Virtuoso Life - November/December 2017 - 150
Cruising Every market celebrates in its own festive way, which I discovered last year on a 12-day, Bruges-to-Basel Rhine River voyage on Viking River Cruises' 190-passenger Viking Eir. Despite the markets' differences, one theme prevailed: Europeans take their Christmas traditions seriously, and they're happy to share them with visitors. I explored many markets, and the following were a few of my favorites. Bring your appetite - and maybe an extra suitcase. Flammlachs (fresh grilled salmon), but the highlight is Angel's - the city's oldest holiday market - where artisans sell crafts inside twinkling chalets and "angels" dressed in white wander through the crowd, tossing glitter in the air and posing for photos with awestruck children. BUY THIS: A Weihnachtspyramide, or German Christmas pyramid. The carousel-style candleholder, found in stalls throughout the market, is decorated with Nativity scenes and characters from German folklore. Festive Options selgasse, one of Rüdesheim am Rhein's tavern-lined, cobblestoned lanes, parents sip glühwein (mulled wine) while kids explore the petting zoo and Europe's largest Nativity scene - the life-size display covers more than 1,000 square feet. For aerial views of the winter wonderland, hop the Rüdesheim cable car for the annual "silent ride" over the market. TRY THIS: A mug of Rüdesheimer Kaffee, topped with whipped cream and spiked with a splash of flambéed Asbach Uralt brandy. It's available at stalls across the market. COLOGNE, GERMANY Culture Club Cologne lauds the season with an impressive seven Christmas markets. The four most popular - Cathedral, Angel's, Old, and Harbour - are centered around downtown. Hop on the Christmas Market Express, an old-fashioned trolley that weaves through the city, stopping at all four. Cathedral is home to the city's tallest Christmas tree (82 feet), and Harbour is the place to go for RÜDESHEIM AM RHEIN, GERMANY Old-School The Rüdesheim Christmas Market brings international flair to the western German town, with 118 stalls that showcase holiday crafts and traditions from Germany and 15 other countries. Swing by the Hungary stall for langos (deep-fried flatbread), or buy handmade clothing from Mongolia and Australia. Over on Dros- Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik (the Market of the Infant Jesus) dates to 1570, when preacher Johannes Flinner set up stalls in front of the Strasbourg Cathedral for vendors to sell saddles, gingerbread, Christmas trees, and other wares. Now, 447 years later, the entire city feels like it's in on the tradition, STRASBOURG, FRANCE ➊ 1. Rüdesheim's record-breaking Nativity scene. 2. Warming up with mulled wine. 3. Ice-skating at Cologne's Old Market. 4. Gingerbread in Rüdesheim. 5. Glass ornaments, a European Christmas market staple. ➌ ➍ ➋ ➎ 150 V I RT U O S O L I F E
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.