![]() Delicious aromas and live music waft through the market, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere amidst dazzling lights. Over 100 pine trees line the two squares, and there are over 180 wooden market stalls selling items like Christmas ornaments, folk art, pottery, linen, spices, toys, and clothing. The largest in Switzerland, Basel’s Christmas market stretches over both Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz squares. – LN Basel Christmas Marketīasel, Switzerland: Basel Christmas Market The market is open November 24 – December 28, 2 p.m. Tip: Another of Berlin’s top Christmas markets, Wintertraum am Alexa, near Alexanderplatz, is more of a fun fair filled with carnival rides and street-food vendors serving bratwurst and mulled wine. Don’t forget to get a glass of glüwein (mulled wine) and take home the souvenir mug. Escape the cold in one of the heated tents with Michelin-starred chefs preparing meals, or sit back with a glass of wine and French food at Galeries Lafayette’s wine cellar. Of course the scene is especially stunning come nightfall, but this market is also a great one to visit during the day to explore the artisan goods crafted by jewelers, embroiderers, and glassblowers. While this market requires a small entry fee (1 Euro), it’s worth it to stroll underneath the sea of white, pointed tents topped with stars and more than 1,000 strings of lights. ![]() While some focus more on handmade crafts and others have carnival rides and ice skating rinks, one of the most beautiful markets in the city is in Gendarmenmarkt Square, tucked between the domes of the German and French cathedrals. ![]() With 60 markets spread throughout Berlin, you’ll run into a Christmas-themed fête in almost any neighborhood. One euro entry fee ($1.24) kids under 12 free Photo courtesy of visitBerlin/Wolfgang Scholvien.ġ1 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. Open November 24-December 23, Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. Tip: While shopping in the center of town, stop at Cologne’s oldest Christmas market, the charming Angel’s in Neumarkt, where girls dressed as angels wander through the stalls and stars hang from trees overhead. The market also features 160 wooden stalls selling crafts like ceramics, Christmas ornaments, and wood carvings from Germany and other parts of Europe, as well as regional and organic specialties like the “Original Christmas mulled wine,” served in special mugs. Its centerpiece, an 82-foot-tall Nordmann fir, is the largest Christmas tree in the Rhineland, lit up with 50,000 LED lights and located beside a stage that hosts 100 holiday performances troughout the month. One of the largest in Cologne, this market is set under the city’s landmark Gothic cathedral. ![]() Photo courtesy of Dieter Jacobi/KolnTourismus GmbH.Ĭologne, Germany: Cathedral Christmas Market – Lori Zaino Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral. Tip: On the hour, look up at the tower of the Old Town Hall to catch a fun display pop out of a trap door in its famed Astronomical Clock. If after you’ve enjoyed the Old Town Market you’re still itching for more, visit the markets in Wenceslas Square, Namesti Republiky and Hevelske Trziste. Swathed in bright lights and décor, the market’s beloved giant Christmas tree, imported from the pine forests of the northern Krkonose Mountains, is switched on daily at 5 p.m. Kids will be delighted to pet baby goats, sheep and donkeys as well as visit the Three Kings. Purchase lace, toys, ceramics, candles, Christmas decorations or puppets at one of the many wooden stalls, and listen to the sounds of carolers and street performers as you inhale the deep scents of pine and spices. For about $4 US, you can enjoy a barbequed sausage, a delicious trdelnik (a Czech sugar-coated cake), and a cup of hot chocolate, a Pilsner beer or a glass of mulled wine. Set in Old Town Square and decorated with glittering lights and a nativity scene, Prague’s huge, festive Christmas market is one of the most famous in Europe – and quite possibly the cheapest. Prague, Czech Republic: Old Town Christmas Market Headed to Europe to enjoy the wonder of the holiday season? Then read on as TPG International Correspondent Lori Zaino and TPG Contributor Lane Nieset share their picks for the most dazzling Christmas markets on the Continent. ![]()
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