Christmas markets get a bad rap for being a little samey. This isn’t altogether untrue as you encounter -more or less- the same stalls, but they are worth the visit because they can really lengthen the magic of Christmas.
The Christmassy sounds and smells, the excited children, the handcrafted goods, the open fires and the festive lighting, all add to the ambience and help you forget that the whole holiday begins and ends in three days.
Unfortunately, I was away during the Christmas market in the town where I live in Switzerland but I did get an opportunity to attend the ones in Zurich, and Winterthur, as well as Konstanz in Germany.
Some Swiss Christmas markets are not just visually spectacular but they also offer entertainment chalets with music and fully stocked bars. The fondue chalets, however, are always a bit too much for me. There’s such a thing as too much cheese.
The best stalls always offer samples to taste. You can discover new, exciting flavours and culinary delicacies that way. Besides which, free stuff always tastes doubly delicious. I bought some donuts at the Zurich market and was given a free cup of hot chocolate to go with them and I swear, it was the best cup of hot chocolate I’d ever tasted!
The market in Konstanz, Germany, starts from the town centre and winds itself all the way to the lake, with a walkway of rows and rows of Christmas trees intertwined with fairy lights punctuated by lots of Gluhwein stops along the way. Although, I find gluhwein objectionable. Wine – it should not be cooked!
Christmas markets are like being in an enchanted little world that mesmerises you; until you walk too far, turn a corner and you’re jolted back to reality by a busy main street with a giant supermarket offering two for one deals.
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