6 week trip -Europe in Winter- itinerary help!
#22
I love European Christmas markets, and if you've never been, you definitely need to check them out; don't be discouraged by the comments of others, go find out for yourself.
Yes, they can be terribly crowded, and yes, they can be very similar, and yes a little goes a long way, but IMO there's nothing quite like the atmosphere of a European Christmas Market.
If you want to see traditional Christmas markets that sell only hand crafted items, take a look at The Erzgebirge, i.e. the Ore Mountains, near the Germany/Czech Republic border. This is Germany's real Christmas Country, home to authentic handcrafted Erzgebirge folk art and Europe’s earliest mining district.
We've spent many Christmases in Europe and our visit to the Erzgebirge was definitely unique. Trip report from that visit here if you're intersted:
December in Deutschland
We visited Hallstatt from St Gilgen over Christmas one year and it was damn cold. And that's from someone who loves the cold! The Salzkammergut area is lovely at Christmas - easily reached from Salzburg and quite festive. But can be very cold due to those lakes.
Have a wonderful trip whatever you decide.
Yes, they can be terribly crowded, and yes, they can be very similar, and yes a little goes a long way, but IMO there's nothing quite like the atmosphere of a European Christmas Market.
If you want to see traditional Christmas markets that sell only hand crafted items, take a look at The Erzgebirge, i.e. the Ore Mountains, near the Germany/Czech Republic border. This is Germany's real Christmas Country, home to authentic handcrafted Erzgebirge folk art and Europe’s earliest mining district.
We've spent many Christmases in Europe and our visit to the Erzgebirge was definitely unique. Trip report from that visit here if you're intersted:
December in Deutschland
We visited Hallstatt from St Gilgen over Christmas one year and it was damn cold. And that's from someone who loves the cold! The Salzkammergut area is lovely at Christmas - easily reached from Salzburg and quite festive. But can be very cold due to those lakes.
Have a wonderful trip whatever you decide.
Last edited by Melnq8; Jun 8th, 2022 at 06:41 AM.
#23
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This updated itinerary looks so much better. And I hear you on wanting to find a countryside lodge somewhere - I'm on the hunt for that same option for December, not too far from Munich.
From Rotterdam we took a day trip to the Hague and loved it. The Mauritshuis was an absolute gem of a museum. Make sure you have time though for the architecture in Rotterdam. It's an incredible city.
Perhaps the Nuremburg or Strasburg Christmas Market will be wonderful. You'll walk by them everywhere in the cities and once you've been to a good one you can just keep walking by the others. And keep an eye out for events in every city. We stumbled on a fun one in Rotterdam and a fun light show in Brussels. There's just so much to enjoy!
From Rotterdam we took a day trip to the Hague and loved it. The Mauritshuis was an absolute gem of a museum. Make sure you have time though for the architecture in Rotterdam. It's an incredible city.
Perhaps the Nuremburg or Strasburg Christmas Market will be wonderful. You'll walk by them everywhere in the cities and once you've been to a good one you can just keep walking by the others. And keep an eye out for events in every city. We stumbled on a fun one in Rotterdam and a fun light show in Brussels. There's just so much to enjoy!
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