Trip Report: Strasbourg Christmas Market
 

Here's a report of my trip to see the Strasbourg Christmas market yesterday. Hope you enjoy it :)
http://sujaa.wordpress.com/2010/11/2...ristmas-treat/

Very nice, loved the way your red jacket stood out in otherwise almost monochromatic winter scenes.

Thanks for the tour. One question, are there really local hand-made ornaments and other crafts for sale or is it best to stick to the vin chaud and soak in the atmosphere?

@Cathinjoetown : Thank you :) Yes, there were local hand-made handicrafts on sale as well as trashy trinkets from overseas. For example, I bought this ceramic half-timbered-house model. I chatted with the stall keeper in my atrocious French and learnt that these are made in Alsace (the state) all through the year to be sold only at the Christmas market. I saw another stand selling absolutely brilliant art work - dont know what to call them, but they are paintings made from pieces of different coloured woods stuck together. Honestly brilliant. But at 700-800 euros, a bit beyond my budget. But even if you were to stick to the vin chaud and enjoy the atmosphere, its still a treat :)

Great report Suja! I am seriously considering a trip to Strasbourg in December 2011 and your pictures and report are making my decision a bit easier! :-D

Thanks for sharing your lovely pictures!
Susan

@LowCountryIslander : Thank you :) You'll love it, I would most definitely recommend a trip. In fact, there are Christmas markets in a number of towns in Alsace region as well as in nearby Switzerland (in Basle, Zurich, Bern, Montreux to name a few) as well as many towns in Germany as well. I have heard that the Neurenberg one is fabulous, I am planning to fit it in next year :)

@Suspaul: Thank you, glad you liked them :)

We will be in Strasbourg on the 20th of December. Your pictures were wonderful. When I stand before the Blue Tree, I will remember where I saw it first, Thanks

@Travelbound44 : Thank you :) Have a wonderful time !!

thank you!

Hope we can get there sometime this week -- however, the snow and ice is shutting transport down in northern France!

Beautiful photos...don't blame you for getting out of that hotel room and into such lovely surroundings. Have never been to Europe during Christmas and look forward to the markets in Paris...my husband is super excited about them! Thanks for sharing.

Suja, loved the immediacy of your report in real time - great pics and description. Merci...

@Latedaytraveler: Je vous en prie :) I saw your post regarding the Luberon Express. Though I know nothing about it, I have been to Luberon in 2007 and truly loved that area! If you want to read my rather long-winded report about it, check out http://sujaa.wordpress.com/2007/06/2...c2%a0provence/
if I were travelling alone, I would take a tour - there is a lot of driving needed to see that area well and some of the roads were so windy, I wouldnt have liked to it on my own.

@Denisea : Thank you :) I saw that you are planning to be in Paris over Christmas. How exciting !! I just adore Paris, can never get enough of it :) Enjoy !!

@Imaginaryjazz : Are you in Europe? Its been a rather crazy couple of days here but the weather is supposedly better next week. One lives in hope :)

@Norrisken: You are very welcome :)

Suja, thank you so much for your trip report and the beautiful pictures. My husband and I will be in Paris the last of Nov.2011 and we wondered about going to Strasbourg, thanks to your lovely report we will be going there!!
Happy New Year, Sueken

P.S. Is two days enough?

@Sueken : Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed my report :) You'll have time for quite a leisurely exploration of the city in 2 days, the old city is very small and easily walkable. In fact, you might even have time on the second day to rent a car and drive part of the wine route, which I love. Have a look : http://www.visit-alsace.com/winstub/vins_ang_road.html.
Lots of lovely little villages on the route, a visual treat indeed. Enjoy your trip !

Never did see the Blue Tree, where was it????

@Travelbound : Oh no! Didn't you see it ? It was in a big square, one of the squares marked in the Christmas market map handed out by the tourist office, but I have forgotten its name !!! I hope you had a good time inspite of not seeing the Blue Tree :)