A taste of Bavaria: Beer and bratwurst at Manchester’s ‘German’ Christmas market

By
Tim Carroll

PUBLISHED:

16:31 GMT, 27 October 2013

|

UPDATED:

17:10 GMT, 27 October 2013

When I was growing up in the suburbs of Manchester, I used to dream that one day my grey metropolis would be adorned by skyscrapers.

Sitting at the heart of England’s second most populous urban area, Manchester has yet to achieve the glittering heights of Manhattan, but it finally has a skyscraper of which it can be proud.

The Beetham Tower is a slender slab of a glass that soars 47 storeys above the G-Mex conference centre on Deansgate. It’s sometimes called the Hilton Tower because much of it is taken up by the hotel group.

Northern lights: St Ann's Square sparkles with its annual German market

Northern lights: St Ann’s Square sparkles with its annual German market

We were lucky enough to stay at the Hilton for the annual Carroll family get-together last Christmas. We started the celebrations in Cloud 23, the hotel’s cocktail lounge halfway up the building. Enjoying the panoramic views, we enjoyed delicious sandwiches, cakes and tea.

That night, we descended to Chinatown for a feast at our favourite Chinese restaurant, the vast New Hong Kong. We’ve been going there for years. And with each passing Christmas, I marvel at the transformation of Manchester since the IRA bomb in 1996.

The Beetham Tower soars 47 storeys above the G-Mex conference centre

The traditional cultural life of the city – renowned for the Hallé Orchestra, its Opera House, the incomparable Royal Exchange Theatre and an enviable collection of art galleries and libraries – has never ceased to thrive.

But now elegant new buildings in quietly understated steel, glass and granite have sprouted up everywhere. Trams tinkle along the streets bathed at night in a graceful glow.

Manchester has been reborn with the sort of panache deserving of its world-class heritage.

And one of the most welcome developments is Manchester’s annual ‘German’ Christmas market, first started in 1999 in St Ann’s Square, the heart of the fashionable shopping district.

Since then it has blossomed to occupy
virtually every civic space in town. From mid-November, the city is
transformed into a winter wonderland – so much for that common
misconception about the North being grim.

The market isn’t just about bratwurst
and beer (delicious though they are), although there is no doubt that
the Bavarian-style log cabins lend it a pleasing ambience that suits the
Yuletide season.

Stalls sell a variety of arts and
crafts, jewellery and toys, and the market is now regarded as one of the
biggest and best in Europe.

It is certainly a major visitor
attraction. When we arrived on a crisp, cold day, the streets were
teeming with people.

On fire: Chefs cook some bratwurst at the Bavarian Christmas market

In fact, Manchester was so busy that it proved
impossible to get a table for dinner that night at another old
favourite, Mr Thomas’s Chop House.

Despite missing out, we had enjoyed our taste of Munich in Manchester.

As we boarded the train to go home, we bade the city a fond Auf Wiedersehen!

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VanTheMan,

Fermanagh Lakes, Ireland,

3 hours ago

Get a cheap return flight to Belfast and visit our very own Christmas Continental Market with European foods and crafts. Its on until friday before Christmas.

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A taste of Bavaria: Beer and bratwurst at Manchester’s ‘German’ Christmas market

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