The Frankfurt, Germany Christmas market, with the Römer, Frankfurt's city hall, in the background. (Michael Abrams / S&S file photo)
(Click here to jump ahead to listings)
Are the dark, dreary days getting to you? Worried about what to buy family and friends for Christmas? Just have that “Bah, humbug!” feeling?
Nothing is better for getting you in the holiday spirit than a good, old Christmas market.
The markets pop up all over Europe right about now — in France, Austria, Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the U.K. — but especially in Germany.
In Germany, just about every town and village has a Christmas market. Known as Weihnachtsmarkt, Christkindlemarkt or Adventsmarkt, they vary in size, duration and the crowds they attract. But they all have much in common: hot mulled wine, food, rides for children, Christmas decorations and plenty of holiday cheer.
While Christmas markets can cure your blues, they do present one challenge — deciding which to visit. There is no easy solution, as each has its own particular attraction and charm.
Many are in historical settings, old town squares or medieval castles. Some last only a day, others are only on the weekends leading to Christmas, and some run daily from now until nearly Christmas Eve.
The one-day markets are usually in local villages. They are good places to capture local atmosphere and get to know your neighbors.
Markets on the Advent weekends (Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas) are often in old, picturesque villages, which draw locals and tourists alike. Good examples are the markets in Michelstadt in the Odenwald, Bad Wimpfen on the Neckar River, and the medieval Christmas market at Ronneburg castle near Hanau.
The big ones are in the cities, and some of the best known, and most visited (i.e. crowded), are in Nürnberg, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, Heidelberg and Erfurt. We’ll look at the Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Erfurt markets on Pages 25-26.
Whichever market(s) you choose this year, rest assured you’ll enjoy a feast for the senses.
To help you plan, here is a sampling of markets compiled by Stripes’ Karen Bradbury from information provided by tourist offices and Web sites.
Now there’s no excuse not to trade your winter blues for some holiday cheer.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This year’s Christmas market calendar was compiled by Stripes Calendar Editor Karen Bradbury from information from tourist offices and Web sites. It is as accurate as possible given the information available at press time. It will be updated in the travel section throughout the holiday season. Special thanks to Elke Herberger, public affairs specialist at U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, for her assistance with the German market listings. Please e-mail corrections or additions to travel@mail.estripes.osd.mil.
Austrian National Tourist Office Web site: www.austria-tourism.at
BURGENLAND REGION
Breitenbrunn: Dec. 17-19
Eisenstadt: through Dec. 24
Lockenhaus: through Dec. 12
Purbach: Fri., Sat. and Sun
CARINTHIA REGION
Gmünd: through Dec. 24
Klagenfurt: through Dec. 24
Spittal: through Dec. 24
Velden: through Dec. 21
Villach: through Dec. 24
UPPER AUSTRIA REGION
Linz: through Dec. 24
Steyr: Advent weekends
Unterweissenbach: Advent weekends
Wolfgangsee: through Dec. 19
SALZBURGERLAND
Salzburg: through Dec. 24 in city center and Mirabell Square
Oberndorf: through Dec. 31
St Leonhard near Grödig: Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19
Koppl-Guggenthal: Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19
STYRIA
Kornberg Castle-Feldbach: through Dec. 23
Mariazell: through Dec. 19
Aflenz-Resort Area: through Dec. 24
Graz: through Dec. 24
TYROL
Innsbruck: Dec. 19-24
Seefeld: through Dec. 24
Rattenberg: Dec. 12 and 18
Mayrhofen: Dec. 17-19
Hall in Tyrol: through Dec. 24
Imst: through Dec. 23
Kufstein: Advent weekends
Plangeross St. Leonhard: through Dec. 24
VORARLBERG REGION
Dornbirn: through Dec. 23
Schwarzenberg: through Dec. 19
Feldkirch: through Dec. 24.
Dornbirn: through Dec. 23
VIENNA
Vienna Rathaus Park: through Dec. 24
Spittelberg: through Dec. 23
Schönbrunn: through Dec. 26
Freyung: through Dec. 23
Web site: www.visitbelgium.com
Antwerp: Dec. 10-23
Brussels: Marche aux Poissons and Place St. Catherine, through Jan. 2
Brugge: through Jan. 2
Ghent: Dec. 10-19
Leuven: through Dec. 12
Liège: through Dec. 30
Mechelen: Dec. 17-19
Tubize: Dec. 11-19
Web sites: www.cccr-info.cz; www.visitczech.cz
Prague: through Jan. 6
Web site: www.visitdenmark.com
Århus: Christmas in Old Town, through Dec. 23
Copenhagen: Tivoli Gardens through Dec. 23
Odense: Dec. 11-12
Web site: www.visitbritain.com
Bath: through Dec. 12
Warwick Castle: Dec. 11-Jan. 3 Medieval Fair. (Admission fee.)
Web site: www.visitestonia.com
Tallinn: through Dec. 26, Raekoja plats
Parnu: Raehoov Dec. 11 and 18
Web site: www.franceguide.com
Aix en Provence: through Dec. 31
Amiens: through Dec. 24
Angers: through Dec. 24
Besancon: Dec. 11-12
Boulogne-sur-Mer: Dec. 11-12
Brest: through Dec. 24
Caen: through Dec. 24
Calais: Parade Dec. 12
Chambéry: through Dec. 24
Clermont-Ferrand: through Dec. 26
Colmar: through Dec. 24
Dax: Dec. 11-12 and 18-19
Dijon: through Dec. 14
Gap: Dec. 11- 24
Grenoble: through Dec. 24
Kaysersberg: through Dec. 23, Fri., Sat. and Sun. only
La Ferte St. Aubin: throughout Dec.
Laon: through Dec. 12
Le Puy en Velay: Dec. 11-24
Lille: through Dec. 29
Lorraine: through Dec. 31
Lyon: through Dec. 24
Marseille: through Dec. 24
Metz: through Dec. 24
Montbéliard: through Dec. 24
Montélimar: Dec. 18-24
Mulhouse: through Dec. 29
Munster: Dec. 11-12, 18-19
Nancy: through Dec. 24
Nantes: through Dec. 24
Nice: Dec. 10- Jan. 2
Reims: Christmas village, through Dec. 24
Rennes: through Dec. 24
Riquewihr: through Dec. 19
Rouem: through Dec. 28
Sarreguemines: through Dec. 24
Saverne: through Dec. 24
Selestat: through Dec. 24
Strasbourg: through Dec. 31
Toulouse: through December
Troyes: Dec. 11- 31
Web site: www.germany-tourism.de
Aachen: through Dec. 20
Amberg: through Dec. 23
Annaberg: through Dec. 19
Ansbach: through Dec. 24
Aschaffenburg: through Dec. 22
Augsburg: through Dec. 24
Baden-Baden: through Dec. 21
Bad Mergentheim: Dec. 16-19
Bad Münster: through Dec. 12, Saturdays and Sundays
Bad Tölz: through Dec. 24
Bad Wimpfen: through Dec. 14, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Bamberg: through Dec. 23
Bayreuth: through Dec. 23
Berlin: Markets throughout the city, including:
Center, through Dec. 24;Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, through Dec. 26;Marzahn-Hellersdorf, through Dec. 24;Pankow, through Dec. 19;Reinichkendorf, through Dec. 24;Spandau, through Dec. 23;Treptow-Köpenick, Dec. 10-19Bernkastel-Kues: through Dec. 22
Bonn: through Dec. 23
Braunschweig: through Dec. 28
Bremen: through Dec. 23
Büdingen: Dec. 10-12
Chemnitz: through Dec. 21
Cochem: through Dec. 19
Cologne: Markets throughout city, including:
Rheinpromenade, through Dec. 21;Chocolate museum, through Dec. 23;by cathedral, through Dec. 23Darmstadt: through Dec. 23
Deidesheim: through Dec. 19, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Dinkelsbühl: through Dec. 21
Dortmund: through Dec. 23
Dresden: through Dec. 24
Düsseldorf: through Dec. 23
Erfurt: through Dec. 22
Essen: through Dec. 23
Esslingen: through Dec. 22
Feuchtwangen: through Dec. 18
Frankfurt: through Dec. 22
Freiburg im Breisgau: through Dec. 23
Freudenstadt: through Dec. 12
Fulda: through Dec. 20
Giessen: through Dec. 20
Hamburg: through Dec. 23
Hanau: through Dec. 22
Heidelberg: through Dec. 22
Heilbronn: through Dec. 22
Kaiserslautern: through Dec. 22
Karlsruhe: through Dec. 23
Kirchheim unter Teck: through Dec. 19
Koblenz: through Dec. 22
Ladenburg: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19
Landsberg am Lech: through Dec. 12
Leipzig: through Dec. 22
Ludwigsburg: through Dec. 20
Magdeburg: through Dec. 23
Mainz: through Dec. 23
Mannheim: through Dec. 23
Memmingen: through Dec. 22
Michelstadt: through Dec. 19
Miltenberg: Dec. 10-12 and 17-19
Münich: through Dec. 24, markets throughout the city
Nördlingen: through Dec. 23.
Nuremberg: through Dec. 24
Regensburg an der Donau: through Dec. 23
Reutlingen: through Dec. 19
Rosenheim: through Dec. 23
Rostock: through Dec. 22
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: through Dec. 22
Rüdesheim am Rhein: through Dec. 19, Wednesdays and Sundays
Saarbrücken: through Dec. 22
Schweinfurt: through Dec. 22
Speyer: through Dec. 22
Straubing an der Donau: through Dec. 23
Stuttgart: through Dec. 23
Tauberbischofsheim: Dec. 10-12, 17-19
Trier: through Dec. 22
Ulm: through Dec. 22
Wiesbaden: through Dec. 23
Wolfenbüttel: through Dec. 22
Würzburg: through Dec. 23
Web site: www.hungarytourism.hu
Budapest: Dec. 1-24, Vörösmarty Square
Website: www.italiantourism.com
Bolzano: through Dec. 23
Bressanone: through Jan. 8
Merano: through Jan. 7
Rome: through Jan. 6, Piazza Navona.
Venice: through Dec. 24, Santo Stefano Square
Web site: www.luxembourg-city.lu
Luxembourg City: through Dec. 24, Place d'Armes
Esch-sur-Alzette: through Dec. 24, Place de la Résistance
Vianden: Dec. 18-19 Medieval Christmas Market at the castle
Web site: www.norskfolkemuseum.no
Bygd∅y: Dec. 12 and 19
Web site: www.holland.com
Arnhem: Dec. 11-12, Rijnhal
Deventer: Dec. 18-19
Maastricht: through Dec. 31
Valkenberg Castle: through Dec. 21
Web sites: www.polska-be.com; www.cracow-life.com
Krakow: Through December
Web site: www.visit-sweden.com
Stockholm: through Dec. 22, Gamla Stan
Skansen: Dec. 13-14
Switzerland
Web site: www.myswitzerland.com
Basel: through Dec. 23
Bern: through Dec. 24
Fribourg: through Dec. 24
Geneva: through Dec. 24
Montreux: through Dec. 23
Winterthur: through Dec. 22
Zug: through Dec. 12
Zurich: through Dec. 24