The most interesting Christmas fairs in Europe

Online magazine Travelers and Rūta Jakubauskienė share the most interesting Christmas fairs they have visited in Europe.

Rūta and her family visited several Christmas fairs and towns in Belgium, France, the Kingdom of Christmas Fairs-Germany and even the Netherlands. The most interesting Christmas fairs in Europe are unique, different, but at the same time traditional.

The most exclusive Christmas fairs

The Christmas market in the cave (caves, in other words) in the town of Valkenburg, the Netherlands and in the fort (Fort de Barchon) (a wartime hiding place in bunkers) in Belgium are the most surprising fairs.

True, the range of goods is not impressive, but beautiful decorations, wall paintings in the cave, even a coffee shop, fragrant Dutch waffles…

Oh, and what a Christmas day it happened to be – unusual for these parts – with cold, snow, frosted plants and a frozen pond, the strength of which we also tested. The pond withstood…

The most interesting Christmas markets in Germany

Germans are real creators of Christmas customs and connoisseurs of Christmas towns. After all, the Christmas tree first appeared in German lands. As early as the 15th century Christmas trees were decorated in front of their houses, and on holidays they moved them to the main one – Town Hall Square. And here, next to the Christmas trees, there are famous German Christmas towns.

The Monschau Christmas town

Our first stop was the town of Monschau, right next to the Belgian border. And we won’t be wrong when we say that it is Christmas that makes Monschau the most famous: a lot of small bridges, decorated with garlands, decorate the whole town in a Christmas style.

I was very surprised by the fried potato pancakes with apple! When we asked for a fork to eat the pancakes, the baker was very surprised to hear our request and said that in Germany potato pancakes with apple are eaten with hands!

Trier is the Oldest City in Germany

The next Christmas town we visited is the oldest city in Germany – Trier. A real Roman city is only three hours away from Brussels! Travelers love Trier’s Christmas Town on the Main Square so much that it consistently ranks at the top of the best Christmas towns in Germany. We again tasted spreads with apple jam, German gingerbread, sausages and admired the ingenuity of the traders while visiting almost 100 Christmas huts-booths.

Drachenburg Castle Christmas Town

The next stop is the Drachenburg Castle Christmas Town. This is a special place – you can only get to it by taking the cogwheel train from Königswinter. Of course, you can walk or walk, but the train is faster and more interesting. At the foot of the castle, on the hill, under the care of two “golden” deer, Christmas houses have been built. Donuts, sausages, all kinds of handicrafts – you will not find two huts selling the same things or food.

Bonn’s Old Town Christmas Town

The old town of Bonn is decorated with impressive Christmas decorations before Christmas, the windows of the old Town Hall become an advent calendar – a different window is lit every day, and a huge Ferris wheel and Christmas houses are installed in the main square of the old town – Münsterplace. You can often hear the music of the most famous resident of Bonn – Ludwig van Beethoven.

The medieval Christmas town of Zygburg

In the town of Siegburg, which is famous for its medieval Christmas town located in the Old Town Square, you can taste old-fashioned dishes, try your hand dexterity, watch performances – old-time dances, hear the playing of old-time pipes (such long long pipes), see bread-baking up close, see the skills of blacksmiths, minting a festive coin yourself – hitting the deck with a hammer with all your might, participating in Christmas processions with the townspeople, dancing ancient dances, participating in various games.

Cologne and even a few Christmas towns

Cologne is a city of one million that attracts hordes of visitors during the Christmas season. There were not one or two Christmas towns here. The biggest, of course, is in the Town Hall Square, not far from the Cologne Cathedral.

Christmas towns in Germany – now we know what they look like, how they smell and what they taste like.

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