Europeans celebrate Christmas a little differently than we do. The Dutch, for instance, celebrate the arrival of Sinterklaas (a slightly more religious version of Santa Claus) and Zwarte Piet, his ever-present helper. The British welcome Father Christmas, French children wait for Pere Noel to drop presents in their shoes and in Spain’s Catalonia region, the traditional Yule log becomes the beloved Tio de Nadal. Throughout the continent, people travel to be with their families, but in central Europe, Christmas takes on a communal spirit unlike anywhere else. Each year, the central squares of some of Europe’s most charming cities come alive in the tradition of Christmas markets. Today, we introduce you to how three central European cities celebrate the season.
Vienna's Rathaus and Christmas market, all lit up at night.
Vienna
In 1294, Vienna held its first “December market,” a sort of forerunner to the Christmas market tradition. Today, the festivities center around the Rathaus, Vienna’s town hall, where millions of revelers gather each year to ring in the Yuletide. Vienna starts the Christmas season early, throwing open the shutters on its Christmas market in mid-November, so this market is particularly well-suited for anyone looking to avoid a pre-Christmas rush. The market itself consists of vendors selling hand-crafted decorations and artisanal beeswax candles. The vendors are surrounded in turn by a specially decorated park, where travelers will find trees bedecked with festive lights. Music lovers will enjoy the weekend performances of choirs from around the world, and parents traveling with kids can enjoy a built-in day care service at the Volkshalle, where kids will bake their own Christmas goodies in a supervised environment at a daily workshop.
You can visit Vienna next Christmas with Go Ahead Tours on Christmas Markets of Vienna, Budapest & Prague.
Some of the handicrafts you might find in Munich's Christmas market.
Munich
The Marienplatz has been the center of cultural life in Munich since the 12th century, so it’s fitting that the city celebrates Christmas here. Munich kicks off its Christmas celebrations by lighting a hundred-foot-tall Christmas tree on the Friday before the beginning of the Christian season of Advent. Over 140 stalls crowd into the Marienplatz, with more to be found in the adjacent Crib Market, where vendors from Bavaria and Austria sell traditional Nativity scene decorations. Each day of Munich’s Christmas market features a 5:30pm performance by Alpine choruses and brass bands at the city’s Town Hall; this serves as something of a dinner bell for the city, as workers finish their day and wander to the Christmas market in search of piping hot potato cakes and delicious mulled gluhwein. As in Vienna, Munich’s Christmas market features a variety of kid-friendly activities to let parents peruse the stalls at their leisure.
You can experience Munich’s Christmas traditions on Christmas Markets of Germany.
Experience Old World charm at the Christmas market in Prague's Old Town.
Prague
Each December, Christmas markets spring up around Prague, but the largest and best-known can be found in the city’s Old Town Square, between the Charles Bridge and Wenceslas Square. Kids will love the menagerie at this Christmas market’s petting zoo while adults can find great deals on hand-carved wooden figurines and Bavarian crystal. Underfoot, the cobblestones of Prague’s Old Town are usually covered by a generous layer of snow, creating an idyllic winter’s evening for anyone who attends this Christmas market. While you’re here, you can gaze upon the Church of Our Lady before Tyn and the ancient Prague Astronomical Clock, walk through the winding lanes of Prague’s Old Town and marvel at the emotive bronze monument to the Czech national hero Jan Hus.
You can visit Prague’s Christmas markets in 2011 on Christmas Markets of Central Europe.
Have you been to Europe’s Christmas markets, or have you always wanted to go? Let us know in the comments!
