12 Best European Christmas Markets We Love

12 Best European Christmas Markets We Love

Visiting Europe’s dazzling Christmas markets is one of the most charming ways to celebrate the holidays. Find the perfect ornament for your tree as you walk from stall to stall sipping mulled wine. All-inclusive river cruises neatly deliver the quaint cities decorating the banks of Europe’s most famous waterways like a beautifully wrapped gift under the holiday tree. There are also plenty of Christmas market tours to choose from.

To connect you with the unique Yuletide traditions of each region, we share a dozen Christmas markets not to be missed — plus tips on what seasonal specialties to savor while you soak up the festive atmosphere.

NUREMBERG, Germany

Commencing with a lavish opening ceremony on the steps of the Church of Our Lady, the Christkindlesmarkt has been perpetuated since the 16th century — one of Germany’s oldest holiday markets. Greet the Christkind, dressed in her golden robe and crown, and take home your own gold-foil angel to grace your tree. Taste: Sample spicy Nuremberg gingerbread, or lebkuchen, often found decorated, is a sweet memento.

BAMBERG

Four markets usher in the season in Bavaria, with festivities in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town that include two craft fairs and a Christmas bazaar on Maxplatz Square. The melodies of local carolers set a magical tone as you walk the Route of Nativity Scenes, encompassing 400 Christmas cribs along 40 locations ranging from private residences to museums. Taste: Bavaria always brews something special during the holidays; try the dark and caramel-flavored Bock.

ROTHENBURG

A 500-year tradition, Reiterlesmarkt is a fairytale when its snow-frosted stalls are viewed from a perch on the town hall tower. Just off market square, the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village store celebrates the holidays year-round; marvel at the 12-foot Nutcracker or meander into the onsite museum that displays 18th-century Erzgebirge craftwork depicting Christmas scenes carved from wood. Taste: Try the sweet dough schneeball, a snowball-like confection served fried and covered in powdered sugar.

FRANKFURT

The aroma of baking apples, roasting nuts and mulling spices perfumes the air of Germany’s largest Christmas market, inspiring millions of visitors. Browse the 200 booths clustered around a towering lighted tree on Römerberg square as you shop for a fragrant bar of apple wine soap or simply enjoy the clanging of church bells. Taste: Nibble on bethmännchen, a Christmas cookie made of marzipan, at the Kleinmarkthalle farmer’s market.

ROUEN, France

Normandy’s capital city is a wonderland of half-timbered houses and cobblestone squares. The marché de Nöel comes to life at the foot of the Notre Dame Cathedral — step inside to see a Christmas crèche or hear the Christmas choir, then lace up your skates for a spin around the outdoor ice rink. Taste: Flaky tarte tatin showcases caramelized fruit, perfect with steaming coffee. Rouen Christmas market will take place from 24 November to 25 December. Rouen is just over an hour by train from Paris.

PARIS Christmas Market

There are many Christmas Markets around Paris. At La Défense Marché de Noël – Peruse handmade figures of Père Noël at the Trocadéro’s Christmas market for iconic holiday shopping in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower just across the Seine River. And the famed Champs-Elysées truly epitomizes Paris’ sobriquet, “The City of Light,” with celebrated stores like Printemps and Galeries Lafayette competing for attention with fantastical light displays during the Christmas market. Taste: Experience France’s most famous holiday pastry, bûche de Noël (Yule log), a cake topped with chocolaty ganache — perfected by famed pastry shop Ladurée. Here are some of the other famous Christmas Markets around Paris – The Magic of Christmas: La Magie de Noël at Tuileries Garden; Paris Notre-Dame Christmas Market at Square Viviani; Montmartre Christmas Market at Place des Abbesses

BASEL

Basel Christmas Markets – From malty waffles to grilled sausages and melted Swiss raclette, Switzerland’s largest market in Basel hosts more than 150 stands teeming with gourmet treats and crafts. Christmas Street is a magical lane of more than 100 decorated trees, though the most magnificent stands on the Münsterplatz – adorned with designer hand-blown glass ornaments. Taste: Warming glühwein (spiced wine) is handed out for free during the city’s official opening of Christmas. The Basel Christmas market on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz is considered to be one of the prettiest in Switzerland. From 24th November to 23rd December.

STRASBOURG, France

Strasbourg Christmas Market – Strung between homes, glittering white-light angels herald you to the oldest holiday market in France. Cross delicate ceramics and glass-bead bracelets off your list as a local guide shows you the best shopping chalets. A Christmas tree reaches almost 100 feet into the night sky of Petit France — even taller than the awe-inspiring astronomical clock in the Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame, depicting the Three Kings’ visit to the manger. Taste: Place Kléber extends a taste of doughy bretzel, a pretzel speckled with sea salt. It is the oldest market in France dating back to 1570. Christmas market 2022 runs from 21 November to 23 December

HEIDELBERG, Germany

Larger-than-life attractions of Yuletide span five historic squares throughout the romantic Old Town, the scent of roasting chestnuts wafting through the air. In the Markplatz, a Christmas pyramid revolves with candle-bearing figures, while an Advent calendar illuminates the facade of Heidelberg Castle. Be transported into an evergreen-scented forest in The Winterwäldchen, which replicates a wintry woodscape in the middle of the city’s Kornmarkt square. Taste: Tour the candle-lit cellars of Doktorenhof Vinegar Estate, which harbors aged vinegar elixirs infused with fig, chestnut and cinnamon bark.

WÜRZBURG, Germany

Stroll Würzburg’s 200-year-old Christmas Market with hot apple cider in hand, finding unique presents to bring back home — like hand-sewn teddy bears or local jam. Watch a nativity play at the Marienberg Citadel that’s been reenacted since the 14th century. Or, be transported to another bygone area during a visit to Würzburg Residenz, a Baroque palace recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Taste: Break bread during an exclusive dinner with a local family — christstollen is the ubiquitous sweet loaf punctuated with dried fruits and nuts.

RÜDESHEIM, Germany

With international flair, the Rüdesheim holiday bazaar highlights a mélange of Christmas customs from around the world. Discover more than 120 stalls boasting artisan crafts from Finland to Mongolia. And, don’t miss a life-sized Nativity scene with live landscaping that includes a bubbling brook. Taste: Rüdesheim’s famous kaffe (coffee) thaws the chill as well as a Rheingau reisling.

COLOGNE. Germany

This idyllic Christmas destination is the fabled resting place of the gift-bearing Three Kings at the Cologne Cathedral’s Shrine of the Magi. Find your own gifts at the city’s eight Christmas markets — among them the massive Alter Markt in front of City Hall and the shipyard-side tents of the Harbor market, positioned on the banks of the Rhine River. You’ll be amazed by the handcrafted artistry of intricate cuckoo clocks, wooden toys and more. Taste: The Harbor Christmas market takes place in the Chocolate Museum’s backyard, making delectable morsels of fine German chocolate a widely available indulgence.

A Few other Christmas Markets that ar popular include:
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park: London, England
Edinburgh’s Christmas: Edinburgh, Scotland
Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Plaza Mayor Christmas Market: Madrid, Spain
Mercatini di Natale: Milan, Italy

Other great Christmas markets include Strasbourg, Vienna & Innsbruck, Austria, Tallin, Estonia and Bratislava, Slovakia.

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Source: https://blog.atlastravelweb.com/special-interests/christmas-travel/europeanchristmasmarkets/