Europe’s Best Christmas Market
We know that this Holiday Season is unlike those in years past. Christmas markets are on hiatus, carolers are donning masks, and good tidings are now socially distant.
As we near the end of our advent calendars, it’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s Christmas and there is no better place to spend it in the beautiful and festive Christmas markets in Europe! Despite the cooler weather, Europe is abuzz from mid-November through the New Year as people gather in historic city centers to celebrate the festive season.
Seek & Explore partners with many suppliers that allow you to visit these great markets of Central Europe either by rail or River Cruise. Enquire with us to learn more and plan your late 2021 holiday trip now!
Cologne, Germany
This has everything you'd expect of a classic German spread: the glühwein (mulled wine), the crafts, the twinkling lights. One thing that stands out, though, is its entertainment—more than 100 stage performances throughout the festival, including Christmas swing music and gospel. After you've had your fill of tunes (and food), head toward nearby Hohe Strasse and Schildergasse, two of Cologne’s well-known shopping areas, to walk off all those bratwurst.
Brussels, Belgium
Every December, the open areas around the Bourse stock exchange, the Place de la Monnaie, the Place Sainte-Catherine, and the Marché aux Poissons are transformed into a winter wonderland, with more than 200 wood chalets, a covered ice rink, a Ferris wheel, and a light and sound show projected onto the Grand-Place.
Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg, a fairytale-like town in the Alsace region of France, becomes even more magical during the holiday season. Its Christkindesmäkir (the oldest Christmas market in France) attracts several million visitors each year, thanks to its charming wooden chalets, nightly concerts, and ice skating rink—not to mention all that foie gras and hot white wine. And don't forget about the city's other seasonal claim to fame: the Great Christmas Tree illuminated in the central square of Place Kléber.
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg's famed Christkindlmarkt in the center of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old City isn't just mulled wine and market stands: There are daily sing-alongs and traditional wind music performed above the square on Thursday and Saturday nights.
Budapest, Hungary
St. Stephen’s Basilica is Hungary's largest church, dedicated to the country's first king. It's fitting, then, that this festival takes place around the landmark in Szent István Square with 160 vendors, a skating rink, and weekend folk dance shows. Most of the action is in full swing before Christmas, but if you're there on January 1, stop by the fair for some lencseleves, or lentil soup—it's traditionally made in Hungary on New Year's Day as a symbol of prosperity for the coming year.
Prague, Czech Republic
Just five minutes apart by foot, Prague’s Old Town and Wenceslas markets are the best in a city that already tops our list of places to spend Christmas. Don’t miss the barbecued pork or trdelník, a hot, rolled pastry rolled in cinnamon and sugar and cooked over a grill. Also, pack your hat and gloves: It can get cold here in December.
