Christmas Market Tours

Christmas Markets were usually held around the town's principal church in order to attract churchgoers on their way to and from services. In the midst of grim winters, the townspeople loved the bright panoply of the market and spent happy hours looking through the many wares and buying many a gift or sweet. In fact, a 17th-century parish priest in Nürnberg complained one year that the afternoon service on Christmas Eve failed to take place since everybody was out and about buying presents!

Over time, each Christmas Market developed its own distinctive character, not only reflecting local traditions but also unique historic backdrops. For example, of the seven Christmas Markets that are held in Cologne, the one at Cologne Cathedral is most impressive because of its beautiful surroundings. On the other hand, the market held at the Alter Market is especially idyllic, with half-timbered stalls ringed around the architecturally interesting Cologne City Hall.

Because only local traders and merchants were allowed to sell products at the Christmas Market, each town became known for its distinct specialties. Nürnberg is famous for its gingerbread, gold-foil angels, and prune men, while the Christmas Market in Linz features Austrian handicrafts such as candles, jewelry, wood carvings, glass engravings, and wooden Christmas decorations. In Vienna, elaborately decorated trees grace the classic "Christkindlmarkt" in the square, where local residents and visitors from all over the world enjoy a fairy-tale Christmas atmosphere.

In recent years, the towns and cities of Germany and Austria have vied with each other to distinguish their markets from all others, so that many of the traditional Christmas Markets today offer real superlatives. They typically last about four weeks -- beginning about the same time as the Advent season -- and draw many locals and visitors alike.