You can read my (very long) guide to the best Christmas markets in Sweden here.
Now I am off to Sigtuna, the oldest town in Sweden, to visit the markets there and have some glögg with friends. There is even a chance of snow tonight, so I am very excited. Have a great Sunday!
On Saturday, Geoff and I joined the Stockholm International Researchers Association on their annual trip to the Taxinge Slott Christmas Market, about an hour away from Stockholm.
We began with coffee, biscuits and a delicious smoked ham sandwich inside the castle, during which the local farmer who renovated Taxinge from its very dishevelled state many years ago, told us about the history of the castle, and about how his wife and daughter began the cafe and still bake all of the cakes for which Taxinge is now very famous.
The Christmas Market was lovely – sadly you can’t take pictures inside, but they sold many local handicrafts such as Swedish advent candle holders, Christmas decorations, plenty of warm woollen hats, socks, gloves, and jumpers to keep you warm in the freezing Swedish winters, tiny little red and white spotted mushrooms made of pottery, mugs, biscuit cutters, turned wooden objects, candles, items made of straw, and plenty more.
Here is a store selling wreaths – one is now hanging on my wall.
The area selling delicious food: Fried herring sandwiches, warm glögg, smoked sausages, cheese, freshly roasted almonds, preserves and much more.
A Julbock or Christmas goat: In Sweden at Christmas time Gävle famously builds a huge straw version of the goat, and inevitably people attempt (and normally succeed) in burning the poor thing down. It’s a bit of a national sport really, and English bookmakers even take bets on the likelihood of it surviving. The official line of the inhabitants of Gävle is that burning the goat is a very bad thing, however I am sure they are just as entertained as everyone else as to whether or not the goat will survive, as at the end of the day, a straw goat happily sitting in a square for the winter is not very exciting really. Last year it was reported that the guards protecting the Julbock were offered a bribe to leave it unprotected so that it could be stolen by helicopter and taken to Stockholm… but their love for the goat proved too strong and it survived intact. Let’s see what happens in 2011…
Luckily this one also survived (at least) the first day of the Christmas Market without falling prey to a firebug.
Then it was off to see the park and land surrounding Taxinge. Some local horses:
It was a very misty day, which made the view of the lake quite magical. In summer a steam ship operates from the city hall in Stockholm and takes you to Taxinge to enjoy all of the delicious homemade cakes. I am looking forward to going back again then.
A couple of weekends ago Geoff and I decided to visit UNESCO listed Drottningholm Palace, the permanent residents of the Swedish royal family, located just outside of Stockholm.
The Palace is pretty from the outside, and the gardens are even nicer – beautiful lakes and parks. A great place for a day trip from Stockholm, and in summer, the perfect location for a picnic overlooking the water.
I would not recommend paying to go inside however. It is a bit of a pity really, the rooms themselves are fairly nice, but it looks like random pieces of furniture (mostly covered with dust covers) have been strewn across the rooms without any thought or design, and some of the rooms are empty of anything at all. Compared to Schönbrunn in Austria for example -where each room is beautifully designed and decorated, making you almost believe you have stepped into the old Hapsburn Empire, and at any moment Sissy might stroll into the room- the rooms open to the public at Drottningholm Palace are a real disappointment.
But just ignore the inside of the palace, and enjoy the beautiful gardens surrounding it.
Drottningholm Palace was a nice adventure for the day, but I would not really recommend it if you are just visiting Stockholm for a couple of days. There are many more lovely places to visit – such as the archipelago for example, and the city itself.
To get there from Stockholm take the T-Bana to Brommaplan and then swap to busses 301-323.
Anyone who has met me more than once will know of my love for Christmas, and especially for exploring Christmas markets throughout Europe. I love the atmosphere, even though they are bustling with people there is such a nice feeling of coziness, the scent of warm spiced wine and gingerbread in the air, live music playing, glittering fairy lights, delicious wintery food, and people in festive moods.
But what are the very best Christmas markets in Europe? Here are my top six.
1. Vienna Christmas Markets at the town hall (Austria)
In mid November, Christkindlmärkte, or Christmas markets, begin to sprout up throughout Vienna, and beautiful ones can be found at Schönbrunn palace, Belvedere, in the park between the art history museum and the natural history museum, and at Karlskirche, to name but a few. However the most famous and largest is the market at the Rathaus (town hall), with a history stretching all the way back to 1296.
At the markets 145 stalls you can sample the many different varieties of punsch or glühwein (spiced, warm wine). Some are made with berries, others mixed with amaretto or even orange juice. If you don’t drink alcohol, keep an eye out for ‘kinder punsch’, which is alcohol free and also appropriate for children. If you are hungry you can find plenty of lebkuchen (gingerbread), toasted chestnuts or almonds, smoked ham, delicious freshly baked bread, bratwurst, all manner of chocolate dipped deliciousness, or kartoffelpuffer (warm potato cakes).
You can also find a wide selection of delicate glass ornaments for your Christmas tree, and, my favourite, brightly painted nutcrackers of all sizes.
The park surrounding the town hall and the market is itself worth visiting. The trees are decorated with beautiful lights of all shapes and sizes, some to look like delicious bonbons, others hearts or Chinese lanterns. In the park, a little railways system is set up for children to enjoy, and inside the town hall itself, there are workshops for children where they can make cookies and other arts and crafts as christmas presents for their family.
In 2011, the market is open from the 12th of November until the 24th of December.
To get there take the U-Bahn line U2 to Rathaus.
The official website can be found here.
2. Nuremberg Christmas Markets (Germany)
Image used with permission
Dating back to 1628, the Christmas Market on the main square in Nuremberg is one of the oldest and most popular in the world, with over two million visitors a year. The market has 180 stalls selling glühwein, gingerbread, Christmas ornaments, toys, spices, teas and much more. A great emphasis is placed on creating a beautiful and authentic market environment, and ‘plum people’ awards are given each year to the three best decorated stalls.
Speaking of ‘plum people’ or Nürnberger Zwetschenmännle, there are a number of stalls selling these decorations made from wood and prunes, in a tradition dating back to the 1600’s. No explanation is given as to why this might be the case, or who originally thought it would be an excellent idea to fashion people from prunes, but you have to give it to them for originality and uniqueness!
Open Friday the 25th of November 2011 until Saturday the 24th of December 2011.
To get there, check the detailed information here.
The official website can be found here.
3. Gothenburg Christmas Markets at Liseberg (Sweden)
Liseberg Christmas market is the largest in Sweden, and it was here that I saw my first reindeer, in a Sami village built for the occasion. It really is the market of light in the dark Scandinavian winter, with over five million Christmas lights decorating the park. The very lovely thing about this market is that despite it being located in an amusement park, there is still a very Swedish feeling about it.
Buy some warm spiced glögg and, Swedish style, dip in a couple of crispy pepparkakor (Swedish gingerbread thins) or visit a little cafe selling delicious waffles served with cream and lingonberry jam. At the restaurants you can also indulge in a traditional Swedish julbord or Christmas table/buffet of Swedish Christmas delicacies such as meatballs with lingonberry jam, herring, beetroot salad, Christmas ham, smoked salmon, and rice pudding.
You can also go ice skating there, or if you prefer a different kind of icy entertainment, try some vodka at the icebar.
In 2011, the Gothenburg Christmas markets are open on November the 18 – 20, 25th to 27th and the 30th, as well as the 1st – 23rd of December.
As it is located in the Liseberg amusement park, there is an entrance fee of 90 SEK for Adults, with children under 7 entering for free.
You can find the official website here.
4. Salzburg Christmas Markets (Austria)
Image used with permission: www.christkindlmarkt.co.at Salzburg
The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt is worth visiting for its beautiful location alone, set amidst the old town, with the Hohensalzburg fortress in the background.
It offers the usual Christmas market fare: warm glühwein, beautiful glass Christmas tree decorations, toys, and of course a wonderful atmosphere.
The market is open in 2011 from the 17th of November until the 26th of December.
To get there take bus line 3, 5 or 6 to the stop Mozartsteg or take the S-Bahn to the stop Salzburg Mülln-Altstadt and walk 10 minutes to the market.
The official website can be found here.
5. Munich Christmas Market (Germany)
Image used with permission
Dating back to the 14th century, the Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz in front of the Munich town hall in the old town is one not to be missed.
Unique experiences include Bavarian singing lessons on Sunday December the 4th and 18th 2011, and a Christmas tram ride through the city centre.
They have of course, mulled wine and delicious Bavarian food, but one thing I particularly loved about the Christmas market in Munich was that beautiful carved wooden Christmas ornaments, something I had not seen in other markets.
The Munich Christmas market is open from November the 24th to December the 25th in 2011.
To get there, take the underground to Marienplatz or the bus line 52 or 131, or the tram line 19.
The official website can be found here.
6. Karlskirche Christmas Market in Vienna (Austria)
Are you looking for a Christmas market that is a little more unique? Then I would recommend that you visit the smaller arts and crafts market at Karlskirche in Vienna.
This Christmas market is slightly less touristy than its huge counterpart at the town hall, and filled with handmade goods by local artists, such as pottery, clothing, sculpture, photography, blown glass ornaments, jewellery and so on. At certain times can also watch the local artists in action, for example silver smiths creating jewellery, leather book binding, glass bead creation and much more. See here for a schedule, unfortunately only in German.
Just be careful of taking photos here, or you may be yelled at as a friend of mine unfortunately experienced….
Hello and welcome,
My name is Michelle and Borderless Adventures is an idea I have had in my mind for quite some time now, and by quite some time, I mean many many years. Just yesterday I discovered the start of a blog post I wrote back in 2004. Working out where to begin has proven to be a challenge – finally I have decided to just start and see where I end up.
Tulips: The Netherlands
I am originally from Australia, but half my family is Dutch. I first moved overseas 9 years ago, when I was 19, to experience life in Vienna, Austria for 3 months. I fell in love not only with Vienna (still my favourite city to this day), but also with experiencing new cultures first hand, exploring new cities, learning new languages and meeting amazing people I may never have had the chance to had I not moved.
Since that time I have lived for two years in London, another year in Vienna (with various periods living back in Melbourne in between where I luckily met my fiance) and since January 2011, I have been living in Sweden – first in Uppsala and now in beautiful Stockholm.
My intention is to share my experiences of life in another country, to help others who are in a similar position or those that might be planning to move overseas, be it for love, work, study or simply adventure.
My studies have also taken me in the direction of migration, and I have focused my masters on immigration policy, and also the exploration of identity and how it shifts and we move across borders. I hope to share some of this here as well.
Wish me luck, and let’s see how this all goes!
