After visiting the Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay, both hubby and I missed the winter Christmas markets we visited during our honeymoon last December. We probably missed the mulled wine (called "Glühwein" in German) the most! So here's an introduction to the Christmas markets we visited!
Our very first Christmas market where we ate the most and got fascinated at all the Christmas food and deco! One of the bigger ones we visited as well! I remember the Christmas market stretched across 2 stations (Karlsplatz to Marienplatz)!
I'd say this is worth going!
I'd say this is worth going!
Was craving for fries so I ordered Pomme Frites with Ketchup, Mayo and Onions! (Eu 3,30)
Pork Sausage Bun
Our first mulled wine! We bought the cup as souvenir :) Mulled wine comes in these pretty cups, but if you don't want to keep them, just return them to the store to get a refund.
(Eu 4 for the wine and Eu 3 for the cup)
Potato Pancake (reiberdatschi) with apple sauce! (Eu 4,00)
Steak burger (Eu 5,00)
Lots of pretty Christmas decorations at the market
Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) at Marienplatz
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Salzburg, Austria
Our itinerary in Salzburg was centred around the Old Town where the Christmas market is held, hence we were there for 2 days in a row. There's lots of activities to do around the area, and it's really lively. I'd say it's worth visiting!
Address: Residenzplatz, Residenzpl., 5020 Salzburg, Austria
View of the Christmas market during day time
Olive Oils, Vinegars and Sauces
Garlic Fritters with Sauerkraut (knoblauch krapfen mit sauerkraut) (Eu 3,00)
Hot apple punch with whipped cream (Eu 3,70) - One of the best drinks we tried during our trip! There were real apple bits in the drink!!
Fried fish nuggets (Eu 5,50)
We met this very passionate chef, who gave an introduction to the plum dumplings which looked a little weird to us! He was also generous in letting us try it before buying, something that is not common practice in Europe.
Plum dumpling (zwetschkenknödel) (Eu 5,90)
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Hallstatt, Austria
The Christmas market at Hallstatt is really small, just within the Market Square. It takes a few minutes to walk through all the stalls. It's good to pass by for a quick snack on your way to sightsee the rest of Hallstatt.
Address: Hallstatt Market Square
Hot Punch (Eu 2,50 without the cup)
Bratwurst & Sauerkraut (Eu 4,00)
Home-made cured meat
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Vienna, Austria
Vienna was an impromptu day trip for us and we stumbled upon the Christmas market at Rathausplatz. Lots of visitors to the markets and activities available for children!
Address: Christkindlmarkt, Rathausplatz, 1010 Vienna
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Nuremberg (Nürnberger) has one of the biggest Christmas markets in Europe and one of the most famous! The Christmas market is held in the central square of the Old Town and the adjoining streets and squares. Be prepared to be lost but it's definitely worth it as there's lots to see!
There's also a children's Christmas market with amusement rides and yummy sweet treats!
Address: Hauptmarkt, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany
Yellow stagecoach tour around the Christmas market
Christmas carols
Sweets and Nuts!
Frauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady") in the eastern side of the main market
Nuremberg Lebkuchen
Famous Nuremberg Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) (Eu 1,80) which I had to try since it's a specialty in Nuremberg
Frisch Gebrannte Mandeln (Burnt Sugar Almonds)
Wow this was super yummy, regretted not buying more!
Original Feuerzangenbowle (Eu 4,00)
(from wikipedia - Feuerzangenbowle (German: [ˈfɔʏɐtsaŋənˌboːlə]) is a traditional German alcoholic drink for which a rum-soaked sugarloaf is set on fire and drips into mulled wine. It is often part of a Christmas or New Year's Eve tradition. The name translates literally to fire-tongs punch.)
No I didn't photoshop the 2 photos above! This was exactly how the stall looked like, fiery red! There was a huge crowd in front of the stall, so we decided to try it as well! Tasted like the other mulled wine we tried though.
Mutton and bread (Eu 4,50)
Not sure if this is an authentic Bavarian snack, but it was delicious anyway! Lots of curry powder and other spices were used to marinate the mutton. A good hot snack for a cold winter's day.
Children's Christmas Market (Nürnberger Kinderweihnacht)
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The Christmas markets at Heidelberg are held in different locations. It was our 5th or 6th Christmas market visit by then, hence we didn't visit all locations but only passed by the one at Marktplatz, near our other itinerary stops. After a while, all the Christmas markets start to look the same!
Address: Fischmarkt 3, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Christmas Eggnog (Eu 4,00)
I did try something that I vowed never to drink again though! Eggnog! Haha! The taste was just too strong for me.
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Strasbourg capitale de Noël
Strasbourg, France
The Christmas markets in Strasbourg are spread out in more than 12 locations around the city centre. For myself I preferred the Christmas markets around Petite France along the river for its ambience. The items sold there were also more traditional (crafts) compared to the ones near the city squares.
Address: Place de la Cathédrale, 67000 Strasbourg, France
Christmas tree at Place Kléber (Grand Central Square)
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To be honest, we got quite bored of Christmas market by the time we reached Paris, and Paris has so many other places to visit! We passed by the Christmas markets along Avenue des Champs-Élysées on our way to the Arc de Triomphe, and found it underwhelming compared to the traditional Christmas markets we visited earlier.
Address: Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Churros (Eu 5,00)
And that's all the bigger Christmas markets we visited! Visiting the Christmas Markets in Europe is a must-do when you are there in December, and keep yourself warm by trying the mulled wine!
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