November 27th to December 22nd. A Christmas stage provides entertainment not only on the weekends. The Christmas courtyards also offer unforgettable moments; Advent in vaults, towers and chapels as well as wonderful organ concerts on the weekends. The winemakers invite you to go hiking in the vineyards for mulled wine during Christmas and on cold winter days. What the “Twelve Nights” is all about, the custom of hanging up a sprig of mistletoe and the tradition of baking stollen is explained during the “Advent Stories” city tour.

The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul exudes a special magic. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the cathedral is one of the most important cultural monuments of the High Middle Ages and a magnet for visitors on the “Romanesque Road”.

An ice rink will be available again this year for significantly longer than the Christmas market in Naumburg (Saale) (from November 17th, 2023 to January 3rd, 2024).

Please read as well:

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