r/Europetravel • u/dudeguy409 • Mar 26 '25
Trip report I visited 14 Christmas Markets in Europe. Here were my experiences...
This past December, I visited 14 different Christmas Markets in Europe. Visiting a Christmas Market in Europe had been a dream of mine for a while, but I couldn’t decide which ones to visit. I was in between jobs, so I decided to visit a ton of them! I visited markets in Dublin, London, Paris, Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse, Basel, Stuttgart, Esslingen, Heidelberg, Tübingen, Munich, Nuremberg, and Berlin. To be clear, some cities have multiple markets, and in many cases, I went to multiple markets in the same city, so the actual number of individual markets was higher than 14, maybe more like 30. Also, to elaborate, “visiting” is here defined as “staying for at least one hour AND consuming at least one alcoholic beverage”.
I made this post to share my perspective with other potential travelers from outside of Europe who are wondering what to expect, how to plan their trip, and which markets are the best. FYI I live in the US.
TL;DR I had a great time and definitely recommend going, but most markets have a similar vibe, with only a couple dishes or drinks varying in between different regions, so I wouldn’t get hung up on which one is “the best”. I do not think it is necessary to visit 14 Christmas markets. I recommend going to the cities that look the cutest, spark your interest, or are convenient for your travel plans. My personal favorites were Strasbourg, Colmar, Esslingen, and Nuremberg. Esslingen specifically had some unique things that other markets didn't, like a medieval section, and was an insanely cute town to boot. Esslingen, Colmar, and Nuremberg had children’s areas (and possibly others, I wasn’t paying super-close attention to this). See my breakdown of specific cities at the end.
Vibes / General Info
I enjoyed the vibe of the Christmas markets, and they’re definitely more magical than in the United States. The markets themselves ARE equal or better than what I’ve seen in the US and Canada, but that being said, I think most of that magic comes from being set in the market square of a genuine medieval town rather than the quality of the markets themselves. The markets were a bit different than I expected in several ways. To be clear, I am not saying that I was disappointed because I still had a great time and I would go back.
First, the markets themselves were fairly similar and sometimes felt a bit manufactured. The huts were usually high quality, sturdy, and made of solid wood, but nonetheless very similar from one market to the next. Furthermore, the vast majority of shops that sold knick knacks didn’t sell hand-crafted items, but rather manufactured gifts and souvenirs. Also, sometimes in larger markets there were multiple locations of the same “restaurant”, with the same name, menu, and pricing, being run like a small temporary franchise. To be fair, I can understand that the city wants to guarantee a consistent quality and availability of classic snacks, so I'm not completely criticizing this. I’ve heard many Europeans label Christmas markets as ‘corporate’, but I think Europeans have a much lower threshold for labeling things as corporate than we do in America. The markets were still visually appealing, fun, and exciting, even if they were quite similar to each other.
Another difference from my expectations was the amount of Christmas lights. I know that we go pretty crazy with Christmas lights in the United States, but I still expected to see a bit more in Europe if I’m being honest. There were still some in Europe, but they were usually in pretty small pockets, with one or two highly-decorated townhouses. That being said, I anecdotally felt like there were more Christmas lights in London and Dublin than the rest of Europe, so maybe it’s an English-speaking thing. For the record, Europe uses exclusively LED Christmas lights.
Some of the markets take place amid high-rise buildings or less fairytale-esque surroundings, which is why I suggest that you choose which market you visit based on the vibe of the town/city and not on the size or quality of the market, since the quality usually doesn’t vary too much IMO.
It's also worth mentioning that some Christmas Markets close somewhat early, especially those in small towns. For example, Colmar closed at 7 pm on weekdays and Strasbourg closed at 9 pm even on weekends.
It’s also worth mentioning that all of these markets are very crowded at night, especially on weekends, even in the small towns.
Food
The food at every market I went to was always quite affordable/good value and tasty. Despite being “fast food”, I would still say that it tastes better and fresher than what you often get at American fast food restaurants. That being said, most markets had a quite limited variety of dishes. As mentioned earlier, sometimes there were multiple locations of the same “restaurant” within the market, with the same name, menu, and pricing. This was especially a problem for me in the French markets because my body constantly craves protein and the French markets sometimes didn’t have bratwurst or pork steaks or any other protein option.
I always saw regional/national specialties like crepes in every French market, bratwurst in every German market, and raclette in Basel, Switzerland, but sometimes I also could find each of these at markets in the other regions and countries as well.
Some other snacks I commonly saw were Tarte flambee/flammkuchen (cream cheese pizzas), lebkuchen (soft gingerbread cookies), spaetzle (noodles), currywurst (curry sausage), pretzels, pork steaks, Gulasch served in a bread bowl, and croque monsieurs (open-faced cheese sandwich). I didn’t often see ethnic food from non-european countries in the Christmas markets,but this was not a huge disappointment for me since I was mostly interested in eating European food while visiting.
It’s also worth pointing out that almost all of the food was simple street food. You could argue that it lacked the size or sophistication of a meal at a sit-down restaurant. For example, if you are looking for larger or complicated regional specialties like Schweinshaxe or Zwiebelrostbraten, you will need to go to a sit-down restaurant. The good news is that despite enormous crowds on the streets, I found that most restaurants weren’t too busy and I almost never had an issue walking into a restaurant and getting a seat.
Drinks
Drinks were a great way to stay warm and enjoy the atmosphere.
Similar to food, some drinks were only found in certain places. For example, I only saw the Heisser Engel and Feuerzangenbowle in Germany.
Mulled wine was at every single Christmas market. You could always find red mulled wine, but sometimes, you could find rose or white mulled wine as well. Mulled wine was always affordable and tasty, but to be fair, it was also served with a lot less instagram flair and fewer spices from what I have experienced in the US (at potlucks or sit-down cocktail bars). Spices weren’t scooped into my cup, for example.
Drinks were almost always served in a glass that you had to pay a deposit on. Bring cash and maybe a coin purse!
Some other notable drinks that you may find :
Feuerzangenbowle - Literally, the name means fire tong punch. They soak a sugar cube in rum, set it over a glass of mulled wine with a fork, then set the cube on fire, causing it to slowly melt into the mulled wine. It tastes just like normal mulled wine to me, but it makes for an epic instagram video! I only saw it at a few markets in southern Germany, Esslingen definitely and maybe Stuttgart.
Hot cocoa - it can often be ordered with an optional shot of rum, amaretto, or vodka. Surprisingly, I never saw it offered with peppermint liqueur
Hot aperol - a spiced and heated aperol spritz, basically
Heisser engel (hot angel, politically correct name) / blonder engel (blond angel, politically incorrect name) - Orange juice, egg liqueur, egg whites, and cream
Glogg - A swedish version of mulled wine
City-by-city breakdown (my opinions) :
Dublin - I only visited the market in the castle courtyard. It was small but somewhat charming. The castle is by no means my favorite castle in Europe but it was still a cool vibe with the market.
London - There were several Christmas markets in London, but I only went to the market in Covent Garden, which was set in a cute old building. It was in a busy part of the city, so it had a different vibe than a small town’s market square. My personal impression was that London as a whole has more Christmas decorations than any other cities I visited.
Paris - I visited the market on the northwest side of the Eiffel Tower, along the Seine. The market stalls were among the ugliest/cheapest I saw on my trip, it felt like a carnival, but there was something pretty cool about sipping mulled wine in front of the eiffel tower.
Strasbourg - it is just as cute and fairytale-esque as other small towns but is significantly larger. There’s a ton to explore: several town squares, a river, and a massive cathedral to name a few. The markets were pretty well-decorated.
Colmar - a cute small old fairytale town with small markets spread throughout. They had some carnival rides too if that appeals to you.
Mulhouse - A slightly smaller and less cute/photogenic version of Colmar IMO.
Basel - Basel has more of an urban vibe and is a bit less charming than other nearby towns. The markets were a bit spread out. There was a hipster christmas market out of people’s vans in altstadt kleinbasel. It was ok.
Stuttgart - I was quite impressed by their Christmas market. I’m usually a bigger fan of the markets in small towns and not so much the big cities, but this market had the most over-the-top christmas lights and decor that I saw in Europe, and I think that more than made up for it. There were parks next to the two largest markets which made them feel less crowded and claustrophobic. The markets were very large and had a wide variety of food and drinks, including a couple of rarer finds like Feuerzangenbowle and heisser engel.
Esslingen - Probably my favorite, if I had to choose one. To start, the town itself is all-kill-no-filler German fachwerk architecture. The market is very well decorated. There is a medieval section as well as a kids area with creative games like catapult shooting and a small medieval ferris wheel. They also had a great selection of food and drinks
Heidelberg - A small, cute old town set in a steep river valley. The markets were great. The castle and the philosopher’s path are also fun to explore. The old town is a significant walk from the train station.
Tübingen - I personally think that Tubingen is the most adorable town in Europe, but they don’t go very hard for Christmas. There aren’t many Christmas lights or decorations. Also, the market is only one weekend per year, so the stalls are just cheap makeshift tents like at an American farmers’ market. I’ve heard that the market is supposedly less corporate and more mom-and-pop, but I’d take that with a grain of salt. It was still fun and beautiful though because at the end of the day, it’s still Tubingen!
Munich - I visited the main market in the Marienplatz and walked along Neuhauserstrasse towards the central train station. Despite the newer buildings in the plaza, I still really loved the vibe because of the enormous and elaborate town hall on the other side of the plaza. Despite being a large city, it was very vibey.
Nuremberg - The old town is adorable and massive, and there is a very long and impressive town wall surrounding it. The markets were well-decorated. One market has a kids section. The city also has an amazing scenic overlook from atop the castle.
Berlin - I only visited the market on museumsinsel, across from the Berliner Dom. The location was a bit awkward and I wasn’t crazy about the vibe. There may have been better markets in the city. The food, drinks, and stalls were average.
EDIT: In case anyone was wondering why I would attempt something like this:
1 - I love Christmas! And mulled wine and hot cocoa. Probably not a big surprise! That being said, although I enjoyed all of the markets, I admittedly started to enjoy them less towards the end and started feeling a bit Christmassed out. One day, I drank 6 mugs of mulled wine and had a bit of an acid reflux attack and had to switch to exclusively boozy hot cocoa for a couple days.
2 - I wanted to visit or re-visit all of these towns anyways and I figured that the markets would only ADD to the experience and atmosphere. And after having done it, I think I still agree with that.
3 - I get major FOMO haha. I wanted to find out for myself what each of the markets are like. If I went back, I wouldn't feel the need to visit all of them.
4 - Photography is a big hobby of mine and my goal was to capture the magic of the European Christmas markets. I assumed that this would be difficult and time-consuming and that I'd be better off visiting multiple markets. I think I was right about that. Besides, some days you just don't feel like taking photos. I wanted to take photos with either no people or people who are far enough away and small enough that they aren't recognizable. To do this, I looked for less busy parts of the market that were still well-decorated, usually on the edge of a square. Ideally, I tried to get an old cathedral, cute house, fountain, or bridge in the shot as well. So you are very limited on where you can take shots like this. Most markets didn't have a shot that I wanted to take. Anyways, I shot long-exposures on a tripod so that I could stack the shots to edit people out. I had to stand and wait in the cold for lulls in the crowd. Ferris wheels were especially challenging since I had to either shoot when they weren't moving or adjust the shutter speed to get the amount of motion blur that I wanted. I also walked around every corner of each of the towns looking for photogenic buildings with Christmas lights.
9
u/ThisGhostFled Mar 27 '25
Nice - I've been to some of those, including Heidelberg and Munich several times. I'd also suggest Vienna and Prague, and perhaps Brno and Salzburg, if you come back.
6
u/MaximumBulky1025 Mar 28 '25
Agree, especially Vienna and Prague, which are both great cities over the holidays!
5
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
These were common recommendations! I strongly considered going to them as well but I ran out of time. I guess 14 christmas markets was my limit for this year ¯\(ツ)/¯
I eventually reached Prague in February and loved it! Beautiful city
1
u/quiteCryptic Dec 15 '25
I similarly did lots of Christmas markets 2 years back and Prague was my favorite city for them, they had several big ones. Plus it was snowing a lot while I was there which made a great atmosphere, that might be impacting my opinion of it.
I'm actually on this thread because im planning to visit some again next year and trying to get a rough idea of cities I might want to go to, but its hard not to consider going back to Prague again as one stop.
5
u/bobburger100 Mar 28 '25
Cologne is nice too, good variety of markets and one of the best I’ve seen for handmade Christmas wares.
2
u/Snoo_75004 Mar 29 '25
I was gonna comment Vienna, Prague and Lübeck. I’ve heard good things about markets in Poland too, but I’ve haven’t personally been to any of them.
8
u/backrubbing Mar 28 '25
I think peppermint isn't really a thing for Christmas around here, and even if, I don't think many people would put it into cocoa. (Here being southern Germany/Austria)
4
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 28 '25
I love Germany and Austria, but you’re missing out on peppermint in your hot cocoa…nothing better.
3
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
I had never had Amaretto in hot cocoa and I really enjoyed it! I think it is a close second to Peppermint and will try to import that tradition to the United States
2
1
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
Yeah, I didn't realize until I got there that it was an American thing. That's too bad, though. It's an incredibly delicious combination. If I ever move to Germany, I will do my best to spread the tradition: the Johnny Appleseed of peppermint hot chocolate!
8
u/fennec34 Mar 28 '25
Gosh I live in Strasbourg and going to the market even once every year is already too much for me, you have some powerful resilience that I don't have to visit 14 of them back to back haha
4
u/Jolly-Statistician37 Mar 27 '25
14 is a LOT haha, I guess you knew that even before setting out. But it still sounds fun and it makes up for the gloom of December in those cities. It is also no surprise that markets outside of Germanic lands are subpar. For instance, Paris Christmas Markets started in the 2000s, by people who otherwise run travelling carnivals/funfairs, hence the tacky vibe.
I do share your love for Esslingen, Stuttgart and Strasbourg...Colmar is unfortunately hard to move around at the wrong times (too busy). Don't know the others.
4
u/dudeguy409 Mar 27 '25
"I guess you knew that even before setting out"
haha yes I did! I actually just added a section at the end of my post explaining my motivation.
Thanks for the insight on the Paris Christmas markets! That makes a lot of sense!
1
u/itsmeca617 Sep 07 '25
Are there better times to visit markets to somewhat avoid crowds? Thinking of going late November/early December and not sure if it would be less crowded at all?
1
3
u/Big-Sundae-3878 Mar 27 '25
Wow, this is amazing as I am planning my own Christmas market trip in December this year.
I just booked my tickets to Frankfurt and from Paris.
Thank you so much. This will be very very helpful deciding which markets to go.
I have a neighbor who is from Stuttgart and said, why are you going to Stuttgart? There isn't much to do there so I was debating whether I should go or not but looks like I am going.
I am hoping to do Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Esslingen, Strasbourg and Colmar and ending the trip in Dijon/Lyon/Beaune. It looks like I should also add Tübingen.
Did you visit all these markets before Christmas? Because of kids' schedule, we may be going to markets in Strasbourg and Colmar after Christmas. I am just a bit worried that the markets won't be as lively.
5
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 28 '25
You will want to check the dates of the markets as most of them end December 24, but a very few extend past that.
3
u/Big-Sundae-3878 Mar 28 '25
Yes, thanks for that. I did check and it looks like the ones in France do open after Christmas. That's why I am going to markets in Germany first and going to France after.
3
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
Yeah Stuttgart would be a convenient place to stay for visits to Esslingen and also possibly Tubingen or Heidelberg. It's 15 minutes to Esslingen and about an hour each way to each of the other two cities and the trains run fairly late, like at least 10 pm, maybe midnight. Can't remember.
Stuttgart itself isn't as cute as some other towns but it's fairly hilly, so I find that makes it beautiful and fun to explore. You could take the zahnradbahn up to the weinsteige and walk back down or go see the fernsehturn, or take the funicular to the waldfriedhof. I also really like the park at Killesberg. Most people would not recommend these to tourists and describe them as underwhelming, just to warn you, but I think people are a little unkind towards Stuttgart. That being said, I am biased because I did my study abroad in Stuttgart.
3
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
I visited all of them before christmas except for Berlin, which was on NYE. I would check the schedule, but I would expect them to be less lively after christmas, yeah. An extreme idea if you really can't change your schedule is to go to Poland. Christmas markets are open there until mid-February.
2
u/Gloomy-Advertising59 Mar 30 '25
For Tübingen, there are actually two short Christmas markets, the chocolart and the regular Christmas market. To me, the first one is definitely the more interesting one.
2
u/Big-Sundae-3878 Mar 30 '25
darn it, I just googled for the date and it ends on Dec 7th. Chocolate festival sounds like the best kind of festival. Too bad I won't be there. Now I am sad.
Thanks for the info!!
1
u/Potential_Tap8715 Jun 19 '25
I stayed in Stuttgart and got a chance to visit Tubingen. I wasn't hungry when I was walking around the town but got hungry towards the end. Really wanted some fries and there was a small sit down place next to a museum that has a to go order booth. The price of the fries was the same as in the christmas booths. The guy asked if I wanted ketchup, mayo or both. I said both. When I paid, the price was $2 more than what was posted on the sign. The price board doesn't say anything about the extra charges. I asked the guy about it and was condescendingly told that I asked for both ketchup and mayo. A barely there ketchup and mayo worth $2. Both are free in the US which you can grab yourself in small packets. The fries wasn't even good. They were soggy and not seasoned with salt. I'm sure if I asked for salt, there would have been another secret extra fee.
0
u/lomsucksatchess Mar 28 '25
There are no christmas markets past christmas
1
0
u/Big-Sundae-3878 Mar 28 '25
They do in Strasbourg and Colmar. Not in Germany though.
1
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
There are certainly some Christmas markets in Germany open past Christmas. Berlin, for example.
1
u/L_wanderlust Aug 22 '25
I’m just looking at this and it looks like Vilma goes to the 28th but Strausbourg ends on the 24th. Where did you see they ran later? Maybe my go to source isn’t accurate
5
u/mbrevitas European Mar 28 '25
Berlin definitely has several much better Christmas markets than Humboldtforum on New Year’s Eve… With handicrafts, varied food option and whatnot.
1
3
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 28 '25
I also love Christmas and we’ve been to European Christmas markets four times and going again this year. I’d add Belgium to your list (Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp) and smaller German towns like the island Chiemsee, which was a favorite. Salzburg is magical as is Innsbruck.
2
u/Max_Boley_468 Mar 28 '25
I have been to Brussels and Bruges markets and was a little disappointed with Bruges. While the city is beautiful at Christmas time, the market itself was just a bit meh. Also went to Aachen in Germany and that probably beat the market in Brussels, but was much more crowded.
2
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 28 '25
Oh that’s a shame about Bruges for you. I not only got some of my favorite ornaments there during Christmas, but I visited in the summer and still bought beloved wooden pyramid and arch on that trip.
2
u/Max_Boley_468 Mar 28 '25
I did get some ornaments in Bruges, but they were mainly from the brick and mortar stores. Think I only bought one item from a vendor at the market. Still when the lights come on at dusk it’s one of the most magical places I’ve been.
1
u/SecretIntTeacher Sep 20 '25
I'm looking at going to Innsbruck as it's a convenient train ride away (about 4 hours) but I don't know a lot about it. Is it recommendable? Because of travel possibilities and dates, it's between Innsbruck, Munich, and Dusseldorf/Koln for me.
1
u/KittenTablecloth Nov 11 '25
I haven’t been to Innsbruck during Christmas, but it’s such a charming city. One that stuck out in my memory the most during my 2008 euro trip. It was so long ago that most other cities blend together
3
u/Selene11115555 Mar 28 '25
That’s dedication to Christmas markets! Well done and a well written summary. If you ever get the chance to go back try and see Rothemburg ob der Tauber. It’s a beautiful UNESCO heritage town year round but it’s so special when the Christmas markets are on. I have seen quite a few of the markets you have been to but not Esslingen so I will put that on my list.
1
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
I have been there but not during Christmas! I will check it out if I'm ever in Germany again in December!
3
Mar 28 '25
You might consider Tivoli in Copenhagen. Expensive,but very cosy. And the rides are open.
3
u/lomsucksatchess Mar 28 '25
So glad to hear you loved Esslingen! I live just minutes from the christmas market so that's very special for me
1
u/Ok-Dimension-5032 Sep 30 '25
Is this Esslingen that's right next to Stuttgart or the little town that's near Luxembourg? May be a silly question but I want to get the right one as I'm thinking of taking my niece next year for the Christmas market! 😊
1
3
u/yomineko Mar 28 '25
Thank you for such a detailed report! It's on my bucket list to visit the Christmas markets in Europe. This is a helpful breakdown of them, since I am overwhelmed by the choices and possibilities.
3
u/Equal-Flatworm-378 Mar 29 '25
For self made items, little markets are better. Especially the ones where clubs and sometimes private persons sell their stuff.
If people look for something unusual: Valkenburg in the Netherlands has a cave Christmas market. But you have to pay entry fee.
3
u/OkExcitement7087 Mar 29 '25
My favorite was the Striezelmarkt in Dresden. It is one of the original Christmas markets.
2
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 29 '25
Oooh - thanks for this add. We are going to Dresden this year and to the surrounding small towns and Steiffen. I noticed nobody said Dresden until you did, so thanks.
3
u/Potential_Tap8715 Jun 19 '25 edited Jun 19 '25
I went to German Christmas markets in 2023. Visited Dresden, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Esslingen, Tubingen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and London. My favorites were Nuremberg and Stuttgart. The decorations at all the markets I visited in Stuttgart were out of this world, fantastic!!!!! I believe there is an annual competition on the best decor.
I am planning on going again this year. I haven't fully made a final decision on where to go, but I am thinking of staying in Munich and do day trips to Regensburg, Salzburg and Fussen. I might also go to Strasbourg, Colmar, Heidelberg, Freiburg im Breisgau. Vienna christmas markets do not interest me probably because I have been to Vienna 2x. The second time was to give Vienna a second chance, and I still found Vienna to be highly OVERRATED. When I go to Christmas markets, I just don't go for the markets. I choose cities/towns with great architecture and are eye-pleasing. OK, Stuttgart isn't pretty but it was near enough to Nuremberg and I read several comments that it has fantastic markets. I've been to Strasbourg, Colmar and Munich but this time, I want to check out the markets.
Suggestions if you are going to Germany. Buy regional day passes and visit towns that are in that German state for usually less than you would pay if you were buying them individually. For example, if you plan on staying in Heidelberg or Stuttgart, buy the Baden-Wurttemberg day pass. Then you visit the town within that region (Freiburg im Breisgau, Ulm, Baden-Baden, Esslingen, Tubingen and so on. If you are staying in Stuttgart and want to go to Esslingen for the day, don't buy the day pass as it is much cheaper just to buy 2 one-way tickets since Esslingen is a suburg of Stuttgart and is only about 9 miles away. You need to do a comparison on prices.
3
u/Typical2sday Oct 13 '25
Apfelpunsch (or the orangenpunsch, Austrian mainly) and the aperol spritz drinks are generally superior to mulled wine. France really just does wine and cocoa, but Germany is reliable about apfelpunsch.
The Stuttgart markets are great, really A+, but in that region, Dusseldorf and Cologne are really great too. I was tremendously underwhelmed by Strasbourg and Colmar. The towns are storybook handsome, but only wine, plastic cups not mugs, early closing hours, the massive crowds, and concommitant hotel pricing mean they are way way down my list.
Munich markets are great.
Shame you didn't get to more of Berlin's markets - they're fun, but not on the level of the aforementioned German markets. Hamburg has great markets, too.
Viennese markets are the gold standard, and Budapest's and Prague's are pretty nice. Really enjoyed popping into Bratislava's two markets. We try to do several markets per city. Tivoli Garden in Copenhagen is fantastic (I can't really call it a market, but the whole of the theme park is Christmas market), but the other markets are a nice B/B+. Lux City maybe a C+? Amsterdam has Christmas markets only one weekend, and it wasn't the weekend we were there, despite it being December.
My order of the top 10 European cities with Christmas markets we've visited would be (1) Vienna, (2) Cologne, (3) Stuttgart, (4) Hamburg, (5) Budapest, (6) Munich, (7) Dusseldorf, (8) Copenhagen, (9) Prague, (10) Berlin.
1
u/Mammoth_Map6923 Dec 03 '25
I was in Strasbourg this past weekend and they had boot mugs at the Place Broglie market!
1
Feb 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Europetravel-ModTeam Feb 01 '26
You've made a comment on an old post. It is unlikely that anyone will see it.
We would strongly encourage you to make a new post with full details. This gives you a much better chance of getting a good response quickly.
It also helps keep the subreddit much more organised rather then digging up old threads.
8
u/AussieKoala-2795 Drop bears expert Mar 27 '25
This is my idea of hell. Thanks for sharing so I know where not to go.
0
2
u/xqueenfrostine Mar 28 '25
Great breakdown thanks for this! I have had a Christmas market trip on my bucket list for a while now and it’s settled the question for me as to whether it’s worth it to build an itinerary exclusively around visiting a ton of Christmas markets vs killing two birds with one stone and just visiting cities I’m already interested in during the month of the December. I will be saving this post for future reference.
2
u/Bored_Accountant999 Mar 28 '25
I have friends in Esslingen and I do really love their market. When I visit around the holidays, we'll just go there every night for dinner and some gluwein. (The flavors actually vary a lot from stall to stall ) Grab some schnecken to take back with us and have for breakfast the next day and then go have more adventures the next night.
2
2
u/dannemora_dream Mar 28 '25
I would recommend the small town of Montbéliard for an authentic smaller Christmas Market. They are carefully selecting who can sell at the market and it means there are only handmade stuff allowed. It’s a smaller one but it’s not too far off Colmar and definitely worth it for the Christmas Lights.
2
2
u/leanotlee Mar 29 '25
I enjoyed the Christmas Markets in Vienna - especially the one at Schönbrunn Palace. I also loved the ones in Budapest.
2
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 29 '25
You’re right, the Schǒnbrunn Palace one is the best one in Vienna, while the one at the main Cathedral in Vienna is like all the rest in Europe, not special. We got our treasured keepsakes at Schǒnbrunn, but it does take some effort to get the train out there and, once there, it’s small and doesn’t take much time.
2
u/Squirreline_hoppl Mar 29 '25
Aww thank you for your warm words about our beautiful town tübingen, that's where I live. I agree that the Esslingen chtustm market is very special and might also be my favorite one.
2
u/Dragonfly-fire Mar 30 '25
Wow! I love this. I've dreamed of doing a similar Christmas Markets tour, though you were far more ambitious than me. 😄 Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'm bookmarking for later.
2
u/Comfortable_Local_96 Mar 30 '25
Can you add any insight as to which markets had the highest quality items for purchase? My husband and I collect handmade ornaments
1
u/dudeguy409 Mar 30 '25
Yes and no. None of the gift or souvenir huts really jumped out at me at any of the markets. I felt like I saw the same things at every market. Most commonly, I saw LED star lanterns, candles, and ceramic Christmas village houses like what you would combine with a train set. But then again, I wasn't actively looking to buy any souvenirs on this trip, so I didn't thoroughly investigate all of the gift huts. Oddly enough, I did buy some amazing Christmas ornaments on a previous trip (in October a few years ago lol) at Kaethe Wohlfahrt. But that was at a brick and mortar store. Someone else in the comments on this post mentioned getting ornaments at a brick and mortar store. Someone else recommended the market in the courtyard of Schoenbrunn palace and someone else recommended Montbeliard.
2
u/Kaszebski_patriot Apr 01 '25
Next time you should visit a market in Poland they are really good especially in my city gdansk (last year it won the award of best Christmas market in Europe)
2
u/AdriVoid Jun 11 '25
Responding so far from Christmas, but growing up going to the Philadelphia Christmas Markets every year and loving the tradition, Ive been curious what it be like over there. Especially since I may be going to visit my grandmother in Italy this year for Christmas- and could make at least one stop before going down South. Thank you for sharing your observations!
2
u/Suspicious-Cut-1662 Jul 28 '25
Such a great report! I had always considered a Christmas market a great entrance point to Europe for my kids, so I went to Stuttgart and Esslingen about 10 years ago. So glad to hear I picked well right off the bat! Am thinking about Vienna one of these upcoming Decembers…
2
u/Mean_Meet576 Jul 30 '25
Glad I found this Post, we are traveling this season for our first Christmas Market 🎄 experience.
2
u/Dense_Bath_2076 Oct 14 '25
You put a lot of time into this post, and I (and I think many others) really appreciate your detailed report. Thank you for taking the time to share!
1
u/Puzzleheaded_Lie6786 Mar 30 '25
Thank you! This is actually a topic I am very curious about and we’ve talked about completing one of those Christmas Market River cruises next Christmas - so I really appreciate your taking the time to share your experience.
1
u/DoctorToonz Apr 15 '25
u/dudeguy409 :
I have only a limited time in Europe between Dec 25 and Jan 1 (so 6 days).
Do you have a suggestion for which markets to see that might be geographically clustered so I don't spend ALL of my time traveling?
A sleeper train could be time-economical. I considered starting in Vienna and moving to the Netherlands.
Thoughts?
1
1
u/pinseriapinsa Jul 20 '25
Amazing trip. So which markets had mugs? I couldn't find any at Strasbourg sadly.
1
u/dudeguy409 Jul 21 '25
No idea. I wasn't really looking for mugs, or gifts in general. I imagine most markets would have mugs though.
1
1
1
u/DrawerRoutine3790 Sep 23 '25
this is incredibly helpful, i'm planning on traveling to germany with my family for christmas and I'm def saving this post for later. if anyone has any germany specific tips let me know! we were planning on renting a car and doing base in two cities over the course of a week, then maybe doing day trips from there to smaller towns, but plans are not settled yet. thoughts?
1
u/Europetravel-ModTeam Sep 23 '25
You've made a comment on an old post. It is unlikely that anyone will see it.
We would strongly encourage you to make a new post with full details. This gives you a much better chance of getting a good response quickly.
It also helps keep the subreddit much more organised rather then digging up old threads.
1
u/pride_travel Oct 10 '25
Love this I did 2 cities last year only Berlin and Dresden; and spreading out to 9 this year!
1
u/Stock_Pie5135 Oct 16 '25
Lived in germany & france for 5 years and visited tons of christmas markets during that time. Generally, the best most unique ones are smaller towns vs bigger towns. For example, Regensburg>Nurnburg>Munich or Equisheim>Colmar>Strasbourg. Regensburg has several markets incl one in an old castle outside town with amazing live choral singing, bonfires and all kinds of specialty drinks I never found anywhere else. Rudesheim is another small town gem with a special hot coffee toddy in a specialized porcelain cup/saucer that you won’t find anywhere else.
My favorite big city is Cologne. There are actually 7 different markets in town and they are all themed with matching mugs/food/decorarion to the theme (e.g, angel market all white/stars, the elf market all about elves, rudolf market all about reindeer, etc). I collect the mugs so always enjoy a unique one I can’t find elsewhere.
For comparison, I’ve been to London, Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Heidelberg, Rudesheim, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Lyon, Strasbourg, Colmar, Equisheim, Vienna, Prague. Personal preference but vastly prefer markets in Germany vs elsewhere. Somehow never made it to Dresden so that one is still on my list.
1
u/YoungPrize8792 Oct 20 '25
This is so helpful! I went to several Christmas markets quite a few years back and want to go back with my kids now so knowing about kids sections is really a considerate thing to add ☺️
1
u/monsterz_girl Oct 29 '25
Wow, your post is one of the most detailed I've seen so far. I think you should put the Balkan Christmas markets next on your bucket list. I recommend Bucharest, Sofia, and Ljubljana.
1
u/EuroTraveler3 Nov 03 '25 edited Nov 03 '25
Budapest Christmas market is amazing! Vaci Utca has main however St. Stephens Church area has ice skating. Take the bridge across to BudaCastle. Overlooks Danube. Handcraft booths, food & wine. Best mull/glu wine in Europe. I go every year. Food is incredible at Vaci Utca (where ships dock and can walk to street). Roasted duck leg with purple grilled cabbage is one of my favorite to eat.. along with tall glass of mull wine. 😉
Zurich is one of my favorites. Post Covid Christmas vendors are up and down the streets all the way to the Lake. Start ant Main train station, Easy hop on/hop off tram (no cars allowed on street) up/down the Bahnhofstrasse. Been going since 2019. Just don’t get gluewine 🤢
I loved Basel.. especially the singing reindeer outside one of the old craft cottages!
1
1
u/RepresentativeNo8105 Nov 24 '25
Hitting Colmar, Strasbourg and Basel this year for the Xmas markets. Flying into Frankfurt and doing Cologne also for a two week euro trip. Thanks for sharing your experience and appreciate the insight.
1
Dec 05 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Europetravel-ModTeam Dec 05 '25
Your post was removed, because self-promotion posts are not allowed. You can advertise your own OC blog/video content in the pinned Travel inspiration & vlog thread.
Links to generic top 10 lists and sights like links to sites like Buzzfeed, Bored panda or WatchMojo are forbidden.
Links to generic news articles about Europe that aren't related to traveling don't belong here.
Breaking the rules repeatedly might result in ban. Posting self-promotion as only content in r/EuropeTravel will result in a ban.
1
u/TermAccomplished1868 Traveller Dec 25 '25
Future tip for the photography if you don't want recognizable ppl in it: setup on the tripod and shoot to expose for say 1/80 at low f stop and kick up the ISO.If people are walking through the scene they'll be blurry. Everything else will be nice and sharp. I found that I could get many more of these than long exposures and drunk people won't wander up to bother you as often if you're quick. I assume this was for commercial images you can sell which is what I do.
1
u/karmagrl777 13h ago
Thank you. I read your post last year and we went out of our way (3.5 hour train ride each way) to go to Esslingen based on this and we’re glad we did. Our only disappointment was Munich which we didn’t care for at all. Way too crowded and not as charming as the smaller villages.
1
u/Ericra Mar 29 '25
Hot cocoa with peppermint liqueur, really?? A blond angel is politically correct in Europe, don't project your twisted and absurd american views/opinions on the rest of the world, we're doing great as we are, thank you.
1
u/CraigThalion Mar 30 '25
You didn’t visit Dresden and you didn’t visit Nuremberg.. so the question arises, did you really visit a christmas market after all😂
1
1
0
u/Ifixturbines Mar 28 '25
I can not wrap my head around why people come from all over the world just for the Christmas markets. Wild
3
u/Justtryingtohelp1317 Mar 29 '25
Imagine not having ANY Christmas markets, then discovering the ones in Europe! “Wild” is a good word for how it feels that first time.
-12
Mar 27 '25
The food at every market I went to was always quite affordable/good value and tasty.
Why the F are you then complaining about eggs that cost 10 USD a dozen back home?
Food is expensive in the Christmas market.
tasty
Compared to McD, yes, but I would not call it tasty.
3
u/dudeguy409 Mar 28 '25
Hey man just warning you in case you didn't notice, this comment is getting downvoted to hell.
Also FTR I didn't complain about the price of eggs, although I'm very unhappy with our current political situation.
We are agreed that it's better than McD
18
u/Ok-Blueberry9613 Mar 28 '25
Think this is one of the most use posts I’ve seen in awhile, thanks!