the seasoned traveler with george bauer

Program 113:

Christmas Markets

In a European tradition dating back some 500 years, shopkeepers converge on the town square or the center of an urban neighborhood each Advent and set up shop. The locals come around in search of Christmas foods and gifts.


Craftmanship is priority number one...

The tradition continues, and now Americans are flocking to the many Christmas Markets, from Sweden to Spain and from Paris to Prague. On The Seasoned Traveler I take it upon myself to visit markets in Austria and Germany, where this festive holiday tradition began. It’s a tough task but someone has to do it.
Vienna has a marvelous market at the Rathaus, or city hall, but each of the city’s twenty-three districts has its own market. Altogether Vienna has a citywide total of forty markets. I drop by city hall, as well as a small neighborhood market in the Spittleburg district, and to the magnificent Schloss Schoenbrunn (the Schoenbrunn Palace) on Vienna’s western edge. This former summer residence of Austrian emperors is open to the public but makes an especially charming destination around Christmas.


Domplatz in Salzburg...

The palace has 1,441 rooms, 45 of which are available for sightseers. Seven million people visit each year, many to see the Christmas Market. In western Austria, Salzburg has a wonderful market in the Domplatz, the square adjacent to the Salzburg Cathedral. Mozart’s hometown is alive for the holidays, especially along the famous Getreidegasse, the city’s most famous shopping alley.
In Germany these celebrations of commerce, community, and Christmas are called Christkindlmarkt, or “Christ child market.” This is where the tradition started, most likely in Nuremberg, which still has one of the largest markets in Europe, so large there is also room for a special children’s market. These festivals can be swarming with visitors, especially on the opening weekend in late November. Germans, Europeans, and hordes of foreigners on package tours stream through these marketplaces. The Christkindlmarkt is open until Christmas Eve. I also visit some smaller markets in the towns of Passau and Regensburg, the latter town noteworthy not only for its main market but also for a crafters’ market near City Hall.
Christmas Markets are great holiday traditions, unlike almost anything you might see at home—except of course in Chicago. That city has created a Christmas Market at Daley Plaza in the Loop area, fashioned after the very famous market in Nuremberg.
There are organized river cruise tours to Christmas Markets, as well as land packages. You can take train transportation across Europe or you can pick your five or six favorite markets and drive yourself from place to place.
Depending on your age and stamina, you'll pick the plan that's best for you.
Go online to research Christmas Markets. Pick a country you'd like to visit, then outline a memorable trip. It's a great way to spend the holiday. Europeans make a much bigger deal about Christmas than America does. So, get into the spirit, and visit Christmas Markets this winter. Merry Christmas.