Eat, drink and be merry at Frankfurt’s festive Christmas market

The first historical record of Frankfurt's Christmas market dates back to 1393. No, that's not a typo, it really has been going for over 600 years.

If there's one thing German's are passionate, it's pretzels. Big, chewy, pretzels. And while their every day pretzels come with just a sprinkling of salt, at the Christmas market they get a fun and tasty makeover - we even saw some pink ones. Jazzy.

Gingerbread - known as lebkuchen - is an intrinsic part of every German Christmas. Heart-shaped lebkucken are traditionally given to loved ones, and at the market you can have them personalised with your own sweet message. CUTE!

If you have a sweet tooth, it'll LOVE Frankfurt's Christmas market. Sweet treats come in all shapes and sizes, and one of the most popular are sugared almonds.

Although candied nuts are a traditional treat, this stall has taken them to the next level and created dozens of funky flavoured versions. Anyone for a Red Bull, bubblegum or, er, unicorn sugared almond?

If you haven't heard of a Schneeballen before don't worry, you're not alone (neither had we until we were mesmerized by the glowing pink lights!). Schneeball means snowball in German, and these sweet balls of pastry (which now come in roughly a zillion flavours) are traditionally served at special occasions - and if a trip to Frankfurt's Christmas market isn't a special occasion, we don't know what is!

As this lovely chap is helpfully demonstrating, it is absolutely 100% socially acceptable to hit the booze during daylight hours at a German Christmas market. In fact, this picture was snapped waaaay before midday. Need we say more?

If sweet treats aren't your thing, how about a steaming bowl of glorious gooey melted cheese fondue? HEAVEN.

In Germany it's basically the law that you HAVE to drink at least one cup of Glühwein (that's mulled wine to you and me) per Christmas market trip. Best of all, for just a bit extra you get to keep the tiny little mugs - kerching!

Forget Hadrian's Wall of the Great Wall of China, if you want to impress your social media followers you need to head to Frankfurt and get a picture of this towering wall of CHIPS! Have you ever seen anything so glorious in all your life? No, of course you haven't! Oh, and they tasted pretty great too ud83dude0b

Obviously, Frankfurt's Christmas market isn't just about food and booze (although, tbh, it mainly is) - there's also a rather photogenic double-decker carousel (which, FYI, goes round at about 70mph, so we recommend you go on it before filling your belly!).

Alternatively, little ones will love a ride on this magical Nutcracker themed train, which chugs around at a slightly more leisurely pace!

The heart of Frankfurt's Christmas market is Römerberg - a picturesque square in the historical centre of town. Each year, in-keeping with the festive spirit and breathtaking architecture, the square erects a truly enormous tree. Trafalgar Square eat your heart out.