European Christmas Markets

My friends, Dana and Melissa did a grand tour of European Christmas markets in December of 2016 and I have finagled them into writing about it since it's something I've never done, but really want to. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays :)

Last December, we set out on a Christmas market vacation in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. On our whirlwind trip around European Christmas markets, we hit a few that are on all of the must-see Christmas market lists: Salzburg, Prague and Nuremberg. We also hit a couple smaller neighborhood markets.

Bad Reichenhall and Salzburg

We flew into Munich airport and drove our rental car to Bad Reichenhall, Germany near the Austrian border. We stayed two nights in Bad Reichenhall. The first night, we wandered into the local Christmas Market. The market here was set-up like a small block party in the center of town.

View of Bad Reichenhall from the hotel.

Each Christmas Market has their own collectible glass for the Gluwein or Mead. They charge a small deposit that is returned to you when you bring the cup back, or you can forfeit the deposit and keep your glass.

The next morning, we drove to Salzburg to do some sightseeing and ended at the Salzburg Christmas Market. The Salzburg market was large and impressive. There were rows and rows of bakeries, food vendors, drinks and all kinds of Christmas ornaments. Check out these snacks! We had to roll ourselves out of this one!

We drove back to Bad Reichenhall to find Krampus and enjoy one more night at the cozy Christmas Market.

You guys, the Krampus walk/parade is no joke. This one had 20 Krampuses (Krampi?). I still have slight PTSD about Krampus. First, they were wearing real furs and skins (probably goat) and GIANT bells on their backs. As they walked through town, they were followed by crowds of children - mostly boys between 8-14. They would slowly walk along, and then the 3 or 4 Krampuses in the back of the line would turn around and CHARGE the crowds of children- bells gonging. Children who were caught by Krampus were flogged with switches. This is NOT the U.S. - they were out to leave welts! If you didn’t run or look scared they would whack you (even when you are a 30-something year old lady) and not hold back. Really stung in the cold. Most of our Krampus photos didn’t turn out because we were hauling butt away from them!

To this day, the smell of goats or goat cheese brings back the memories of Krampus.

GONG!GONG!GONG!

Cesky Krumlov and Prague

Next, we drove to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

Cesky Krumlov is an adorable, picturesque city in the South Bohemia region.

There was a small Christmas market in the center of town. There were a few food and drink vendors, along with some crafts. Most of the booths closed early (around 6pm). Cesky Krumlov is mostly a summer tourist attraction, so the town was pretty quiet.

One of our favorite treats in the Czech Republic was Trdelnik- a sweet pastry cooked on spits (bonus: food and drink in Czech Republic are CHEAP).

From the small village, we headed to Prague where we visited the two Christmas Markets - one at Old Town Square and the other at Wenceslas Square. This market goes on and on. Along with the two large markets, there were smaller, informal booths set-up along most of the streets.

Nuremburg

Next we drove back to Germany to visit family. We took the train to see the huge Nuremberg Christmas Market. This market was incredible, fanning out through the entire town. This market had the most vendors selling crafts and trinkets.

We ended our trip at Schloss Guteneck’s Medieval Christmas Market. This is a traditional Christmas Market crossed with a Renaissance Festival. The market is on the grounds of a castle and the vendors were all dressed in period costumes. There were live animals, including camels and owls, along with a large beer hall. This was the only market we encountered with an entrance fee. Might have been my favorite because it was SO different from the others!

Cheese Samples!

Making spaetzle!

Christmas Market Tips:

• Every market has its own personality. Small neighborhood markets, like Bad Reichenhall, felt like a community gathering. We were definitely the only Americans at the market and some of the few tourists. The larger markets, like Prague and Nuremberg are teeming with out-of-towners.
• Do your research. In Nuremberg, the “it” item to look for are "Nuremberg Plum People," tiny puppets made of prune limbs, fig torsos, and walnut heads with painted-on faces. In Prague, you’re going to want to eat Trdelnik.
• Have a plan of attack. If shopping is your main goal, do a quick run through of the vendors to see what is widely available and what is only sold from a single vendor. If food is your goal, do some price comparisons.
• Don’t expect the same things at every market. If you are touring several Christmas Markets, it can be easy to hold off on purchasing that “thing” you want, just in case there is something better at the next Christmas Market. There were several ornaments and keepsakes I didn’t purchase, thinking I could get it at the next one. And I never got a pretzel!
• Drink hot wine to stay warm. Hot wine, both Medovina (honey wine) and Gluhwein (spiced wine) are widely available.
• Carry plenty of Euros (or local currency). I don’t think we saw any food or drink vendors who accepted credit cards.
• Enjoy the Experience. Different Christmas Markets offered different types of entertainment including local dance troupes,live music, petting zoos and a terrifying chase by Krampus.
• Stay within walking distance of the markets. You want to enjoy the Gluhwein and German beers.