Some of the most famous
Christmas markets in Europe have been running since the Middle Ages, and today they can draw upwards of two million visitors during December.
Their appeal is simple: stress-free shopping in a traditional,
festive environment (expect carol singers, not taped Bing Crosby), with a
few mugs of mulled wine to help you along your way. Having said that,
don’t expect to get much other than stocking-fillers – the markets tend
to focus on local arts and crafts and hand-made Christmas decorations.
1. Cologne Christmas Markets
Cologne has a total of four Christmas markets around the city,
attracting upwards of two million visitors every December. The most
spectacular and popular of these is the market ‘Am Dom’, set on the
square in front of the towering twin spires of the cathedral, the most
visited monument in Germany.
The backdrop is certainly impressive, and the 160 or so stalls that
pack beneath the lofty Gothic structure make the most of their
tourist-friendly position. Positioned around a vast Christmas tree, the
stalls offer the usual range of Yuletide wares, including Christmas tree
decorations, arts and crafts, hand-made candles and ceramics. Sweet
stalls jostle for space with Glühwein traders, and street musicians and
professional bands entertain the hordes.
A little to the south, on the cobbled square of the Alter Markt in
the heart of the old town, is the city’s most enjoyable market, with an
old fashioned, child-friendly appeal. There is a traditional
merry-go-round, a puppet theatre, a Santa’s Grotto and lots of stalls
stocking hand-made wooden toys, gingerbread, boiled sweets and cotton
candy. Here the stands are half-timbered, giving the whole market a
time-warped feel.
2. Vienna Christmas Market
The ‘Christkindlmarkt’ on the square in front of the magnificent Town
Hall is Vienna's classic Christmas market. It is one of the best-known
and most visited in Europe, attracting millions of visitors to its rows
of wooden huts leading up to the Hall. It is certainly one of the
oldest, dating back over seven hundred years, and starts early – from
mid-November – which is handy for those wanting to avoid the
pre-Christmas crowds.
The park surrounding the market is one of the highlights, its trees
decorated with themed lights, shaped like hearts or gingerbread men. The
market itself has a central row of stalls selling hand-crafted
decorations and arty bits and pieces, as well as deliciously scented
natural beeswax candles.
The Vokshalle, within the Town Hall, is home to a daily workshop for
kids in Viennawhere parents can drop them off to make presents and bake
Christmas cookies. An added attraction is that throughout December
choirs from around the world perform in the Festival Hall at weekends.
3. Nuremberg Christmas Market
One of the best-known Christmas markets in Europe is the one held at
Nuremberg, although it is neither the largest nor oldest. Nevertheless,
the setting is beautiful, with almost two hundred stalls crammed into
the cobbled square on the slope beneath the Frauenkirche.
The market dates back to 1628, and is known as a regional centre for
trading handmade wood figurines. It has a rather odd tradition: every
two years a new ‘Christ child’ is appointed, a young man or woman who
opens the market and rushes around town spreading Christmas cheer,
dressed in elaborate gold and white and sporting a large golden crown.
Eccentric traditions aside, the market is best known for its food,
which includes several stalls selling steaming Glühwein and grilled
Nürnberger Bratwurst, delicious thin and spicy sausages.
Another favourite is the local Lebkuchen, or gingerbread, sticky and
sweet with honey. In the evening, the market is softly lit with hundreds
of tiny lights, and bands arrive to entertain the punters – you’ll hear
anything from brass bands to live jazz.
4. Dresden Christmas Market
The first mention of Dresden’s Christmas market was in 1434, making
this the oldest in Germany. It is steeped in tradition and locals are
understandably fond of their Striezelmarkt, named after the local
‘Striezel’ or Stollen, a sweet fruitcake baked in the shape of a loaf
and dusted with icing sugar.
The highlight of the annual market is the Stollen Festival, held on
the second Sunday in December. In the 16th century, the local Stollen
bakers would present cakes to the local prince, carrying them
ceremoniously through the town to the castle, where the prince would cut
them with a five-foot knife and hand out pieces to the poor. Today, one
giant 3,000 kg Stollen is paraded around Dresden as part of the
festival, presided over by a glamorous ‘Stollenmädchen’ – a ‘Miss Cake’,
if you like.
The market is pretty and old fashioned, with around 250 stalls
selling strictly traditional wares. It has better shopping than
elsewhere though, with regional craftsmen flocking to the area to peddle
their wares. Some good buys include delicate, hand-blown glass baubles
from the town of Lauscha; hand-thrown and -fired ceramics from Saxony
painted in bright blue and white; and local ‘Blaudruck’ – white-and-blue
printed cloth.
5. Brussels Christmas Market
In a city famous for its cuisine, it’s good to find that its
Christmas market is a good choice for foodies. Here, the market takes
over the Grand-Place, Brussels’ commercial hub, famous for the lavishly
carved facades of its guildhouses. Strings of lights cascade down from
the centre, over the little chalet-style wooden huts which cluster
around the square, each representing a different European country
(although most of what’s on offer is the usual array of Christmas
decorations and arts and crafts).
There are some good food stalls, though – alongside mulled wine are
stands dishing out plump French olives, mountains of Belgian chocolates,
steaming plates of moules or steamed snails, jars of preserved fruits
and ‘speculoos’, hard gingerbread shaped like Father Christmas.
The Fish Market is transformed into a temporary ice rink in December,
making it a big attraction for locals. Carols are filtered through
loudspeakers, and jugglers, street musicians and painters brave the cold
to entertain the crowds. From December 23rd, many of the stalls switch
hands, and the market becomes more of a gastronomic affair.
6. Munich Christmas Market
The focal point of Munich in December is famous Marienplatz, the
heart of the old centre, flanked by the grand neo-gothic town hall and
filled with hundreds of stalls in the run-up to Christmas. There are a
number of smaller markets dotted around the city, but this is the
largest and dates back to the 17th century.
The market is inaugurated on the Friday before the first Advent, when
thousands gather in the square to watch the thirty metre-high Christmas
tree light up for the first time. Over 140 stalls are set up in the
square, selling hand-carved wooden Christmas decorations, glass baubles,
jewellery, arts and crafts.
Behind the main market is the Crib Market, where traditional nativity
figures from Bavaria and Austria are for sale. It couldn't be more
different than the Oktoberfest if it tried. Every evening at 5.30pm,
Alpine choirs and brass bands perform from the Town Hall balcony, while
locals stream to the food stalls for an after-work plate of hot potato
cakes and a mug of Glühwein. There is a child crèche in the town hall,
and the ‘Heavenly Workshop’ is a free area for children to paint, make
Christmas cookies and dress up as angels.
7. Prague Christmas Markets
The Czechs take Christmas seriously, and the capital hosts a number
of cultural events, folk displays, concerts and theatre in December.
It’s unpronounceable Vanocni trh (or Christmas markets) are fairly
low-key and family friendly – there are several dotted around town, and
the biggest is held on the busy Old Town Square.
The idyllic Baroque setting of the cobbled square seems perfectly
suited to a quaint seasonal market, helped along by the generous layer
of snow that visitors should expect at this time of year. A central
petting zoo, complete with ponies, goats, sheep and a single
folorn-looking lama, is the big attraction for kids.
The rows of colourfully decorated wooden huts stock some attractive
hand-made stocking fillers, including the locally made wood-carved
puppets, jewellery, toys and candles. You may also find some good deals
on Bohemian crystal. A central stage hosts daily carol singers and bands
playing seasonal tunes.
8. Tallinn Christmas Market
What Tallinn’s market lacks in history – it’s only been running since
1991 – it makes up for in atmosphere and romantic appeal. The Christmas
market takes place on the ludicrously picturesque Raekoja plats, the
Old Town Hall Square, a cobbled expanse dominated by the 15th-centry
Town Hall, although all the surrounding buildings are chocolate-box
charming.
Given its latitude, you’re almost guaranteed snow here, and while the
small market isn’t worth visiting for alone, it adds significantly to
the old-fashioned romance of a snow-dusted weekend here. A brightly lit
Christmas tree stands above the groups of stalls which line the square,
selling a range of Estonian arts and crafts, mulled wine and sausages.
You can pick up some good hand-made, natural, gifts here – such as
carved wooden bowls or decorations made from wood and twine. The best
buy, though, is the hand-knitted jumpers, socks and bobble-hats, knitted
in natural grey, white and beige wool.
Father Christmas arrives in the evenings to pose for photos with
children, although the low-key atmosphere probably makes it a better
choice for couples. There are several candle-lit restaurants fringing
the square, making good refuges if the cold gets too much.
9. Berlin Christmas Market
As befits a city as modern and edgy as Berlin, the city’s main
Christmas market has an altogether more contemporary feel than those in
the rest of Germany. There are actually several markets that take place
around the city, but the most popular – and most visited, with around
four million visitors last year – is the one that takes place around the
Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche.
The setting itself is interesting, with stalls clustered around the
Gedächtniskirche (or Memorial Church) which was hit in a bomb attack in
WWII, and left only partly restored as a poignant reminder to the war.
The market isn’t as large as one might expect, with around one
hundred stalls, housed in traditional rustic, wooden huts that seem
rather out of place in Berlin. There’s the usual array of traditional
arts, crafts and Christmas decorations, but the fact that the city is
home to some of Europe’s leading cutting-edge artists and designers
doesn’t go unnoticed – you should find a good selection of more radical
artworks and decorations, as well as an eclectic selection of antique
and contemporary jewellery.
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10. Copenhagen Christmas Market
Europe’s oldest amusement park, the Tivoli Gardens, hosts
Copenhagen’s annual Christmas market. The setting is out of Hans
Christian Andersen, with hundreds of Christmas trees and over half a
million lights illuminating the stalls and park.
The main lake is transformed into an outdoor ice skating rink, where
visitors can hire skates. There are around 60 colourfully-painted
stalls, selling locally produced arts, crafts and decorations, such as
Copenhagen porcelain or wooden dolls.
There are plenty of food stalls – the main draw here is glögg, Danish
mulled wine mixed with liquor and spices. Hot apple dumplings make for a
warming mid-shopping snack. Other attractions include pony rides, a
Father Christmas who does the rounds and poses for photos in the
‘leprechaun tent’ – filled, rather bizarrely, with actors dressed as
red-clad leprechauns.
