Top 5 Christmas Markets to Visit in Europe
Every year at the end of November, town squares around Europe are transformed into Christmas markets or Christkindlesmarkt (Christ child market). From Krakow, Poland to Stuttgart, Germany, these big and small squares surrounded by old buildings and cobblestone streets are adorned with festive lights and Christmas décor.
Visitors can explore the markets filled with festive baked goods, regional specialties, gifts, and crafts. To add to the festivities, there are choirs singing the yuletide carols and brass bands providing soul-shaking music.
Europe has thousands of Christmas markets. Germany alone has over 150. How do you choose? Here is a list of the top 5 Christmas Markets to Visit in Europe:
1. Nuremberg, Germany
Nuremberg is located in Bavaria Germany,
140 miles Southeast of Frankfurt and
103 miles from Munich. This medieval city is home to Europe’s most popular Christmas market. Continuing a 400-year-old tradition, today Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt in the Main Market Square has almost 200 stalls. These stalls adorned with red and white cloth offers plenty of traditional crafts like the prune men and local delicacies like the spicy gingerbread. Some of the stalls have been making the same craft for over 100 years.
Unlike other Christmas Markets, Nuremberg has had a Christkind since 1969. A Christkind is chosen every two years to represent the city. The chosen Christkind is around the age of 16 and 19 and is given a golden crown and white gown with sparkling gold strands to wear. She shows up every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 3 pm at the Christmas Market. She is to give hope, warmth and joy to children, the elderly and the disabled.
Nuremberg Christmas Market starts on November 27 and ends December 24.
For more information check out a video of Nuremberg Christmas Market from
Christkindlesmarket Nuremberg.
2. Stuttgart, Germany
Stuttgart Christmas Market has about 287 decorated traditional wooden hut stalls. It is one of the largest and most beautiful in Europe. It spreads across Marktplatz, Schillerplatz, Schlossplatz, Hirschstrasse and Kirchstrasse from the Old Market to the church. The Christmas Market starts from November 25 to December 23.
Some of the highlights include the fairy tale grotto and the miniature railway drawn by real steam locomotive that travels through fairy tale figurines, old-fashioned children’s carousels, snow and a big wheel.
Stuttgart is also known as the birthplace of the automobile. A visit to Stuttgart is not complete without a visit to the Porsche Museum, Mercedes-Benz Museum and Gottlieb Daimler Memorial Site.
Information:
Stuttgart Christmas Market
3. Krakow, Poland
Krakow is located
224 miles south of Warsaw and
333 miles from Prague (Czech Republic). This Polish medieval city is where you will find Gothic spires, gabled townhouses and Krakow’s Rynek Glowny Market Square. Krakow’s Market Square is Europe’s largest medieval town square and it is where the Christmas Market is held every year. This year it starts on November 27 and ends on December 27.
Some Christmas items to look out for are the Highland woolen slippers, traditional Christmas cake (Mazurek) and unique Baltic amber jewelry. Visit Krakow’s famous sites like Cloth Hall, St Mary’s Basilica, Wawel Hill, Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral.
4. Prague, Czech Republic
In Prague, the capital city of Czech Republic, not only will you see a large Christmas tree in the old town square (known as Staromestske Namesti), you will also find a nativity scene and daily choir and brass band performances. This is where the Christmas Market is located.
The Christmas market is filled with decorative wooden stalls, strings of lights and plenty of local handmade toys and ornaments. Souvenirs to look out for are Czech glassware and crystals. Try the mulled wine (Svarak) and local pastry (Trdelnik). Some of the popular tourist attractions in Prague include Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and the astronomical clock.
Christmas Market starts on November 27 and ends January 6. Prague is
six hours ahead of US Eastern Time zone.
5. Vienna, Austria
The first Christmas Market in Vienna was started in 1298. It was called Krippenmarkt or December Market. Christmas Markets in Vienna start in mid-November. According to Austrian National Tourist Office, there are 20 official Christmas or Advent Markets in Vienna.
Here are three:
Viennese Christmas Market – located in front of the City Hall. The City Hall organizes Christmas cookies and candle making programs for children during the Christmas Market season on the ground floor of the building. From Friday to Sunday visitors are treated to live Christmas carol performances. It starts on November 13 and ends on December 26.
Christmas Village Belvedere Palace – this is the most famous and popular Christmas Market in Vienna. It is located at the world-famous Baroque-style Belvedere Palace. You will find traditional handicrafts, decorated market stalls and special festive foods and baked goods. It starts on November 20 and ends December 23.
Christmas Village Maria-Theresien Platz –located at the Maria Theresien Platz, surrounded by impressive Viennese buildings between the Natural History Museum and Kunsthistoriches Museum, the Christmas Market is filled with Christmas festivities. It starts on November 18 and ends on December 26.
More information:
Vienna Christmas Market
Which is your favorite Christmas Market in Europe? Let us know.
Photo Credit: Stuttgart Christmas Market's photos provided by Stuttgart-Tourist.de
