Sankt Wendel features medieval market, ice sculptor

The romantic town of Sankt Wendel will hold its Christmas market combined with a medieval market Saturday to Dec. 14. Opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

More than 140 little decorated Christmas booths will offer arts and crafts, gift ideas and regional culinary specialties.
A medieval market with campgrounds will take visitors on a trip through time. Vendors in historical costumes will sell their merchandise, and craftsmen, such as basket makers, lantern makers, blacksmiths, potters, turners and soap makers, will demonstrate their work. Jugglers, dancers, singers, musicians and a magician will entertain in the streets and on stage. Camp groups will demonstrate how people lived, worked, ate and celebrated in the Middle Ages.

A Roman re-enactment group will display Roman times during the time of Christ’s birth at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14.
St. Wendel’s mayor, Klaus Bouillon, organized a new attraction for this year’s Christmas market. He invited Miro Rismondo, a well-known ice sculptor from Slovenia. He will present his skills Thursday to Dec. 14 on Schlossplatz. He will turn 250-kilogram ice blocks into sculptures by using traditional tools, such as an ice pick and saber. It will take about six hours to create one figure. Icefire, a show with fire, ice, rhythm, music and dance, will be presented by the Feuervogel theater ensemble at 6:30 p.m. daily, Dec. 11 to 14. Actors on stilts will present a fight between the two elements fire and ice.

Every afternoon at 4 p.m., the Three Holy Kings from the Orient and their camels will go through the center of town. Back at their camp they will perform the Christmas story in colorful scenes.

Each day there will be a show with fire, lights, music and dancing. Children can meet Santa Claus and his reindeers Rudolf and Malenki at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily. They can have a seat on his slide and tell him their wishes for Christmas.

A 12-meter-tall Christmas pyramid, life size nutcrackers, a miniature village with 200 dwarfs and a big Nativity scene will lure visitors as well. A toboggan run with snow from the Alps will provide some winter fun starting at 2 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. A nostalgic merry-go-round, a colorful magic tree and live animals will provide some more excitement for children.

A night watchman with horn and lantern will patrol the market at 7 p.m. before the brass players perform from the basilica tower at 7:30 p.m. to let visitors know that the market is about to close.

Visit www.sanktwendel.de for more information.

Sankt Wendel is in the federal state of Saarland, north of Neunkirchen. Parking is available in City-Garage from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.