Now it is finally November, the countdown till Christmas has begun and I am someone that believes we should start celebrating and listening to Christmas music as soon as it is November. This is the first in a series of Christmas-themed articles, where I’ll be exploring some of the best Christmas markets across Europe.
Strasbourg, France
The Strasbourg Christmas markets are highlighted in nearly every list of Christmas markets around Europe and for good reason. There are 8 main Christmas markets with over 300 chalets spanning the city and is self-proclaimed the ‘Capital of Christmas’. Strasbourg is in Eastern France and only a 2-hour train away from Paris, making it very accessible. This year it is open from 26th November till 24th December every day from 11:30am until 9pm. As well as the Christmas markets, it is famous for it’s teddy bear bunting in Rue du Maroquin and having one of the tallest decorated natural Christmas trees in Europe standing at 30m high. Strasbourg is also filled with history being the oldest market in France dating back to 1570 and having a document from 1521 on display where Christmas trees were mentioned for the first time.
Nuremberg, Germany
The Nuremberg Christmas market is one of the oldest and most traditional in Germany and is referred to as ‘little city of wood and cloth’ due to the 180 wooden booths with red and white striped cloth roofs. The stalls are still made of regional spruce and around 30 of them date back to 1890. The market dates back from 1530 but is first officially mentioned in 1678. The market is famous for gingerbread and original Nuremberg bratwurst with much more on offer as well. The opening ceremony this year is on November 28th at 5:30pm and from then on is open from 10am until 9pm on 24th December. Nuremberg is located in South Germany in Bavaria and is only an hour train ride away from Munich.
Helsinki, Finland
Whilst there are many Christmas markets around Helsinki, the main one is in Senate square with the cathedral as the backdrop and dates back until 1994, although then was at Esplanade Park. Although it is only 30 years old, it is the oldest and most popular outdoor market in Finland. It has over 100 stalls as well as a traditional carousel that is free and daily visits from Santa Claus. On the 13th of December the newly crowned St Lucia, a Finnish Christmas tradition, descends from the Cathedral and begins her procession which goes through the Christmas market. The market this year is open from 28th November until 22nd December from 11am-7pm on Sunday to Thursday and 11am-8pm on Friday and Saturday. As I am studying in Helsinki at the moment, I will definitely be going to check this out.
Basel, Switzerland
Basel is a Swiss city bordering France and Germany and has 3 main Christmas markets all within walking distance of each other. They are Barfüsserplatz, Münsterplatz and Claraplatz, the first 2 are open from 27th November until 23rd December from 11am-8:30pm, but Claraplatz has different opening hours. The markets in Basel are often described as the prettiest and largest in Switzerland, making them a must see. Barfüsserplatz is in front of the old church, which is now a historical museum and Münsterplatz has a magnificent Christmas tree and is in front on the historic cathedral that you can climb to the top of. Münsterplatz is the best one for food with a whole section dedicated to it.
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges has one main Christmas market located in the market square which has a beautiful Christmas tree and is covered in Christmas lights giving it a cosy, Christmassy atmosphere. Bruge is only an hour and a half train from Brussels which also has a lovely Christmas market, and I would recommend both. This is the only one I have personally visited and couldn’t recommend it more. The Christmas market here is called the Winter Glow and celebrates the festival season with many different activities such as ice-skating. My top recommendation while there are of course Belgium waffles and hot chocolate from the Old Chocolate House. This year the market is open from 21st November until 4th January from 11am-8pm on Sunday to Thursday and 11am-9pm on Friday to Saturday.
There are Christmas markets in practically every city in Europe, all of them I would love to visit. Most of these on the list are super busy as have such good reputations so maybe lesser-known ones are worth looking into. One I would have to recommend as well is Exeter Christmas market which I always love to walk around, and the stalls sometimes vary slightly, so definitely worth multiple visits, and this year opens November 20th.