The Christmas Pyramid outside Stadelhofen Railway Station
The Weihnachts Pyramide
24th November – 24th December 2022
The Weihnachtspyramide Stadelhofen 2022
Ever wondered what the big wooden structure serving Glühwein and raclettes right outside Stadelhofen station is all about? It’s erected every year shortly before Christmas and is known as the “Weihnachtspyramide”. Christmas pyramids date back to the Middle Ages. Typically in southern and western Europe people decorated their homes with green branches from local trees, whereas in the northern and eastern Europe they decorated them with lights. The Christmas Pyramid brings together both traditions in one.
They say that it was the expert German carpenters from the Erzgebirge mountains who first designed Christmas pyramids. Because the shape of the wooden constructions resembled the Egyptian pyramids, they gave them the name “pyramids”. They painted them and decorated them with carved wooden figures from the Bible and started what became an Advent and Christmas tradition.
Glühwein and Raclette
Today the Pyramid at Stadelhofen is erected every year at the end of November, to coincide with the date all the Christmas lights go on in the city. It becomes a convenient stop for weary travellers and commuters and a popular place for a quick drink before catching the train.
It is certainly located in a great spot as Stadelhofen railway station was designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and up to around 150,000 commuters pass through it each day. There are numerous shops, cafes and food stores in the Stadelhofen arcade which are open 365 days a year. And for 4 weeks at Christmas the Weihnachts Pyramid joins the station’s attractions.
During Advent the Weihnachtspyramide offers hot raclette and drinks, so why not pop by for a Glühwein when you’re next at the station? For more information on the Weihnachtspyramide please see here (in German).
The Weihnachtspyramide
Where: Outside Stadelhofen Railway Station
Dates: 24th November – 24th December 2022
Opening Times: 11am – 9pm Sunday – Wednesday and 11am – 10pm on Thursday – Saturday
Visit the Weihnacthtspyramide website here.
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