Epic Christmas Market Trip 2023

We embarked upon an epic Christmas market spree in December that took us through the Black Forest, Switzerland and Alsace region of France for a variety of markets. Let's dive in...

Rottweil

Rottweil is the oldest city in Baden-Wurttemberg and was the first market of our journey. It was along the route to Ravenna Gorge, so it was worth a pit stop. If you have driven in this direction you may remember the giant tower that looks like a drill bit. We still don't know what that tower actually is, but we can now stay we've been to the town where it's located. 

Rottweil has a small, quaint market that greeted us with local musicians, gluhwein and quesadillas (the latter being quite unexpected). Their mug celebrated the 30th anniversary of the market, so we made sure to keep one to add to our growing collection.

Charles tried the quesadillas and thought they were tasty enough. Good Mexican food is quite hard to find in Germany. I loved the quirky styling of their booth.

Ravenna Gorge

Ravenna Gorge often makes the top of Baden-Wurttemberg's Christmas markets. A few people I know had been in the previous year and warned me that, while it's magical, it is crowded. I was hesitant to go because that, but figured it would be good to visit while we had the chance. We went on the final day of the market and booked a ticket with shuttle pickup from Hinterzarten. 

The warning about the crowds was right on point. We opted for the 4-6pm time slot and it became more and more packed while we were there. It was shoulder to shoulder in some parts making it a little hard to navigate and view booths. I did not love it. But I had a delicious variation of gluhwein called a Schwarzwald Marie which included a cherry liqueur to mimic the flavor of black forest cake.

We stayed one night in Hinterzarten which was an adorable Black Forest town. It was a Sunday which typically means shops are closed in Germany, but a few gift shops were open so we visited before our shuttle to the Market.

B&B Zartenbach: Our hotel was very quaint and comfortable. We booked a very small room since we stayed for only one night; it was snug, but perfect for our short stay. The included breakfast was the perfect fuel for our onward journey towards Switzerland!

We arrived at the market before dark, so it was fun to see it transform as the darkness set in.

Konstanz

We had visited Konstanz earlier in the year to see Mainau Island, but did not explore the city very much. The market lines the lake and was a nice size, not too busy and had a variety of booths. I was excited to eat Tirol Knodel which reminded me of last year's epic Christmas market trip to the Dolomites.

Winterthur

Winterthur was our first market in Switzerland and was just a quick stop before arriving in Zurich. The market was very small, but we enjoyed some delicious apple rings with vanilla sauce. 

Zurich

Zurich boasts several markets spread throughout the city and we visited them all (I think). Zurich proved to have an impressive array of food options that made my heart very happy. To name a few: Indian, empanadas, tacos, arancini, Ukrainian, African, Portuguese, Asian, Swiss (of course) and so much more. 

I adored the Weihnachtsalle market the most. Throughout the market were little booths styled like living rooms where you could sit and enjoy your gluhwein and food. I, sadly, did not snag any photos, so you'll just have to take my word for it. This market was also close to the one located in the train station which exceeded my expectations, as well. 

25hours Hotel Langstrasse: I was in LOVE with our Zurich hotel! It was right down the street from the Weihnachtsalle and train station markets which made it super convenient for this trip. Aside from that, the hotel was so fun! It was decorated with a modern-vintage mix and had some really cool special touches. For example, there was a Polaroid camera in the room. You could buy film in the little lobby shop and use the camera around town. This hotel is now one of the benchmarks that I'll use to judge future hotels on our travels.

I have been dreaming about arancini since visiting Sicily. When I saw it at the train station market, I had to have one!

Breakfast on our first morning in Zurich was spent at Babu's Bakery and Coffeehouse. The hotel offered a breakfast add on, but it was a bit pricier than we wanted, so I opted to look for other spots in the area. Charles hates waiting in line for a restaurant, but I took a chance on this place despite the almost guaranteed wait. It was well worth it for this breakfast sandwich and my latte.

Our second morning was spent eating breakfast at Bank which had really cool latte art! I had a croissant breakfast sandwich that was good, but not as drool worthy as the previous day.

Mulhouse

After stopping in Basel, Switzerland and being very much disappointed in their market, we continued to the Alsace region of France for the next round of Christmas markets. Our base for the next two nights was Mulhouse (it's pronounced very differently from how it looks for English speakers). 

La Maison Hotel Mulhouse: I had some high expectations for our hotel in Mulhouse. The website made it seem very hip and funky (we were worried that we were too "square" to stay there). But it was kind of a mixed bag. The common areas like the lobby and breakfast room were fantastically decorated for Christmas. If you enjoy a vintage, maximalist vibe, these rooms will make your heart sing. Our room was a bit of a disappointment in comparison, but still very comfortable and right around the corner from the Mulhouse Christmas market. 

The Mulhouse market was on the smaller side, but in the shadow of the beautiful cathedral. The town is beautifully lit up for the market and hosts a little Christmas train that plays music as it drives you around the city. We could hear the train's music from our hotel room as it drove by. It was adorable!

Mulhouse is also where I discovered that vin chaud blanc is far superior to gluhwein. I have since reached out to my local community for a recipe so I can recreate it at home.

A slight letdown about the markets in Alsace is they use plastic cups versus mugs for the hot wine. They were beautifully designed, but harder to hold with the hot beverage inside.

We found a booth selling Canadian poutine at the Mulhouse market and ordered the Authentique poutine. It hit the spot!

Eguisheim

Eguisheim is a small town in the Alsace region. I had visited back in March with friends and loved it. With it all decked out for Christmas, it was just as magical. The market is very tiny with just a small selection of booths. But we enjoyed some vin chaud and window shopping. 

Side note: The Eguisheim vin chaud booth charged a deposit (pfand, if you're familiar with the German term) for the plastic cup. However, they did not take the cups back so we were stuck with it.

Turkheim

Sadly we did not fully get to experience Turkheim's market. When I was researching for the trip I had noted that its market opened at 11am. We arrived around 12:30pm, but sadly it did not open until 2pm. We walked around the area and saw the shuttered whimsical and colorful booths. We did get to say hi to some sheep, so it wasn't a total loss.

Colmar

I visited Colmar twice in 2023, each time with different sets of friends. Colmar is an adorable town and often tops the Christmas market lists. There are a variety of markets spread around the town. Since I had been before, Charles left me in charge of navigating around which was a huge mistake. I am directionally challenged to say the least. We ended up walking in circles the whole afternoon. 

Charles enjoyed a meal in the gourmet market. Aside from a yummy croissant bagel sandwich and tasty hot spiced apple juice, I was not in love with the Colmar market. It was just too spread out and crowded for my taste.

We had hoped to visit at least one more market on our 2023 Christmas Market spree, but it was unpleasantly rainy on the day of our departure from France, so we visited the Cora grocery store to stock up on some French goodies like crepes, butter and soap before heading home to relax after so much excitement. 

I hope you have a chance for your own Christmas market spree in 2024! 

Oberammergau, Germany

Charles had a work trip to Oberammergau. For years, whenever he has had a work trip planned he asks if I want to go. In the past, I had work or some other commitments that prevented me from tagging along. But this time nothing held me back! 

He had been to Oberammergau once before, but in the winter, and raved about it. I was excited to visit this time of year. Germany is beautiful in September and October. 

We stayed at Hotel Garni Fux and had a spacious suite. This was our view! Oberammergau is a small town and everything is walkable, so I don't think you can go wrong choosing any hotel in town for the walkable convenience. Hotel Fux was no different, but the place was great! Our stay included breakfast which was the perfect way to start my day. 

Hotel Fux was dog-friendly which suited Suzie perfectly. She spend a lot of time snoozing the day away in comfort.

Everywhere you look in Oberammergau there are beautiful flowers! 

I explored the church and churchyard while in town. 

Oberammergau has a long history of woodworking. The Oberammergau Museum had great displays showcasing the talent. We purchased the combined ticket and visited the Passion Play Theater afterward. Save 1 Euro on the ticket if you're staying in Oberammergau, BTW. 

The Passion Play has been performed every ten years (with some exceptions throughout the long history) in Oberammergau since 1634. It started off as a promise to God during the plague. The most recent play was performed in 2022 (postponed due to COVID) and will be back on schedule again in 2030. 

We ate really well while staying in Oberammergau. On our first night in town we enjoyed dinner at Dumpling and Sushi. The avocado bowl was so delicious! I kind of wish we had gone back and tried other items from their menu. It all sounded so good.

We found this place while walking around town on the first evening and returned later in the week. They specialize in burgers and they were worth the wait! I had the Hipster burger which had a habanero-blueberry sauce. It was very messy, but very tasty! The crispy sweet potato fries were an excellent compliment; one order was enough for the two of us to share.

On a previous trip to Garmisch, we had visited the Ettal Abbey but decided to visit again while in Oberammergau. The inside is very ornate which seems at odds with it being a home to monks. Make sure to pick up some beer or liquor while visiting. 

Lastly, on our way home we stopped to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. It is one of those places you kind of have to see at least once while visiting or living in Germany and this seemed like the best time to cross it off our list. Even though I did a bit of research in advance, I did not realize the uphill hike it would take to get to the bridge for this viewpoint. Well, now that's done!

 

Kiel, Germany

Our penultimate cruise stop was to Kiel, Germany. We had a walking tour booked through NCL. Charles was feeling a little under the weather that morning, so I went on the tour without him. Our guide took us to see the highlights of Kiel including a couple museums like the Kiel Maritime Museum and the Kiel Stadt Museum. 

On the first Saturday of the month, this tower plays songs using their bells. We were lucky enough to be visiting Kiel on the first Saturday of the month and our tour guide made sure we enjoyed a bit of the bell concert. The music lasts for about an hour, so if you're visiting Kiel on the first Saturday of the month make sure to include this into your itinerary. 

After the walking tour I went back on the boat to check on Charles. He was feeling better after his nap, so we went back out to explore Kiel. We grabbed some pastries and coffee at a bakery, walked through the old botanical garden (where we encountered the snail) and visited the very small aquarium. 

Warnemünde, Germany

The next couple of stops on our NCL cruise brought us to northern Germany! This day was billed as "Berlin", but with a three hour train ride just to get to Berlin it made more sense to stay closer to the ship. Berlin can wait until another day when we have more time to spend exploring the city. 

This stop was Warnemunde. We booked an excursion through the cruise which brought us to the Steam Train Molli for a short ride before visiting a seaside resort town and a church. 

Our guide (a very fun German guy, BTW) recommended visiting this tower. This part of Germany was under Soviet rule during the post-WWII era. This tower was used to patrol and look for people trying to escape East Germany. They had a display outside the tower showing some of the inventive ways people tried to escape. 

For two Euros (honor system), you can climb the tower to look out. Charles ventured up there and I stayed on the ground.

I honestly cannot remember what the significance of stopping at this church was, but it was cool to walk around inside. 

After returning from the tour, we had some time to walk around the town where the cruise terminal was. They had two lighthouses--one green and one red. The town had a variety of shops and restaurants. 

It seems like every bridge in Europe presents the opportunity to attach love locks. 

A Tour of Nuremberg

The next stop on the itinerary for my friends' visit was to Nuremberg. I booked a walking tour through Airbnb that was one of my favorite tours in Europe so far. It was billed as a four-hour tour with a break for lunch, but ended up being around six hours. During the first half of the tour, we walked around the interior of Nuremberg and visited St. Lorenz. 

We huffed up the hill to see castle for some fantastic views of the city.

A little plug for something unrelated to Europe... I recently made my first purchase from ThredUp and was so impressed. The top I wore in Nuremberg (pictured here) was part of that purchase. 

After our lunch in the Altstadt (we all enjoyed Nuremberg sausages...yum!), our group hopped on the train and rode out to the rally grounds. We walked along the lake with stops to hear our guide share history and his perspective about Nazi Germany. It was very insightful and thought provoking. 

A sunny day in Esslingen

I have now visited Esslingen on three different occasions. With it being so close and being easy to train to, you would think I would make it there a little more often, but such is life! While hosting two friends from college, our first stop was to Esslingen for a walking tour to see the highlights and learn some history of the tour. Our guide was an American who has lived in the area for over a decade. 

It was a super sunny day, so our pictures were all a bit washed out by the harsh light. The Esslingen Rathaus is iconic, so worth sharing a picture of even if it is not the best quality. 

The story behind this fountain was fascinating! In a nutshell, there was a postman back in the day that found a valuable ring. He went around town trying to find the owner to return it. The owner had been murdered and no one knew who had done it. The postman was accused by the man's nephew of murdering him. Eventually the postman was sentenced to death. Afterward, he would reappear as a ghost to the nephew. After some time, the nephew was so distraught and traumatized that he finally confessed to murdering his uncle. The town decided to erect this statue of the postman with the story around the base. I suppose it is part contrition and part cautionary tale.

Our tour ended at Kessler for a sekt tasting. Sekt is Germany's version of champagne and this brand is Germany's oldest sparkling wine producer. The Kessler founder studied in the Champagne region of France and made his sparking wine using German grapes. We all tried the classic and it was very tasty! I brought home a couple bottles to enjoy later. 

By the time our tour was complete and we had tried some sekt, we were ready for a hearty German lunch. Our tour guide recommended Weinkeller Einhorn and it did not disappoint. I had the traditional Swabian dish called Maltauschen. This was the best Maltauschen I have eaten since being here in Germany.