The Christmas Markets!

There is no better place than Europe to embrace the Christmas spirit. For Christmas junkies like myself, it is an absolute wonderland.

Every major city hosts a market in their downtown area that is a collaboration of huts and stands selling every kind of treat, hot drinks, gifts, native specialties and more. All the stands are lit with Christmas lights while surrounding the large city Christmas tree.

On weekend nights there is usually some sort of performance; Choir, band, etc. to provide Christmas carols that further adds to the ambiance.

We walked down almost everyday for some “gluhwein” (hot wine specialty) and trying out a new tasty treat. As cold as it is, I have to say that the festive atmosphere always made it worth the bone chilling temperatures.

In the first week of December, specialty market clusters were set up throughout the city.  Among them, I found the Finnish market to be my favorite. We made our way up there one afternoon during a heavy snowstorm. They had a variety of Finnish products and specialties, but we were drawn to the fresh whole salmons set upon wooden boards and being cooked right there on an open fire (I had pics, but lost my camera...again). Once it was fully cooked, they scraped off the flesh and stuffed it into fresh rye bread. So of course, we tried them and it may have been the best salmon I’ve ever eaten.  Then, we warmed up inside the large tipi set up in the center of the Finnish market with a bonfire burning inside.

We didn’t only experience the Linz Christmas Markets, but we made our way to Salzburg’s as well. Salzburg in December has to be closest thing to your childhood perception of the “North Pole.” It’s no wonder Salzburg is rated one of the top 5 best places to visit around Christmas time. We went down just for the day. In every open square of the city there are market stands set up. So we did the usual…grabbed a hot drink and walked along the stands to see all the different items sold, including thing’s like authentic sheep skin, Christmas ornaments, toys, jewelry and so on.

The thing I learned to love most about the Christmas markets is the way it so simply keeps the pure delight and spirit alive during the Christmas season.  A mere walk through any of these markets puts you in the spirit, with hardly any effort or cost. At home we often have Christmas get-togethers, which usually end up costing a lot of money on drinks, food, etc or a LOT of work on a person who hosts. Additionally, we get so wrapped up in gift giving (no pun intended), we don’t find time to enjoy uncomplicated and daily festivities for ourselves. If I could bring one tradition from Europe back to America, it would be a typical European Christmas market in each town (even over gelato..).