European Christmas Markets

One of the many highlights over the last few weeks has been the Christmas markets. We read about them earlier this year in travel magazines, but had no idea what to expect. So far it has been one of the best ways to get a true feel of each town.

Although the setup is very similar everywhere, each market has some unique characteristics. Most of the displays are wooden huts, constructed solely for this purpose. In some cities it seems they have assembly teams to put them together, while in others each vendors (ie unions) handle construction. Often we came across the markets in the central portion of town, but througout many towns there are multiple venues which attract different crowds. The beauty of the market is the people. Vendors are typically local merchants trying to capitalize on the holiday season and a new customer base. Shoppers are a mix of locals and tourists, creating some of the best people watching you can find - every class, continent and age seem to gravitate towards these markets usually with a sense of frienliness you don't find during Christmas shopping back home...

After reading about these, the first place the huts were spotted were in Cologne, Germany where they were arleady prepping in early November. So far we have come across markets in Krakow, Prague, Paris and Zurich. In upcoming trips we have hopes to see 2-3 different venues.

Location, location, location - Krakow had their market in the center of town, near the merchants' Cloth Hall. Old Town Krakow is a perfect place for it, as it is a hub of both local commerce and tourism. Prague had markets scattered throughout town - Castle District, Old Town, New Town, Havel Markets. The main market was near the Astronomical Clock in the main square, but we found some of the other venues easier to manuever and much less crowded. Zurich - stacked with various locations. The Swiss (ones always to plan) put their main marketplace in the Hauptbahnoff (central train station). They claim this is the world's largest indoor Christmas market. This is the busiest part of town, at all hours keeping vendors and shoppers happy during cold or rainy weather. Surprisingly, the Paris markets were harder to come by. The largest we spotted was in the St. Suplice Square (you may recognize that name from The Davinci Code); several others were in the surrounding neighborhoods giving a feel that the market catered more towards Parisians.

Market Food - A consistent staple in each of these towns, seem to be "mull wine". As winter is creeping into the European front, people gravitate towards a cup of mull wine to warm up a bit. The smell is often better then the taste, but we've enjoyed sipping throughout markets. In Krakow, there were several food stands with a large assortment of grub. We ventured for a kielbasa and some fried potatoes (note, fried over here means pan-fried - not deep fried). As 2 of Poland's "staples" this was the best way to have some local eats - excellent preparation and cheap! Prague's highlight was the trdlo pastry. Lines were often 20 minutes or more for these and we saw at least 6 booths hawking these throughout town. Well worth the wait, they were delicious. Watching these come from dough to consumption was an art form in itself. Zurich's gastro hightlights are an assortment of cheese booths and a crepe house. The crepe stand we came by was run by a group of teachers, who sell both salty and sweet crepes - customized to your favorite tastes. Cheese with herbs and onions hit the spot! Paris, of course, had their own crepe houses, but also had several stations with gourmet food. As outstanding boulangeries and cafes are at every corner, these cuisine vendors had their work cut out for them, but after trying a little taste here and there, you could see why the booths attract patron after patron. "Vin chaud" (hot wine, similar to mull wine) was the typical beverage of choice to wash down everything.

Market Specialties - Poland seemed to have a knack for some lace, amber and porcelain. Prague was flooded with decorated glass and many wooden toys. We met two women who were selling wooden toys their father makes. Zurich seemed to be a bit more "commerical" as bigger stores had a prescence in this market. Surprisingly, Paris seemed to have quite a bit of variety in the markets we saw - flowers, wooden crafts, speciality foods and jams, and clothes (of course).

If you're ever visiting this part of the world (business or pleasure) in December, make a point to carve out some time for the markets. Take our word for it there is something for everyone here; even those who don't like shopping can take in local culture and regional eats.