The smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and hot bratwurst are wafting through the air across the German capital again, as the city's more than 100 Christmas markets are opening their doors this week. But the annual tradition that Germans have cherished since the Middle Ages — and successfully exported to much of the Western world — has become a pretty diverse affair, at least in Berlin.
The city of 3.8 million, which takes pride in its tolerance and diversity, offers Christmas markets for pretty much every taste these days. Nowadays, almost 40% of Berliners have immigrant roots, and the city's LGBTQ+ community is considered one of the biggest in the country.
