Old world charm meets today’s savvy visitors and shoppers. Let’s take a look at some incredibly beautiful markets to visit during the Christmas season.
Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, Germany
While you could visit a different Berlin market for all 12 days of Christmas, it seems, that if you can only visit one, make sure it is Gendarmenmarkt. The general consensus is, this market is the top of the top in Berlin.
These markets, including the Gendarmenmarkt, make Berlin a very popular destination during the Festive season.
While you are shopping in the vast array of craft tents, you can enjoy delicious sausages and mulled wine. An added bonus for you to enjoy… the nightly concerts. These range from choral to jazz, and do not include off key caroles.
Winter Wonders, Brussels, Belgium
Welcome to a winter wonderland festival and Christmas market.
Winter Wonders begins on November 30th and runs until January 6th. Here you will find over 200 chalets serving mulled wine, Belgium beer, and waffles, ice skating, a Ferris wheel, light shows, and an incredibly large Christmas Tree. This beautiful festival and market is spread out across the Bourse, Place de la Monnaie, Grand Place, Place Sainte Catherine, and Marche aux Poissons.
A wonderful thing to take part in? If you are new to the Winter Wonders market, or just find yourself overwhelmed, take part in their guided tours, these are conducted in English.
Two words of advice… hot chocolate. You will be wanting lots of hot chocolate to kepp warm!
Advent in Zagreb, Croatia
Attractions include an ice rink, ice sculpture carving (done live), street food and pop-up bars, and even some outdoor music stages. You will also find a dedicated area for “fooling around” or “fuliranje”. This is where you can dance in the street, and eat and drink all you would like. A true place to be merry.
It can be very easy to see how this market has been voted the “best Christmas market destination” by travellers two year running.
Make sure while you are visiting, to take a ride through the city center on the Jolly Christmas Tram. Your travelling companions? Santa and his elves.
Striezelmarkt, Dresden
While visiting Germany during the Holiday season, I urge you to visit the Striezelmarkt Christmas market. Striezelmarkt celebrated it’s 580th anniversary in 2014. Next year marks 585 years, Striezelmarkt is the oldest market in the country.
Striezelmarkt is open throughout the Advent period and closes Christmas Eve. There are over 250 booths, a 20 m high Spruce (decorated with lights) and a beautiful wooden fairy-tale castle, which is also a giant Advent calendar. A door is opened every day, with a puppet show. Friday’s also brings Father Crhistmas for a visit to the market.
A piece of beauty that is a must see (and pictured in the above photo), is the 14m high candle pyramid. The candle pyramid is brought out every year to light up rooms at Christmas in many parts of Germany. The candle pyramid you would find in homes is only about 50cm high. What a difference!
As the Christmas season approaches and we find ourselves getting more and more into the Festive feeling, I don’t know if anything beats a Christmas in beautiful, old-world charm. Although, we may find out. I would like to touch on some Canadian and American Christmas markets.
Travelling with Nichole 