Welcome
Christmas time in Europe is pretty special.
It’s not just the crisp air and (often) the snow.
It’s the fact that by 3:30-4 pm it’s dark, so that means things like Christmas lights and markets take on a whole extended meaning than those of us who live in Australia are used to, where we need to take our kids out at 9:30pm to see any lights at all.
This newsletter is not an exhaustive list of European Christmas’. It’s just where we have been in December in the northern hemisphere.
I hope you enjoy this little taste of what spending some days in December traveling in Europe can give you. I’d highly recommend you doing it at least once!
Enjoy Traveling Through History with me this week.
Michelle
Savvy Travel Historian
Christmas In Europe
Each country in Europe brings its own unique flavour to the festive season, making it a diverse and often wondrous experience, especially for visitors who haven’t seen anything similar in their own countries (including snow!). Central to a European Christmas is the Advent period, marked by the lighting of candles on Advent wreaths and opening of Advent calendars, counting down the days to Christmas. The calendar tradition has now spread far and wide.
In many European countries, Christmas markets light up city centers, offering handcrafted gifts, local delicacies, and warm drinks, often in a village-like historical setting. These markets, especially famous in Germany and Austria, create a festive atmosphere that captivates both locals and tourists.
The culinary aspect of a European Christmas is also diverse and indulgent. From the British Christmas pudding and mince pies to the Italian Panettone and German Stollen, each region has its traditional Christmas fare.
Family gatherings, Midnight Mass, and the exchange of gifts on Christmas Eve are common traditions. In countries like Spain and Italy, the festive season extends to early January, culminating in celebrations for the Epiphany. European Christmas, with its blend of religious significance, cultural traditions, and festive cheer, remains a magical time of the year, across the whole continent.
Nuremberg - Germany
The Nuremberg Christmas Market, called ‘Christkindlesmarkt,’ is a festive and historic yearly tradition deeply rooted in the culture of Nuremberg, Germany. It is one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world dating back to the 16thC.
The earliest recorded mention of this market is 1628. However, it is believed to be much older. The market was originally a small event, with only a few stalls selling traditional wares such as baked goods, toys, and candles, essential for a typical German Christmas.
Over the centuries, the Nuremberg Christmas Market evolved into one of the best in Europe. It was during the 1800s when it began attracting visitors from other parts of Germany and neighbouring countries. This period saw the introduction of many traditions that are still associated with the market today, including the famous Nuremberg Plum People, small figures made from prunes.
The market is also known for its strict vendor policy, ensuring that all products sold are of the highest quality and locally made.
Traditional ‘Gluhwein’ is sold at all German markets. The mulled wine, served warm, is a favourite with locals and tourists. The image above is my dad and husband enjoying some, served in that year’s souvenir mug (that we still have on display here at home!)
This commitment to tradition and quality has helped the Nuremberg Christmas Market maintain its charm, authenticity and the highest ‘German’ standard.
During World War II, the market was not held but was revived soon after the war's end.
Today, it attracts over two million visitors annually and features around 180 beautifully decorated stalls.
The Nuremberg ‘Christkind’, is a symbolic figure akin to an angel, traditionally opens the market with a prologue, a practice that started in the mid-20th century.
If you’d like to listen to the 2023 ‘Prologue’ here is a link to the official video. It’s in German but you will get an idea of what happens.
Like most European cities, Nuremberg decorates its streets with Christmas lights to bring a festive atmosphere to the town.
The entrance to the Old Town is also very festive.
Vienna - Austria
The Vienna Christmas markets are known locally as ‘Wiener Christkindlmarkt,’ and are an integral part of the holiday season in Austria. Dating back to the Middle Ages, these markets transform Vienna into a winter wonderland from late November to Christmas.
Vienna's City Hall, called the ‘Rathaus’, (shown in the photo above) serves as the centrepiece for the largest market, renowned for its beautiful setting. The markets are adorned with twinkling lights, creating a magical atmosphere. Stalls brimming with handcrafted goods, ornaments, and traditional Austrian gifts like wooden toys and delicate glassware offer a unique shopping experience.
Culinary delights are central to the Viennese Christmas markets. Visitors indulge in Austrian treats such as Sachertorte, gingerbread, and Strudel, accompanied by the warm, spiced aroma of Glühwein. Roasted chestnuts and German sausages are also popular.
The abundance of lights makes strolling around magical. We went on the 24th & 25th of December because we had such an amazing experience the first evening.
These markets are more than just commercial spaces; they're a gathering place for friends and families, offering a variety of entertainment, including choirs and classical music performances and carnival rides for the kids.
The elaborate light installation requires many months of planning and a large crew starts in setting everything up from early November.
The Vienna Christmas markets encapsulate the spirit of the season, combining historical charm with festive joy, and are a cherished tradition for both locals and tourists alike.
Full details can be found here:
https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/en/
We were also lucky enough to stumble upon a concert at the Rathaus (Town Hall) of traditional singers.
Schloss Schönbrunn Christmas Markets
Located an easy train ride from the centre of Vienna, the Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Markets are relatively new compared to the others in the city.
Started in the 1990s, the markets offer grand, imperial surroundings to stroll around the eighty stalls on offer.
The backdrop of the Palace, with its 18 meter tall Christmas Tree, provides a stunning place to stroll around the historic surroundings celebrating Christmas.
More details about visiting can be found on the two links below:
https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/events/all-events/event/christmas-market-schoenbrunn-palace
https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.co.at/en/
Am Hof Christmas Market
One of the smaller Christmas Markets in Vienna (but still with around 76 stall holders) is the Am Hof Christmas Market, which is generally open from mid-November until December 23rd.
The central square in Vienna was once the home of Henry II, the Babenberg Duke of Austria, but it is thought that a wine market was held on this site as early as 1358.
At Palais Collalto in 1762, Mozart performed his first public concert and other historical buildings surround Am Hof Square.
Full details can be found here:
https://www.visitingvienna.com/sights/christmasmarkets/am-hof/
Vienna doesn't just do Christmas markets well, they also decorate their streets to an incredible standard.
Vienna's Graben (shown in the photo above) is one of the most famous streets in the heart of the city, renowned for its historic and upmarket atmosphere. The street's name, which translates to ‘trench’ in English, harks back to its origins as a Roman defensive ditch surrounding the military camp that later evolved into Vienna.
Located between the Rathaus and St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Greben has high-end shopping stores, traditional cafes and restaurants and the ‘Plague Column’ dedicated to all those who were lost during the plague of 1679.
St Stephen’s Cathedral is also a popular location amongst tourists and locals.
Florence - Italy
Christmas in Florence, revolves largely around the Duomo, with its Midnight Mass steeped in Catholic tradition.
The large Christmas Tree and market in the piazza next to the Duomo, gives the city a very traditional European feel.
Piazza Santa Croce hosts a traditional German-style market, not dissimilar to those we have already looked at.
Like many European cities, Florence has many streets with beautiful light decorations that try to make up for the fact that it’s pitch black by 4pm!
As mentioned in a previous issue, Piazza della Republica, as one of the main squares in Florence, always has a stunning Christmas display.
The carousel there also gets into the spirit, with a Santa for the children who ride it.
Even the local food market participates.
Paris - France
At the turn of the Century (in the year 2000), a traditional Christmas market along the Champs-Élysées was established. The small traditional looking huts reach all the way to Place de la Concorde and sell French delicacies, crafts, gifts and decorations.
Major brands and department stores excel at this time of the year in Paris. The image above was the 2022 decorations for Christian Dior’s flagship store in Paris.
At Galleries Lafayette, started in 1894 as a small shop, but expanded into a ‘grand’ emporium by 1912, attracts many visitors each year, often just to see what their tree, under the glass dome, looks like for that year.
Here’s the tree from 2012 -
And 2013 -
When we visited in 2017 it looked like this and was pretty spectacular.
On the hour, there is a musical show and the year we were there, the ‘donuts’ moved up and down the dome in time with the music.
It was very entertaining, especially since there are many eateries close to the inside balcony edges, which all have tables facing outwards, so that you can watch the show whilst having lunch or breakfast.
It’s spectacular and is definitely worth a visit if you are in Paris in December.
I hope that you enjoyed this edition, with a small glimpse of Christmas in a few European cities.
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Michelle is a speaker, author, content marketer, historian and mother of 3 boys.
After 25 years in business and as the ‘Content Marketing Queen’ for the past 12 years, she has helped countless small businesses understand and develop their content strategies and focus on a customer first approach.
Savvy Travel Historian is her passion project, and her weekly newsletter is available on Substack, Paragraph and Mirror. The latter two allows you to collect each Issue as an NFT.
Michelle is co-host of the Business on the Bloc podcast, a weekly show which talks about the digital media revolution and how it applies to B2B marketing, sales and operations. The show is recorded live every Wednesday at 4pm EST/ 9pm UTC on LinkedIn, YouTube & Bolt+.
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