Michelstadt Easter Market: The perfect way to ring in spring!

Michelstadt Easter Market: The perfect way to ring in spring!

Going to a German Easter Market is not only fun and uplifting but it also thaws any inner winter chill you may have lingering around! The pastel egg colors, the bunnies, and fuzzy yellow chicks are so uplifting! I have wanted to go to the well-known Michelstadt Easter Market for years but it never worked out somehow. Since I never made it there and then after only seeing photos online, I always imagined Michelstadt as being some magical town hidden in the middle of the Odenwald. Then after visiting, I learned that my prediction wasn’t too far from the truth!

The Odenwald is a beautiful low mountain range that stretches over the German states of Hesse, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg. The landscape is stunning and the traditional towns add to the peaceful scenery. Michelstadt is a charming town that is a delight to wander on the cobblestone streets during any season.
  

The signs for the market led me to a beautiful park with medieval buildings and towers. The parking area was packed and it took me almost 20 mins to find a spot. Even though I was very frustrated by this, the pretty walk over a wooden bridge brought me back in the spirit.

The center of the town looks perfect like a movie set. The weather wasn’t the best the day we went, but I could just imagine how the town square must be buzzing in the warmer months.

The center of town was decorated so nicely to celebrate the Easter market. They had a “band” of wooden rabbits right under a tower where beautiful bells chimed.

We left the square and found the market. Many people were attending that day and the courtyard was pretty full with people. The charged 5 euro to enter the market and kids were free.

I loved the building the market was held in because of the architecture overall charm.

This market was different to others that I have been too because you were able to touch the items more and also they had more affordable items to buy here.

Inside the building they also had a doll museum. You could walk around and look at the display cases of antique toys and dolls.

Pretty or terrifying… you decided.

Inside the (scary) doll museum they had a table set up for crafts for kids. They were able to color or make adorable bunny hats. This table was a nice break for the kids who were getting tired of looking at decorated eggs!

Perhaps the best part of the market, was when we saw baby chicks hatching out of their eggs! They had one incubator where chicks who recently hatched were in and the other one had chicks cracking out of the egg! My daughter thought this was the highlight of the day.

Leaving the market, outside everyone had one thing in their hand…a crepe! Since there were no food vendors inside the Easter Market, everyone was pretty excited to see the crepe truck outside. We joined the crowd and got a chocolate crepe and it sure hit the spot!

Our fingers were covered with chocolate and our spirits were definitely lifted after visiting this wonderful Easter Market! Michelstadt is in fact, what I always thought it was, a magical town in the middle of the Odenwald and it is a perfect place to explore throughout the year!

Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.

 

 

Lunch in London: How to do a one-day trip to London from Frankfurt Hahn

Lunch in London: How to do a one-day trip to London from Frankfurt Hahn

Imagine waking up in your bed, having lunch in London then being home before bedtime back at your house. Well it is possible with a same day flight with the current RyanAir schedule. No packing needed! Are you up for this exciting day?!

London can be pricey but without the cost of a hotel room or checked bags it makes the trip much more affordable. Looking at the prices recently, I saw you can get a roundtrip for under 100 euro. Remember to check out our tips on booking a cheap RyanAir flight!

I have done this ‘turn and burn’ before and it was really fun! I felt very free and not tied down with any bags and no hotel to check into. All I had was my purse, and a check list of things to see in London. (“Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament!”)

The first flight is their early flight to London leaving at 6:30am, getting there at 6:50am London time. With planning to be at the airport 2 hours early, 1 hour driving, it means leaving your house at 3:30am. The flight back home to Germany leaves London at 7:30pm and getting back to Frankfurt-Hahn at 10:00pm.  

If you are not the best morning person, you can stay right at the airport at the B&B hotel for around 50 euro. Or it is possible to stay in town at one of the guest houses. Some of the guest house owners will let you park in their lot, drop you off at the airport then also pick you up when you arrive.  

Once you arrive (with no bags!) in London you need to get to the city center via the train. They sell tickets online, on the plane or when you arrive in the airport. They do have buses available but I would be too nervous to have a traffic jam later that day and then possibly miss the flight.

Once you see all the major sites to see in London city center, you can even make the day even more extraordinary! Hop in the Tube on the Jubilee Line train to St John's Wood Station to visit the famous location of the Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album cover. Once you get to the St John’s Wood Station, cross over the main road then walk 5 minutes on Grove End Road. It will then bring you to the junction of Abbey Road with the famous zebra crossing. That is a picture for the bucket list!

   
At 4pm, it is time to head back to the airport after 8 hours of being in lovely London, England for lunch! 


Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.