Amsterdam/Germany
Nov 11th, 2003, 04:14 PM
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Amsterdam/Germany
I am seriously considering a solo trip to Europe for one week. I anticipate arriving on Nov 26 (the day before the U.S. Thanksgiving). Having just entertained this idea, I think that I would like to also visit a Christmas market or two in Germany. I figured that A'Dam would be fun for the solo traveler, even if the weather is not too good. I was there a couple of years ago for just one day so there is plenty left for me to see. Since A'Dam is so close to western Germany, I thought I would take a train over to visit the Christmas markets. I visited ones in Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfort last year. I love the festive nature of the German Christmas markets. But, as a solo traveler, a couple of days might be enough since I might easily get depressed not being with family and friends during that time of year. Hence, A'Dam seems like a great place to explore by one's self. Anyway, I was thinking about spending 3 days in A'Dam, followed by 2 days in Germany, then 2 days back in A'Dam. At last, my question finally is, what Christmas markets should I visit given my proposed itinerary? Also, what is A'Dam like during the end of Nov? Do they also have Christmas markets? All serious responses are welcomed.
Nov 11th, 2003, 05:25 PM
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____
CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN EUROPE
Nothing quite generates a holiday feeling like a European Christmas Market. Even if you don't particularly enjoy shopping, a European Christmas Market can be an experience of a lifetime. This year, more than 100 European cities and towns will hold these special outdoor markets for the holiday season.
Germany, which during December gives the impression that it invented the
Christmas season, is the leader with more than half the markets scheduled.
Every major city and many small towns have them. Three of the more
interesting are in Aachen, Bremen and Hamburg.
Aachen, Germany's westernmost city, will decorate its main square with a
festive array of shopping stalls and Christmas lights. In Bremen, more than
150 decorated stalls will be set up outside the Town Hall and entertainment
will include Christmas theater magic.. Hamburg will feature six different
Christmas markets. The biggest will be the Rathaumarkt, Gansemarkt and
Gerhard Hauptman Platz. The markets all will operate into the night from the
end of November to Dec. 23. All three will feature mulled wine, sausages,
baked apples and entertainment.
Two of Austria's best markets will be in Vienna and Salzburg. The Vienna
market, which goes back to the year 1298, will be in front of City Hall.
Besides sales stalls, the Vienna market will include craft-making and a
children's workshop. At the Salzburg market, you can shop at the stalls at
the city cathedral square and later take a look at Christmas trees for sale
on the side of the historic building. Both markets run until a couple of
days before Christmas.
Switzerland's Christmas markets will be held at Basel (Nov. 25-Dec. 23),
Bern (Nov. 29-Dec. 24), Geneva (Nov. 29-Dec. 24), Montreaux (Dec. 4-24)<
Zurich (Nov. 28-Dec. 24). Two smaller markets are almost part of the holiday
decor in beautiful Lucerne. They can be found at the city's Weinmarkt and
Hirschenplatz on weekends only starting Dec. 6.
Prague will host one of Europe's most picturesque Christmas markets in the
cobbled Old Town Square. Dozens of market stalls will feature Czech crafts
and other items. Among the best bargains -- handmade puppets, some of them of historical figures. Try the corn-on-the-cob and the sausage at the food stalls. And, of course, the mulled wine. Folk singing and dancing always is part of the event. It runs until Dec. 23.
Budapest will hold its Christmas Fair Dec. 1-24 at Voroismarty Square.
Visitors can buy folk art products at the stalls and enjoy the music and
folk dancing performances. The pages of the Advent Calendar will be turned
daily in the Gerbaud House with the opening of one its 24 Christmas-themed
windows at 5 p.m., accompanied by sounds and lights above Gerbaud Cafe.
Visitors can feast outdoors Hungarian sausage, Christmas cookies and mulled
wine.
Rome's spectacular Piazza Navona will hold its Christmas Fair Dec. 8-Jan. 2.
Booths selling toys, Christmas decorations, candles, cakes and all sorts of food will be open daily. Added attractions will include a large contingent of mimes, clowns and other street performers including Italian bagpipers in period costumes. When night falls, the Piazza Navona will become a fairyland of lights.
What probably is the world's oldest amusement park will be adorned for
Christmas and stocked with a variety of gifts. That could only be Tivoli
Gardens in Copenhagen. Tivoli is where Hans Christian Andersen was inspired
to write several of his fairy tales. Visitors can enjoy the attractions and
shop all in a few hours since Tivoli Gardens is compact and set square in
the middle of Denmark's capital.
The Liseberg Christmas Market is Stockholm's contribution to the European holiday tradition. More than 50 stalls will be selling everything from herring and sausages to embroidery and hand-painted ornaments. It will be
open on select days until Dec. 23.
___
That's a cut-n-paste job from a monthly e-newsletter I receive, courtesy of British Travel International. It may give you some ideas, even though it includes places farther afield than you mentioned.
You may also want to check websites for places like Brugge, Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, Brussels, Den Haag and Antwerpen to see if those cities have holiday markets.
I'm not sure if Amsterdam has much of the bonafide Christmas market scene but there should be plenty of the usual street markets scattered about. I stumbled upon several recently and poked around them - maybe they will have more of a holiday bent by the time you visit. I recall a large in the area behind Rembrandthuis on a Wednesday when I was there in late October.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN EUROPE
Nothing quite generates a holiday feeling like a European Christmas Market. Even if you don't particularly enjoy shopping, a European Christmas Market can be an experience of a lifetime. This year, more than 100 European cities and towns will hold these special outdoor markets for the holiday season.
Germany, which during December gives the impression that it invented the
Christmas season, is the leader with more than half the markets scheduled.
Every major city and many small towns have them. Three of the more
interesting are in Aachen, Bremen and Hamburg.
Aachen, Germany's westernmost city, will decorate its main square with a
festive array of shopping stalls and Christmas lights. In Bremen, more than
150 decorated stalls will be set up outside the Town Hall and entertainment
will include Christmas theater magic.. Hamburg will feature six different
Christmas markets. The biggest will be the Rathaumarkt, Gansemarkt and
Gerhard Hauptman Platz. The markets all will operate into the night from the
end of November to Dec. 23. All three will feature mulled wine, sausages,
baked apples and entertainment.
Two of Austria's best markets will be in Vienna and Salzburg. The Vienna
market, which goes back to the year 1298, will be in front of City Hall.
Besides sales stalls, the Vienna market will include craft-making and a
children's workshop. At the Salzburg market, you can shop at the stalls at
the city cathedral square and later take a look at Christmas trees for sale
on the side of the historic building. Both markets run until a couple of
days before Christmas.
Switzerland's Christmas markets will be held at Basel (Nov. 25-Dec. 23),
Bern (Nov. 29-Dec. 24), Geneva (Nov. 29-Dec. 24), Montreaux (Dec. 4-24)<
Zurich (Nov. 28-Dec. 24). Two smaller markets are almost part of the holiday
decor in beautiful Lucerne. They can be found at the city's Weinmarkt and
Hirschenplatz on weekends only starting Dec. 6.
Prague will host one of Europe's most picturesque Christmas markets in the
cobbled Old Town Square. Dozens of market stalls will feature Czech crafts
and other items. Among the best bargains -- handmade puppets, some of them of historical figures. Try the corn-on-the-cob and the sausage at the food stalls. And, of course, the mulled wine. Folk singing and dancing always is part of the event. It runs until Dec. 23.
Budapest will hold its Christmas Fair Dec. 1-24 at Voroismarty Square.
Visitors can buy folk art products at the stalls and enjoy the music and
folk dancing performances. The pages of the Advent Calendar will be turned
daily in the Gerbaud House with the opening of one its 24 Christmas-themed
windows at 5 p.m., accompanied by sounds and lights above Gerbaud Cafe.
Visitors can feast outdoors Hungarian sausage, Christmas cookies and mulled
wine.
Rome's spectacular Piazza Navona will hold its Christmas Fair Dec. 8-Jan. 2.
Booths selling toys, Christmas decorations, candles, cakes and all sorts of food will be open daily. Added attractions will include a large contingent of mimes, clowns and other street performers including Italian bagpipers in period costumes. When night falls, the Piazza Navona will become a fairyland of lights.
What probably is the world's oldest amusement park will be adorned for
Christmas and stocked with a variety of gifts. That could only be Tivoli
Gardens in Copenhagen. Tivoli is where Hans Christian Andersen was inspired
to write several of his fairy tales. Visitors can enjoy the attractions and
shop all in a few hours since Tivoli Gardens is compact and set square in
the middle of Denmark's capital.
The Liseberg Christmas Market is Stockholm's contribution to the European holiday tradition. More than 50 stalls will be selling everything from herring and sausages to embroidery and hand-painted ornaments. It will be
open on select days until Dec. 23.
___
That's a cut-n-paste job from a monthly e-newsletter I receive, courtesy of British Travel International. It may give you some ideas, even though it includes places farther afield than you mentioned.
You may also want to check websites for places like Brugge, Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, Brussels, Den Haag and Antwerpen to see if those cities have holiday markets.
I'm not sure if Amsterdam has much of the bonafide Christmas market scene but there should be plenty of the usual street markets scattered about. I stumbled upon several recently and poked around them - maybe they will have more of a holiday bent by the time you visit. I recall a large in the area behind Rembrandthuis on a Wednesday when I was there in late October.
Nov 11th, 2003, 08:17 PM
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I just retruned from Amsterdam last night after having traveled over on the 6th of November..so will speak to your "weather" isue a little. We actually had several days of sunshine and the temperature during the day was in the 50's but got cooler at night. I had a down-filled jacket with me which was useful.
I won't make any comments on the Christmas markets since all the ones I've seen in the past seemed to be, for the most part, selling the same things, looked the same, etc.,....just not something I would go all the way to Europe for but that's avery personal, obviously.
Be aware (since you are going to be traveling by rail) that Amsterdam Centraal Station is undergoing a major renovation and where these used to be escalators there are now, temporarily, stairs..a real pain.
And despite the ongoing renovation at the Rijksmuseum and the closure of areas for asbestos removal, the major and most popular works such as "Nightwatch" "Milk Maid" and "The Syndics" remain on view.
Enjoy your trip.
I won't make any comments on the Christmas markets since all the ones I've seen in the past seemed to be, for the most part, selling the same things, looked the same, etc.,....just not something I would go all the way to Europe for but that's avery personal, obviously.
Be aware (since you are going to be traveling by rail) that Amsterdam Centraal Station is undergoing a major renovation and where these used to be escalators there are now, temporarily, stairs..a real pain.
And despite the ongoing renovation at the Rijksmuseum and the closure of areas for asbestos removal, the major and most popular works such as "Nightwatch" "Milk Maid" and "The Syndics" remain on view.
Enjoy your trip.
Nov 15th, 2003, 08:58 AM
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I'm not absolutely sure, but I think there will be no Christmas markets of any kind in Amsterdam during your dates. The Dutch celebrate the birthday of 'Sinterklaas' - the Dutch Santa who arrives by boat from Spain accompanied by hordes of 'Black Petes' - on December 5, and until that date, Christmas decorations and related activities are practically zero. That does, mean, however, that you will see some of the Sinterklaas-related merchandise and decorations, which are fun and unusual. You can buy presents and have them wrapped up in Sinterklaas paper in most stores (free and quick) and even the paper is a fun souvenir! Sinterklaas arrived in the Netherlands today, in the town of Zwolle. That means the Sinterklaas season has officially started.
Nov 15th, 2003, 09:40 AM
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Santa Clause is BANNED until after Sinterklaas, but you will see Christmas decorations. Sinterklaas is when the Dutch give presents traditionally, and there are a lot of special sweets and chocolates made for Sinterklaas (have a look in the Bijenkorf on Dam Square). The 5th is when the presents are given. I love that time of year in Amsterdam. If it's cold, just go and have a bowl of Amsterdam pea soup just about anywhere.
Nov 15th, 2003, 10:38 AM
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We've been to Aachen's Christmas market a few times and how it qualifies as one of the "more interesting" is a mystery. One of the easiest to reach, yes, especially if someone British is coming over the Europe by Eurostar--it's an easy train ride from Brussels. However, the market is one that sells mostly mass market stuff (I won't go as far as to call it "junk" but still...) and gluhwein. Someone visiting Aachen during December would do better to skip the market and concentrate on the shops in the old town...there are some excellent artisans selling their wares in the stores, not the markets (FYI, many Aachen stores close later on Saturday than the German norm of 2 pm or so, but most will be shut by 4 pm.
Aachen would be an acceptable choice if you want to minimize time spent traveling. Unfortunately, with just 2 days, train travel will eat up a lot of your time if you try to go much farther than Aachen or Dusseldorf (which has a very good Christmas market and a lot to see in its old town, but I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy it on your own). If you are willing to travel farther and make it 3 days in Germany, then I would agree with Bremen, or, as alternatives, Baden-Baden (a fine town to visit solo and a beautiful place with or without the Christmas market), or Muenster. You could even do the biggest, Nuremberg, if you opted to take an overnight train back to A'dam.
We were in Aachen today...a few observations...the Quellenhof hotel is proably the best (but most expensive), located right next to the casino and a short walk from the old town, a very luxurious hotel with its own spa, a cool bar (The Elephant Bar), a fireside salon for tea and cakes,and 2 restaurants. There aren't too many hotels right in the old town, although I did see a little one, I think it had "Brucke" in the name, a block from the cathedral. In the cathedral area, the Rose am Dom is a nice, inexpensive restaurant, lots of atmosphere (dates back to the 14th century). We had lunch there today and it was very good. The bar and tea salon in the Quellenhof (mentioned above) are worth a stop, even if you're staying elsewhere in town. And the cathedral itself is quite interesting.
If you opt for Dusseldorf, Hattingen is a picturesque medieval walled city a short hop away on the S-bahn (commuter train) that has its own little Christmas market. A very pretty little place missed by most tourists to the area.
Aachen would be an acceptable choice if you want to minimize time spent traveling. Unfortunately, with just 2 days, train travel will eat up a lot of your time if you try to go much farther than Aachen or Dusseldorf (which has a very good Christmas market and a lot to see in its old town, but I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy it on your own). If you are willing to travel farther and make it 3 days in Germany, then I would agree with Bremen, or, as alternatives, Baden-Baden (a fine town to visit solo and a beautiful place with or without the Christmas market), or Muenster. You could even do the biggest, Nuremberg, if you opted to take an overnight train back to A'dam.
We were in Aachen today...a few observations...the Quellenhof hotel is proably the best (but most expensive), located right next to the casino and a short walk from the old town, a very luxurious hotel with its own spa, a cool bar (The Elephant Bar), a fireside salon for tea and cakes,and 2 restaurants. There aren't too many hotels right in the old town, although I did see a little one, I think it had "Brucke" in the name, a block from the cathedral. In the cathedral area, the Rose am Dom is a nice, inexpensive restaurant, lots of atmosphere (dates back to the 14th century). We had lunch there today and it was very good. The bar and tea salon in the Quellenhof (mentioned above) are worth a stop, even if you're staying elsewhere in town. And the cathedral itself is quite interesting.
If you opt for Dusseldorf, Hattingen is a picturesque medieval walled city a short hop away on the S-bahn (commuter train) that has its own little Christmas market. A very pretty little place missed by most tourists to the area.
Nov 15th, 2003, 12:08 PM
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For more info on Hattingen:
the Christmas market:
http://www.hattingen.de/weihnachtsmarkt2003/index.htm
in German only, but the schedule and other practical info are easy to figure out and the photos are self-explanatory.
And
http://www.hattingen.de/touristik_freizeit/index.htm
Again, German only, but some nice photos (and the town really does look like that).
The best restaurant (arguably) in town is Diergardts. At the edge of town, ample parking (for those with cars), very handsome and excellent food. Their web site is:
http://diergardt.com/dkg/index.html
In the old town, Basilea is a nice Italian restaurant close to the old Rathaus.
Hattingen is one of those delightful small towns that someday will get discovered by Rick Steves or his ilk and promptly be over-run with tourists. But until then...enjoy!
the Christmas market:
http://www.hattingen.de/weihnachtsmarkt2003/index.htm
in German only, but the schedule and other practical info are easy to figure out and the photos are self-explanatory.
And
http://www.hattingen.de/touristik_freizeit/index.htm
Again, German only, but some nice photos (and the town really does look like that).
The best restaurant (arguably) in town is Diergardts. At the edge of town, ample parking (for those with cars), very handsome and excellent food. Their web site is:
http://diergardt.com/dkg/index.html
In the old town, Basilea is a nice Italian restaurant close to the old Rathaus.
Hattingen is one of those delightful small towns that someday will get discovered by Rick Steves or his ilk and promptly be over-run with tourists. But until then...enjoy!
