The Delightful Wonderlands of Festive Global Holiday Markets When the calendar flips to the final weeks of the year, cities across the planet burst into delightful celebrations reflected by bustling outdoor holiday markets. These beloved public festivities combine seasonal shopping, delicacies, music and more into a merry emblem of cultural traditions marking winter solstice tidings or year-end religious observations. Across European capitals, major American metros and other destinations from Peru to Australia, vibrant holiday markets serve up signature experiences inviting both locals and visitors into fellowship around the year’s most magical season. Germany’s Quintessential Christmas Markets No country is more synonymous with classic holiday markets oozing that special essence of Gemütlichkeit – which combines coziness, kinship and cheer – than Germany. During Advent season spanning December, well over 3,000 Christkindlmarkts and Weihnachtsmärkte fill public squares across major cities and small villages alike with spiced aromas, colorful displays and festive sounds. Though holiday markets have filled German streets around Christmas since the Late Middle Ages, many staple characteristics familiar to 21st century attendees endured across centuries. You can still browse handmade ornaments, nutcrackers and toys between sipping mulled wine or munching gingerbread by candlelight or costumed St. Nicks. From Bavaria to Berlin, signature German holiday markets range from quaint to massive. Nuremberg has long reigned supreme thanks to its sprawling, world-famous Christkindlesmarkt overwhelming the Main Market Square beneath the shadow of its majestic castle. Those seeking a more intimate scene head to North Rhine-Westphalia’s Monschau, dubbed Germany’s prettiest village, where 300 regional vendors fill cobblestone streets illuminated by thousands of twinkling lights. In glitzy Frankfurt, the medieval Römerberg square offers an ornate backdrop to nearly 200 booths peddling handcrafted wares, sweets and glühwein. Over in artsy eastern locale Dresden, towering light displays preside over the Strietzelmarkt market’s dizzying selection of regional crafts, while visitors can even meet the event’s namesake “Striezel Man”! No matter where you wander for holiday market magic in Germany, beloved traditions from stole-clad brass bands to intricate glass ornaments overflow around you. Austria’s Imperial Capital Does Festive Best Germany’s southern neighbor and former empire under the Hapsburgs has also elevated outdoor holiday merriment into museums and musical enchantments. Like German cousins, Austria’s Christmas markets shine brightest in pedestrian old town sectors illuminated by strings of lights and adorned with evergreen trimmings. But nowhere bursts with fa-la-la atmosphere amidst imperial grandeur like Vienna. Locals flock through November and December to holiday markets before Schönbrunn Palace, the regal Hofburg complex or the gravitational center of arts and culture, MuseumQuartier. Kids love baking cookies with costumed bakers in the former imperial kitchens at Schönbrunn’s market before viewing the palace’s dazzling tree. Over at MuseumQuartier, a whimsical train transports visitors between museum shops and over 60 booths dishing strudel, chocolate and crafts. Stop for schnapps in a heated tent or catch caroling concerts for full atmospherics. After strolling amidst the scents of roasting nuts and cinnamon, ice skating around Vienna’s gilded statues and fountains proves a perfect peek into Austrian Christmas bliss. The Netherlands’ Seasonal Sensations Crossing over to Belgium and the Netherlands, open-air holiday markets again mix merry surroundings with traditional treats under twinkle light canopies. As one of Europe’s most popular gay-friendly destinations, free-spirited Amsterdam makes the season bright at local holiday treasure the Amsterdam Light Festival. Tranquil boat rides glide you past creative light sculpture installations along frosted canals for a one-of-a-kind viewing experience evoking winter magic. Back on land, visit the Amsterdam Christmas Market in charming Rembrandtplein Square to nibble Dutch pancakes hot off the griddle and shop one-of-a-kind gifts in the craft village’s cottage-style shops. Yearly highlights like visits from Sinterklaas, caroling walkabouts and ice sculpting demonstrations ensure Dutch holiday cheer stays fresh and lively. Meanwhile down in Belgium’s historic Bruges, where cobblestone streets and medieval buildings comprise a real-life holiday card year-round, the Christkindlmarkt and Winter Glow light festival again mix Old World enchantment with over 60 vendors and pop-up bars for warming Belgian waffles and beer. The city spares no expense decorating downtown with 500,000 twinkling bulbs and seasonal greens. As a bonus, Brussels’ Grand Place lights up nightly while 200 stalls fill the square for the Winter Wonders ...
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Dec 11 202316 mins