Visiting the Christmas Village in Baltimore

Every year there is a German Christmas Village in Baltimore City's Inner Harbor, so this year we decided to check it out. Read on for the pros and cons.

The Pros

1. The Christmas Village is set up like a market with cute German-style stands. It is very walkable and has a variety of handmade items from Christmas tree ornaments to puzzles to hats and scarves to chocolate shaped into different items to suit people with a range of hobbies or talents you might give to as a gift. 

2. We went on a Monday during the week, so the village had some other people walking through and sitting down eating, but it wasn't overly crowded.

3. There were food options that included hot chocolate, mulled wine, beer, water, German-style pretzels, bratwurst, raclette cheese sandwiches, crepes, chicken, fries, donuts, and more. I personally tried the hot chocolate and a pretzel. The hot chocolate was nice to have on a cold day, and the pretzel hit the spot as well.

4. There is both an outside area with stands and an inside tent. It was nice being able to walk around a little outside but then also go in the tent to warm up a little and look at more stuff.

5. The atmosphere was nice. From a Grinch playing Christmas music on his trumpet to a peaceful crowd to a beautiful view of the Inner Harbor water and buildings, it made for a nice time walking around. We were also able to get items we purchased quickly.

6. There are other things to do in the area. There is a large day cruise ship, ice skating, the Baltimore Science Center, and the Baltimore Aquarium within walking distance. There was also a store that sold Maryland-themed items.

The Cons

1. If you have been to the Inner Harbor before (years ago), you will notice not as much being open. The Light and Pratt street buildings used to have more stores and restaurants. There also used to be a Gallery mall across the street. The Gallery Mall is no longer open at all. One of the other buildings is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other building was open but had very few stores in it.

2. Parking can be tough. You'll need to park in a garage, which can be pricy and/ a little bit of a walk. We parked in a garage a few blocks away.

3. Safety can be an issue in Baltimore so would recommend visiting with others and not by yourself. At a light leaving the Inner Harbor area, we did see a couple of window washer kids washing windows of cars a couple ahead of us.

4. The items and food were not sold at bargain prices. The small hot chocolate I had, for example, cost $5 and a winter hat was $28.

5. The food was solid but wasn't gourmet or foodie level.

Overall, this was a fun Christmasy-event to check out. If you are looking for ornaments, puzzles, or chocolate-shaped items to give as gifts, there's a great selection here. I would recommend going with a few friends or family members and combining it with another activity in the area like the science center or aquarium.