It may seem strange that I’m doing this post a month after Christmas, but I just saw a deal on Travelzoo for a cruise that visits some of the Christmas Markets in Germany, so clearly it is never too early to plan.
The very first Christmas I ever spent away from my family was the year we decided to spend the holiday in Europe. We decided to take in the Christmas Markets in Prague and Vienna, and spend New Years Eve in Cardiff with Matt’s family.
I was 33 years old.
It felt weird. Because my entire childhood, on Christmas Eve, we visited my Mom’s Dad, and that side of the family. And when my Grandpa passed, we took on the tradition, and Christmas Eve continued to be when we celebrated with Mom’s family, only now at our home. For 33 years, that’s just what we did.
Until I finally let Matt convince me to try something new, and break away from the tradition, and see what Christmas was like in Prague.
To this day, it remains one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had (sorry Mom and Dad, and Kyle, love you!). The holiday is just such a different experience there. In the US, Christmas means spending the time with family, and the country pretty much just shuts down.
The opposite is true in Prague, where the holiday is a much more social occasion. We arrived in the city and walked into the Old Town Square at approximately 9 pm on Christmas Eve, and were amazed by what we found. Not only was the Christmas Market open, but a concert was about to start, and the area was teeming with people (but not so much so that we felt uncomfortable). The markets had the obligatory sausages, mulled wine, and lots of local arts and crafts. Even crazier? The following day, Christmas Day, the museums were all open. We could be regular tourists without having to worry about losing a day to holiday closures.
Since that day we’ve visited Christmas markets in Austria, Belgium, Wales and England, and I’ve loved every one. Though I do have to add a caveat that the quality of the market can vary. The Prague, and Austrian, and Cardiff markets felt much more local, full of handmade crafts, while those in Belgium and Bristol had a lot more mass produced goods, including trash from China. That’s not to say that they didn’t have some gems, I bought something at every one of those markets, but I definitely preferred those more handmade and local markets.
Every country has different ways of celebrating the holiday. While Western Europe tends to trend toward the more “it’s all over after the 25th” mindset, beyond things like Boxing Day sales, Eastern Europe seems to follow the more true 12 Days of Christmas mindset, and end their events closer to the Epiphany. That said, a lot of Western European markets close well before the holiday (as early as the 5th in some cases I’ve seen), or at least a few days before, and Eastern European ones can run well into the new year. Make sure to do a lot of research before you plan where you want to be.
But if you’re someone who likes a laid back social atmosphere, a good craft fair, or just a new experience, I highly recommend you visit a European Christmas Market at least once in your life.
Here’s a few tips:
- Plan well in advance. Germany is the country best known for its markets, and the cities with some of the best markets see their hotels booked up well in advance of the holiday.
- Research dates. I just missed the Bath, England Christmas Market when I traveled this year, because the darn thing was over by the middle of the month and I didn’t get to the UK until the 20th!
Bring an extra suitcase or be prepared to buy one. I tend to make these when I buy all my Christmas presents, so I factor the cost of the case & bringing it on the plane into my Christmas shopping. Yes, it sucks to pay for that extra bag, but the cost is a little more palatable when you plan in advance for it.- Keep track of just where it was you saw an item. I’m the kind of person who likes to shop around before I make a decision about what I’m going to buy, but in a Christmas Market, it can get really hard to keep track of just where you saw that piece you fell in love with. If there’s a map, mark it. Take a picture of the item on your phone, and maybe even the stall number. Ask for cards and write on the back. Bring a notebook. You’ll regret it if you don’t and realize later you forgot to go back for something you really wanted, or you couldn’t find it.