If enduring another commercialized Christmas with endless ads for pricey cars, jewelry and high-tech toys isn’t the kind of holiday you’d like to enjoy this year, consider heading to a beautiful destination that hosts a traditional Christmas market. It’s like traveling to an old fashioned Christmas, with charming nativity scenes, the sweet songs of choirs and the aromas of hot spiced cider and roasted chestnuts wafting through the air. Of course, you can also shop for a perfect, unique gift for that special someone on your list too.
Dresden is home to the largest number of Christmas markets in Germany’s eastern region. It can also boast the title of being the oldest seasonal event in the entire country, with the Striezel Christmas Market dating all the way back to 1434. Located on the Altmarkt Square in the historical city center, it’s surrounded by various themed Christmas Markets that stretch all the way to the main railway station and the Albertplatz. In 2015, the market will be open from November 27 through Christmas Eve, and will feature Dresden’s culinary specialty, the traditional Striezel fruit loaf. Accompanied by the Stollenmadchen, or “Fruitcake Maiden,” the loaf will wind its way through the medieval streets before making a triumphant entry into the market, where it will be surrounded by more than 230 glittering stalls and a 46-foot-high Christmas pyramid before being chopped up into pieces for market goers.
Some of the best handcrafted items Germany has to offer can be found here, including pottery from Lusatia, gingerbread from Pulsnitz, blown glass from Lauscha, wooden crafts from the Ore Mountains and much more.
Innsbruck in the Austrian Alps is the ultimate Christmas town as a winter wonderland that’s sure to melt the heart of any Scrooge. Against the backdrop of soaring, snow-covered mountains, Alstadt, or Old Town, is an especially romantic spot lined with medieval houses. Its Christmas Market is renowned as one of the most beautiful locations in the entire Alpine region. Held from November 15 through December 23 in 2015, its more than 70 stalls are filled with gingerbread, delicate ornaments of hand blown glass, candles, wooden toys, delectable pastries and lots of handmade arts and crafts. The historic area is the ideal venue for taking a stroll to enjoy the festive sights or meeting up with friends over mulled wine. End your evening under the magnificent Christmas tree in front of the Golden Roof, with the sounds of trumpeters filling the crisp air.
Hamburg features 15 different Christmas markets, all open November 23, 2015 to January 6, 2016 this year and offering something for just about every taste. Kids love visiting Spielzeuggasse, the Toy Street, filled with fun items from across the globe, while traditionalists will especially appreciate the Hamburg Town Hall Christmas Market, located just outside the city’s grandiose town hall. It’s filled with hand-crafted Christmas decorations from the Erzgebirge region as well as pottery made by artists from the Lausitz region. There are bakers from Aachen and woodcarvers from Tyrol, while silversmiths and a host of other artisans and craftsmen from across Germany that make for an incredibly enticing atmosphere. A special highlight the whole family is sure to enjoy are the Christmas parades, complete with Santa and his reindeer, which take place on the four Saturdays before Christmas.
You can even visit a German Christmas Market in England by heading to Birmingham. The Frankfurt Christmas Market is the largest of its kind in Britain and the largest German Market in Europe outside of Germany itself. It boasts an array of German delicacies as well as an ice skating rink. Open from November 12 to December 22, 2015, its more than 180 stalls sell everything from pretzels, bratwurst and schnitzels to mulled cider, gluhwein, Weissbeer and hot chocolate. There is a vast array of locally-crafted items like organic soaps, decorative ironwork, toys, wood carvings and musical instruments as well as ethnic handicrafts imported from across the globe. If you like chocolate, while you’re here be sure to visit Cadbury World where you can learn about how this popular confectionery is made, play in chocolate rain and even dive into a bowl of Cadbury milk.
#5. Bruges, Belgium
Medieval Bruges is stunning all year round, but it truly comes alive in winter, with its center transformed into a Christmas parade which partially slides onto its large ice rink. The festive holiday season also features the Bruges Christmas Market, known as one of the most vibrant and picturesque in Belgium. Its main stalls are found in Market Square, overlooked by the 13th-century belfry, and in Simon Stevinplein. Here you can buy the country’s famous Belgian chocolates, wooden toys, leather goods, handmade jewelry, hats and scarves. Be sure to try a chocolate Sinterklass (Saint Nicholas) figure, honey waffle biscuits and one of the local brews.
