Picture a town square featured in your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s a winter evening,
glowing in the warmth of twinkling lights, with a sprinkling of unique snowflakes and classic
yuletide décor. Now, expand that vision exponentially, because when traveling to
Europe and strolling holiday markets you’ll find yourself wandering through picture-perfect
postcard like settings all around.
According to National Geographic, the earliest recorded Christmas market is the
Dresden Striezelmarkt, originally opened in 1434. Such markets were small
gatherings of vendors set to stock food and supplies before the long winter months, however
they evolved over time. Stalls for the poor were pushed to the fringes of town, at a time when
propaganda soapboxes took hold in war times.
Nowadays, in our modern time, these holiday markets have made a resurgence as festive
gatherings centered around winter holidays; visited by millions of locals and tourists from around
the globe.
While Germany may still boast the oldest and largest number of markets -as many as 3,000,
Christmas markets have spread throughout Europe with each country adding their own cultural
heritage to the original fare. Regardless of the location, each market consistently features
vendors selling handcrafted gifts, seasonal delicacies, and decorations.
Typical treasures often include knitted goods, toys, soaps, oils and salves, wooden carvings,
homemade jewelry, and specialty food and drinks.
If finding unique gifts isn’t thrill enough, the dazzling lights, the scent of mulled wine and hot
chocolate, and the joyful hum of carolers create an atmosphere that even the most reluctant
shoppers can cherish.
Practically every town in Germany offers a holiday market, with the most notable being in
Nuremberg, Dresden, Cologne, and Goslar. Nuremberg markets are decorated with red and
white stripes, and the gingerbread and bratwurst are world-famous. Dresden -besides being the
oldest- has the largest scale of decorations, including a pyramid and a candle arch. The most
noteworthy food item in the many markets across Dresden is, of course, Stollen, or what we call
fruitcake. Finally, Cologne offers separate themed markets including gnomes, angels, and even
a nautical motif.
Goslar’s Christmas Forest includes fir trees adorned with thousands of sparkling lights, making
for a truly enchanting atmosphere. Many cities offer multiple sites, such as Munich with a market
in their airport, thus making a stroll through even more convenient for us travelers.
Bavaria leads the charge with over 400 markets, whereas Berlin boasts around 80.
Outside Germany, one of the most well-known markets is in Vienna, Austria. It’s surrounded by
grand architecture with a fairytale setting that’s hard to surpass anywhere.
Traveling over to Colmar, France you’ll find many markets close by, including Strasbourg, where
often, the entire town decorates to become a vision likened to a scene from “Beauty and the
Beast,” while French and Alsatian treats highlight your experience.
Farther away, Edinburgh, Scotland has a relatively newer market -only dating back to 1999. It
features a huge Ferris wheel in addition to traditional market favorites and stays open until the
famous Hogmanay (New Year) celebration.
Tallin, Estonia is an incredibly picturesque medieval town dating back 700-plus years. Its market
boasts the first public Christmas tree in Europe -originally exhibited in 1441.
Wherever you choose to take your European Christmas market journey, all of these cities, as
well as Prague, Budapest, Brussels, Salzburg, and Copenhagen, are sure to add richness to
your holiday season. Wherever, you choose, you’ll make magical memories while finding the
ideal gift for that special someone.