Christmas Market Madness: France (Strasbourg)

Strasbourg calls itself the capital of Christmas. And while it certainly gives Germany a run for its holiday money, the Old World charm of the city is equally captivating. In fact, it’s probably the best example I’ve seen to date at blending modern with antiquity in an old quarter of a European city.

Getting there: 3.5 hours each way (including 4 stops, original schedule), Deutsche Bahn. I walked the 12 minutes or so to and from the market area.

The market: The main market—the Christkindlimarkt—was a lovely and festive setting. The rows of stalls were close enough that the awnings met and formed a weather-resistant roof. It was clear, however, that this market catered to tourists. Mixed in with the usual market fare were some rather cheap-looking trinkets.

The main difference I noticed in Strasbourg was a focus on gingerbread. Ornaments, food, gingerbread men dolls--they were everywhere.

Although the German/Austrian influence was palpable, for lunch I opted for a pizza baguette, which seemed to be more of a local market food staple. Then I wandered from the main market site to the cathedral, and visited three smaller markets scattered around the area.

On the right-hand side, just entering the archway, is a
large group of the rifle-toting cops that were everywhere. 

I felt like a kid in a candy store, wandering from street to street looking at the elaborate decorations on the outside of businesses and homes alike.

The sound of American blues music drew me to a side square, where a record player piped from the middle of a flea market featuring Old Europe antiques and modern U.S. imports.

I took the long way back to the train station, so I could enjoy more sights of the city, particularly as it grew darker and the lights spilled from the markets out over the water.

The trip: My original plan was to visit the main Christmas market, then go on a walking tour of the city. I even had time between the tour and my train back to Munich for any last-minute shopping if needed.

But before my train reached Stuttgart for my connection to Strasbourg, I already knew something was wrong. I always get a 15-minute reminder from my Deutsche Bahn app before my train departs, and I only had 8 minutes for this connection and no message.

Sure enough, when I left the train and checked the board, it simply said the train I was supposed to take was “not running today.” I took that in for about 10 seconds (is this a prank?) before racing inside to the information desk to figure out my options.

My one train with a reserved seat down to Strasbourg turned into a new itinerary involving three (!) regional trains, and an 80-minute later arrival. But my final connection lasted 20 minutes, so I figured I’d grab some food and be fueled up by the time I hit the Christmas market.

Turned out that time was needed to walk from the main platform to the regional platform 10 minutes away. Seriously. It was a loud, long ridiculous caravan of travelers with a mix of backpacks and big suitcases, trudging along snow-covered sidewalks and overpasses to wait for a two-car local train that was already jammed full of teens getting out of school.

So I happily hopped off the overstuffed train in Strasbourg, and was greeted with what would be a familiar sight the whole day—roving teams of police, always in three’s, one of whom carried an assault rifle.

In addition, vehicle traffic was banned from the island where the Christmas market was taking place, and anyone entering had to open their bags and coats for inspection.

While I appreciated the caution, I was still reconciling it with the fact that we’d had no passport check on the way in (nor would there be one on the way back).

As time ticked down, I reluctantly left the spirited Strasbourg streets and headed to the train. My seatmate was a young German who had been in Strasbourg for work. A photographer by vocation, he was clearly a comedian by avocation, and we bounced some ideas around for a character he was working on, then talked Christmas markets, our backgrounds, movies, TV, and differences between American and German culture.

It was a great way to pass the time, particularly when the train simply stopped and sat outside the Ulm station because there was someone on the tracks. In this case it sounded like someone actually wandering around that the police were trying to track down, unlike the “trespasser” announcements on my former Caltrain commute which really meant a train had hit someone.

So, it was an extra hour on the return trip, but much more enjoyable than the train-hopping I’d done earlier in the day.

Upon reflection: When I saw Strasbourg, I actually debated skipping the market, doing the city tour, and squeezing in the market before the train back to Munich. 

Then I remembered why I was there, and how much nicer the city would be in warm weather when I could come back and explore at a more leisurely pace. 

The holiday spirit was more of a win for me here; the markets themselves were nice, but not out-of-this-world.

Christmas Market Madness: Austria (Vienna)

As you might expect, most of my travel “adventures” took place on my international Christmas market trips. All issues aside, it was fun to see the holiday sights in different countries this year. 

First stop: Vienna, Austria.

Getting there: 5.5 hours each way, Flixbus (including one 20-minute stop on the way to pick up a relief driver, and 2-3 stops after the passport check on the return). 

I took the subway from the bus station and back.

The market: The Spittelbergermarkt in Vienna was the first one I visited this season—open days before the other markets in Vienna, and a week before the markets here in Munich and environs.

It had a nice village feel, set in an older part of the city and winding along three adjacent alleys. 

It was pretty close in terms of wares and food to the German markets, but there were some outliers in the realm of birdhouses, funky jewelry and pottery stalls, and a brilliant ugly Christmas sweater stall.

There were also a handful of stalls on an adjacent street, no doubt looking to cash in on the crowd draw. It certainly worked on me—I found a lovely Polish lacework stocking stuffer for my mother at one.

The trip: The driver from Munich seemed more concerned with looking cool while smoking by the bus, so it took me two passes to confirm that he was, in fact, the driver. It wasn’t until after he’d scanned my ticket code and I boarded that I realized he never asked to see/confirm my passport.

I’ve traveled with FlixBus several times before, so I knew there would be mostly reliable WiFi onboard, and was lucky enough to snag the seats behind the rear door, because there’s a USB charging slot in the wall there.

The trip out was uneventful, although the Vienna bus depot is by far the sketchiest one I’ve been to so far. Thankfully the subway was only a block away.

 

When in Wien, go for the Wienerschnitzel!

I knew I’d be getting in about 90 minutes before the market opened, and, in fact, had planned it out. 

I stopped a couple of stations short so I could have lunch at the Ratskeller, craving the Wienerschnitzel my family had there last year during our river cruise. Then I walked through the museum quarter and made my way to Spittelberg.

On the way back to the bus station, I decided to walk rather than take a connecting train, and stopped to get some treats in a familiar part of the city. 

When I went to check my phone for the closest subway station, I found the cold had drained the battery (unfortunately, a recurring scenario on these trips). Once I charged my phone from my backup battery pack I was on my way, but that hiccup was only a precursor to a stressful overall return journey. 

Two minutes after we were supposed to have left, a family of five appeared and clambered onto the bus. Since there were no seats left together, they stood in the aisle for a while (while we were moving) before dispersing.

The second-youngest daughter was deposited next to me. I was relieved at first when she finally fell asleep after playing a couple of Armenian rap videos over and over again on a cellphone (no headphones).

 

Yeah, I was not this Zen about my hanger-on

But soon it became apparent that 1) she snored and 2) she was having an endless series of nightmares. She kept moaning and half-waking-up and clinging to me. 

While I was pressing myself against the window and silently cursing her parents for not checking on her, we pulled into a random train station in some tiny town for a passport check (there wasn’t one on the way into Austria, mind you).

I prepared myself for the questions I've gotten in the past (You live in Germany? How long? Do you speak German?), but the officers appeared to have bigger fish to fry. After haranguing the father of the aforementioned family, the officers seized their passports and, it appeared, the passports of the other eastern Europeans on the bus, and wandered away.

We waited about 25 minutes before they returned. No one was questioned further or removed from the bus, so we were once again underway. By the time we reached Munich, I was so happy to be home, I climbed quickly over the still-snoring child next to me and lost a pair of gloves in my haste to get off the bus.

Upon reflection: The market was worth the trip experience (good and bad), but if I had it to do over again, I would have tempered my out of-the-gate enthusiasm and planned my trip a bit later. A couple of the other markets I passed on my way through the city looked promising in terms of size and potential atmosphere. Lesson for next year!

Tomorrow: My trip to the “Capital of Christmas…”

Christmas Market Madness: Germany, part 2 (Ludwigsburg & Prien am Chiemsee)

Even cities that are a hop, skip, and a jump away show some differences in their markets, e.g., whether there’s a theme, which types of crafts or decorations appear more often, what type of sausages or version of mulled wine are served, etc.

I was excited after visiting the Munich markets to see what other areas in Germany had to offer. Sadly, most of my top choices were too far to justify the trip. Lucky for me, I came across a couple of close gems:

Ludwigsburg

Getting there: 2.5 hours each way, Deutsche Bahn. 10-minute walk from the train station.

The market: The Ludwigsburg market was advertised as a “Baroque” market. Not because of the decorations and crafts offered, but because it was situated on a plaza between two Baroque churches.

In true German fairy tale style, one church was painfully plain, while the other was an over-the-top beauty. The market décor itself was also quite lovely, with oversized angels positioned around the square, soaring skyward.

The stalls featured the wood carvings, glass ornaments, leather work, and warm clothes you see at most German markets. Ludwigsburg did offer more crafts made of straw than most places, including some adorable reindeer.

 

I followed my usual up-one-side, down-the-other-side approach so I didn’t miss any stalls, then enjoyed what has become my Christmas market treat to myself: a lunch of grilled wurst and a warm and tasty Glühwein (white instead of the usual red).

The trip: Other than my subway and walking trips around Munich, this was the most uneventful market travel experience I had. My Munich trains and Stuttgart connections were on time, and without incident.

The part of Ludwigsburg I saw was a typical town with a mix of asphalt and cobblestone. No really old buildings, but no modern eyesores, either.

On the walk back to the train station, I stopped into a couple of stores to scout some Christmas gift ideas. I came away with a better plan on that front, and a new backpack that would be great for my upcoming travels!

Fraueninensel, Prien am Chiemsee

Getting there: 1+ hour each way, Meridian. Then took an old-fashioned train and a ferry on the way. On the way back, took the ferry, then walked to the train station.

The market: The great appeal of this market was that it’s Germany’s only Christmas market on an island. The 38-acre Fraueninsel (women’s island) is one of two populated islands on the Chiemsee (Chiem lake), and home to only 300 people, including residents of the island’s convent.

 

In all my many market trips I’d had one secret goal: to find blown-glass ornaments like the ones my mom bought in Germany 40+ years ago. This was the only market where I found anything even close.

There was another specialty glass blower and the other usual market fare. Instead of my bratwurst lunch, however, I tried a pulled pork sandwich. It was easily among the top three I’ve ever had.

Winding across the island's 100+ stalls and even going inside the church attached to the convent, I worked up an appetite for dessert. That turned out to be a heavenly apple tort swimming in a warm vanilla sauce, topped with cinnamon.

A group of men from the ferry, in full Bavarian finery, turned out to be the brass band playing on a stage not too far from my dessert stop. The only thing left to do was check out the remaining stalls in the courtyard of the local guest house, and a massive nativity scene made by a wood artisan.

The trip: There were several things that made this trip special. The first is that I brought a friend with me. 

Normally I like the freedom of acting on a whim and exploring for as little or as long as something grabs my attention. But a couple we knew in Hamburg recently moved to Munich via Berlin, so it was nice to reconnect with a familiar face and have some company on this pretty straightforward adventure.

Second was the weather. It started as a miserable, drizzly day in Munich, but as soon as the train pulled out of the station, the rain turned to snow.

Lastly, this was the final stop in my two-week Christmas market blitz, and I was ready for a slower-paced, low-hassle kind of day.

The local train that ran from the train station to the ferry dock. T
he seats inside were wooden benches.

To that end, we got a Bayern ticket, which allowed us to travel anywhere in Bavaria all day on any regional train. Which was good, because there was no telling how reliable the local train and ferry connections would be, and no way to know how long we’d be out on the island.

Other than some confusion when we first got to the train station (take a local bus to the ferry dock? take the local train? where do we find them?), and some concern on the way back about waiting in the cold for the next slow-moving choo-choo, our day went rather smoothly.

(Since the regional trains only came once an hour, we decided not to risk the train-to-train connection, and walked the 1.5-km trail beside the tracks back to the train station. Definitely a better choice than standing in the snow for 30 minutes!)

Upon reflection: I wouldn’t have changed anything about either experience. The Ludwigsburg trip came after one of my international trips but before all the others, so it was a good recharge of my itch to see new places.

As I mentioned, the Fraueninsel market was the last one on my entire itinerary. It embodied a true community effort—true to the spirit of the season—and was a great way to wrap things up after so many instances of long traveling days.

Speaking of, my next several posts will focus on my trips to Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland!

Christmas Market Madness: Germany, part 1 (Munich)

“Are you some kind of Christmas nut?”

I have gotten some variant of this question over the years, but most recently it’s been applied to my love of visiting Christmas markets.

Exploring the markets in and around Hamburg gave me insight into little differences between communities and regions. So, with Munich’s international proximity, I thought I’d take full advantage of additional “sociological” exploration.

First, I compared online lists of Munich markets, read the descriptions, and decided which ones I wanted to check out. Next, I searched “best European Christmas markets” online, and added anyplace that showed up on at least three lists to my spreadsheet. Then, I narrowed down my choices to what was a reasonable daytrip...and was off!

Since I decided to do more of a travelogue format with this year’s long-distance adventures, I’ve broken my trips into multiple blog posts. This first one focuses on the markets I visited here in Munich:

A Hansel and Gretel booth in the Fairy Tale Forest.

Residenz – I’m so glad this was the first market to open and set the tone. It was already a magical setting—in the courtyard of the downtown palace—so I was ready for a good time.

But it exceeded my expectations with its larger-than-life Weihnachtspyramid, traditional market ringing the courtyard, a bandstand in the middle, and a separate "Fairy Tale Forest" with booths full of animatronic puppets and a singing moose head. Awesome.

Sendlinger Tor – Several days after my Residenz market visit, most of the other city markets opened. I mapped out a 5-market day across the city, starting with this one. 

Other than the imposing city gate overhead, I have no idea why this market was on lists as one to check out. It was small and utterly unremarkable.

Viktualienmarkt – My next stop was another disappointment. The Viktualienmarkt is a year-round market of interesting crafts and fresh food, but the it seemed to have only gotten a token Christmas varnish with the changing up of some craft stalls, and some Christmas food stands.

Marienplatz – Thankfully, my third stop of the day was great. This market, on the plaza between the old and new town halls, was full of great-smelling food and a nice variety of traditional wood and glass ornaments, creche décor, and the omnipresent Christmas star lights. 

I finally found a Christmas star
that was a bit out of the ordinary.
This snowflake design sang to me the
moment I saw it in a Marienplatz stall.

After grabbing a bratwurst and some Glühwein, and helping translate for a woman next to me at the food stand, I was buoyed for my next market visit.

Wittelsbacherplatz/Mittelaltermarkt – This market is noted for its Middle Ages theme. The booths were all wooden stalls, the vendors were all dressed in medieval garb, and the food and drink all fit the bill. 

But aside from some metal weaponry, a medieval-style clothing stand, and one of the jewelry vendors, this market was more about atmosphere than anything else.

Chinescher Turm – The Chinese Tower in the English Garden is one of the most popular beer gardens in Munich. (Read that sentence again; kinda funny, huh?) So it was a bit disconcerting to see it so devoid of people on a late weekday winter afternoon. But for me it tied with the Residenz for magical appeal, although in a more dreamy, romantic way. 

The market was set up like a village all around the tower, so I wandered from stall to stall and listened to the softly piped-in Christmas music without being jostled or fighting my way through bodies to see what a particular booth had to offer. It was a nice mix of traditional Christmas crafts and some unique wood and jewelry pieces, and a good way to end my one-day Munich market blitz.

I know it doesn't look like it in this shot, but there were other people at this market besides me!

Schwabinger – This market was noted as 
“non-traditional,” and sat on lists with other markets described as “funky” or “offbeat.” Since it was on the edge of our Schwabing-West neighborhood, I definitely wanted to check it out, even though I’m more a fan of traditional fare. 

On the opening evening, I convinced Larry to met me there after he got off work, and we enjoyed a band playing 60s rock (with a lead singer who was a lookalike for Janis Joplin), a sculpture installation at one end, an art exhibit tent at the other end, and two levels of booths to wind your way through in between. 

An interesting market, but I would sum it up as a lot of crafts and very little Christmas.

All in all, I was off to a good start, and optimistic that my measured itinerary this year would combat any potential Christmas market fatigue!

Tomorrow: Train trips to two other nearby German Christmas markets of note.