Almost every "large" village hosts a Christmas Market every year. Some of them are certain weekends only, some start at the end of November and continue through January, and others are only for two or three weeks before Christmas . . . but they are lovely indeed!
We have been to multiple markets in the last two Christmas' here spanning Germany, France, Czech Republic and Austria. Most of them are comprised of multiple "booths" set up displaying everything from handmade scarves and mittens to Christmas ornaments and art pieces. They also have some of the best, if not very healthy, food items around. Both years we have traveled down to Rothenburg O.d.T. to enjoy the "half-meter" hot dogs. There is also Gluhwein a'plenty (a hot mulled wine drink) and an alcohol-free cider for kids (as well as those that do not drink alcohol . . ahem). Clayton enjoyed the Nutella crepes a little too much (at least one or two a market). There were pretzels, cookies and candies galore! Potato spirals and a cinnamon/sugar bread roasted over a fire that was almost to die for! Needless to say, we did not go hungry.
The "all too famous" Nutella crepe
Kinder-Punsch (our substitute for Gluhwein)
Candies!!
Delicious "half-meter" hot dogs
Here is a small re-cap of some of the Markets we attended this year:
Bernkastel-Kues ~ a small medieval city located on the Moselle River in Germany. At first we thought the market was rather "small" and even asked a shop owner, "is this it??" . . . we then felt a little stupid as we started exploring the small alleys and cobblestone pathways. The market kept going and going!
Castle lit up on the hill above the city . . beautiful!
Eguisheim, France ~ Located in the Alsace region in north-eastern France. In May of 2013 this little village was voted the "Favorite French Village." It was not as highly populated as other markets we had attended (of course we also were there during the day and not at night) but it was so quaint and beautiful!
Frankfurt Germany ~ one of the oldest Christmas Markets in Germany! There has been a Christmas Market in Frankfurt for over 600 years! It was huge! We went on a Sunday and there were thousands of people attending! It was definitely an experience!
Prague, Czech Republic ~ We visited the Christmas Market in Old Town Square on Christmas Day . . . it was stunning! St. Nicholas Church was absolutely wonderful! Live music greeted us as we entered and the enormous crystal chandelier in the center caught the attention of everyone present. The Church of Our Lady before Tyn is the main attraction in the square and it hard to ignore. Unfortunately the 14th century Gothic church was closed and we were not able to enter at the time. The Astronomical Clock was also a focal point and we watch as it came alive at the strike of one o'clock.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany ~ Home to one of the most romantic Christmas Markets in Germany and known for it's medieval setting. The cobblestone streets, half timbered houses and stone walls securing the city take you back to another place in time.
(half-meter hot dogs)
So in conclusion, I would just like to say that I will miss these dear Christmas Markets and the joy and warmth they bring when I return to the states this next November. This is one part of "European Living" I will miss the most . . . there are many parts I will not miss . . ie the trash system, the speed cameras, the gas prices, all stores closed on Sundays, no good Chinese food, the conversion rate of the dollar to the euro . . I digress . . this is another post entirely . . .
2 comments:
This sounds lovely. I'm so glad your parents were able to enjoy this with you. I love looking at your pics.
Cheryl :)
Thanks Cheryl! We sure did have a good time . . . you and Guy are always welcome as well :-)
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