When we lived in Central Europe and the Balkans, we were Christmas Market regulars. We have a collection of Gluhwein (glow wine) mugs to prove it. These gatherings featured hand-made crafts, often the craftsmen and women were on site, glass … Continue reading A Virtual Tour of Europe’s Christmas Markets.
Christmas Markets came late to the UK. It’s not that the UK didn’t celebrate Christmas. Since Victoria’s Albert brought the Christmas tree to England the Brits have done it up in grand style. Before Christmas markets, in the European fashion, … Continue reading Brexit Or Not, London Gets European Christmas Markets
Yerevan, Armenia does not have an official market but the regular street markets take on a festive air at Christmas time. Here are some pictures from 2006. I love the fur hats and Santa selling luxury automobiles. We almost … Continue reading Yerevan, Armenia
This is from a letter written in 1997. Suzi and I were living in Bratislava, Slovakia. And while it was only 65 KM (40 miles) from Bratislava to Vienna there was a real difference between former communist Slovakia and EU … Continue reading Vienna Christkindl Market
In 2012 I got to three of Salzburg’s 5 markets, the Chriskindel Market in the main square, the Mirabellplatz Christmas market and the Schloss Hellbrunn Advent Market on the grounds of a palace where the Gazebo from the movie Sound … Continue reading Schloss Hellbrunn Advent Market, Salzburg, Austria.
In 2012 I got to three of Salzburg’s 5 markets on the high speed Rain Jet train from Munich. The ones I visited were the Chriskindel Market in the main square, the Mirabellplatz Christmas market and the Schloss Hellbrunn Advent … Continue reading Maribellplatz Advent Market, Salzburg, Austria
In 2012 I got to three of Salzburg’s 5 markets, the Chriskindel Market in the main square, the Mirabellplatz Christmas market and the Schloss Hellbrunn Advent Market on the grounds of a palace where the Gazebo from the movie Sound … Continue reading Salzburg Christkindlmarkt, Austria
In November 2012 I stopped over in Munich on my way home from Tbilisi, Georgia. In Germany most Advent/Christmas markets open the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent. Austrian markets open earlier. Last year the German market opening day … Continue reading Residenz Advent Market, Munich, Germany
In November 2012 I stopped over in Munich on my way home from Tbilisi, Georgia. In Germany most Advent/Christmas markets open the Friday before the first Sunday in Advent. Austrian markets open earlier. The year before the German market opening … Continue reading Munich Chriskindl Market, Germany
We have had the pleasure of spending a part of two pre-Christmas seasons in London. Here are some photos, many from the market in Covent Garden To see pictures from Covent Garden, Christmas 2014, please click here. Continue reading London Christmas
The Budapest Christmas has expanded down the street. The Budapest Christmas Fair morphs into the St. Steven’s Advent Market. This paragraph is from a November 2011 family letter. The St. Steven’s Advent Market has a more commercial feel … Continue reading St. Stephen’s Advent Market, Budapest.
Here is a paragraph from a November 2011 letter talking about the Advent Fair at Fo Square in Obuda. If Pest has a Christmas Market, folks on the other side of the river in Buda, or in this case Obuda … Continue reading Obuda Advent Fair, Budapest, Hungary
We first visited the Budapest Christmas Market in 2009. First impressions are important. Here are my first impressions from the family letter for Nov 28, 2009. The Budapest Christmas fair is supposed to be about handicrafts, but to me it … Continue reading Budapest Christmas Market.
This is one of Europe’s big ones. I have visited it several times because we often visit our friends Dave and Carol Lam in Brussels on the way home from our various postings abroad. This is one of the high … Continue reading Brussels Christmas Market
We visited Brugge, Belgium on one of our trips home for Christmas from working abroad. This one was a trip back from Armenia. To see pictures of the 2014 Brugge Christmas Market Click here. Continue reading Brugge, Belgium Christmas Market.
This is from a letter I wrote in 2007. We stopped in Belgium and the Netherlands on the way home from Kosovo to visit our friends Dave and Carol Lam, who took us to Christmas Markets in Belgium and the … Continue reading Valkenburg