Frankenmuth, Michigan

Frankenmuth, Michigan, the state’s own “Little Bavaria," is a charming and picturesque town tucked away south of Saginaw Bay, where Lake Huron meets Michigan. Stepping foot in the bespoke parts of Frankenmuth feels like entering a quaint, European village, with its beautiful old-style architecture and thoughtfully crafted buildings. The town is renowned for its rich, German heritage and delicious Bavarian cuisine, attracting 3 million visitors a year from around the world. Tourist numbers like these make Frankenmuth the most visited place in Michigan, beating out such beautiful and worthy competitors as the Sleeping Bear Dunes and Holland State Park. Strolling through the streets, you'll encounter traditional shops offering unique handcrafted goods and delightful souvenirs. Frankenmuth is also home to the world-famous Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, where the holiday spirit comes alive all year round, online at least, 361 days out of the year in person. Whether you're exploring the charming River Place Shops or indulging in mouthwatering German specialties like sausages and pretzels, visiting Frankenmuth is an interesting adventure.

Frankenmuth in December is busy. Many people pack into this relatively small town to absorb the Christmas atmosphere and Bavarian foodstuffs. The streets are full of cars and the sidewalks packed with pedestrians.

People come here for the shops, the Christmas and Bavarian motifs, the gatherings of people, and to stay at one of the many hotels, lodges, or inns with water parks. This is not a place to go for quiet contemplation or even to spend a week; there is not enough here to spend that much time. But for a day, or a weekend, it can be enjoyable for those who delight in, or at least don’t mind, the company of strangers or crowds.

One of the main attractions in Frankenmuth is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, a massive Christmas store where you can buy anything and everything associated with the holiday. Trees, stockings, and ornaments, lights, and every other conceivable decoration are on sale at Bronners. The prices can be high, but if you’re looking for a custom ornament you can have made while you wait, this is the place.

This is the largest Christmas store in the world, boasting 2.2 acres of shopping and 7.35 acres of buildings on 27 acres of grounds. It really is a giant store for only focusing on one kind of consumer good. But it works. On our last visit, the weekend before Christmas, there was a line of people at the door, in the rain, 30 minutes before they opened for the day. 10 minutes after they opened it was elbow to elbow inside.

After getting your Christmas fix, head over to the River Shoppes to browse a wide variety of little stores with a wide variety of wares. There is something for everyone in these little stores congregated on the banks of the Cass River.

Where to Go and What to Do

Frankenmuth isn’t just a winter wonderland. Most of these shops and restaurants are open during the warmer months as well, and there are events celebrated all year long, playing off of the Bavarian theme and the tourist destination that is Michigan’s Little Bavaria.

Snowfest in January, Oktoberfest (of course), and Balloons Over the Bavarian Inn are a few of the festive parties that liven up the area in other seasons. The largest beer sampling in Michigan occurs here in May, dubbed the World Expo of Beer.

Besides these gatherings, the usual Michigan pastimes are available. Hiking, running, and biking, visiting Lake Huron at Saginaw Bay, or visiting one of several golf courses in easy driving distance are all on the menu.

If you want to enjoy a Bavarian style meal, there are two restaurants that dominate the culinary scene in Frankenmuth. The Bavarian Inn and Zehnders. The first thing to note about these two is they are MASSIVE for restaurants. If you’re here in peak season, plan on waiting a while. In fact, a great strategy is to make a reservation well ahead of time or put your name in and THEN go walk the main street or go down to the river shops. We’ve been a few times and the wait for a walk-in group can be hours long. They both utilize the OpenTable website and app, so plan ahead.

If you do eat at one of these two, the food is quite good. Chicken, egg-noodles, mashed potato’s, and that sort of German inspired midwestern fare. It can be expensive though. Expect to pay $30 minimum, per person, just for the food. Drinks and dessert will bump that price up, as will additions to the basic Chicken Dinner, which is served buffet style to the table in passing dishes. The food itself is wholesome and good, and the chicken is the star of the show, so if you eat here you will be pleased with your plate.

A few good alternatives to these local icons are Tiffany’s Food and Spirits, the Frankenmuth Brewery, and Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie, all of which are excellent choices.

Food

Where to Stay

There are also plenty of places to get a snack if you’re a light eater or looking to save some pennies. Beignets, pastries, coffee, and candies are available at many of the small shops on Main Street and in the River Shoppes. There are candy shops, cafes, and our especial favorite, fudge shops, where they make the fudge daily on flat tables in full view of the patrons inside and on the sidewalk. It smells heavenly and is fun to watch.

Where you end up staying will of course depend heavily on your budget and what time of year you choose to go. In August you may not have any trouble walking right into the best hotels and restaurants and being served immediately, for a reasonable price. The weekend before Christmas, when last we went, you can expect a different outcome.

The Little Bavaria of Michigan isn’t only a winter wonderland focused on Christmas. There are also two, large waterparks that double as hotels. Many people visit the area just to spend time going down the slides, playing in the arcades, and chilling in the hot tubs. The Bavarian Inn Lodge and Zehnder’s Splash Village are only about 1 mile apart, and each offer their own style, inasmuch as they can with their overarching themes. Zehnder’s (yes, the same Zehnder family as the restaurant) is actually the largest water park in Michigan, at over 50,000 square feet.

There are many hotels in Frankenmuth to stay at, you really are spoiled for choice. If everywhere is booked or you feel like staying away from the main strip, Saginaw is only a 20 minute drive north, and Flint is about 30 minutes south. We have stayed in Frankenmuth and in Saginaw before, and been happy with both.

How to Get There

We’ve saved this bit for last because there really is only one way to get to Frankenmuth, and that is by car. The closest urban areas are Saginaw and Flint, which are 20 and 30 minutes away by car, respectively. There is no major airport closer than Flint, Lansing, or Detroit, and frankly there isn’t a reason to fly to Frankenmuth anyway, unless you REALLY like Christmas themed shopping experiences.