Travel

Christmas Market, Strasbourg, France, Capital of Christmas, one of Europe's oldest Christmas markets

Strasbourg, France, has one of the world's oldest Christmas market, going back 450 years and it has been happening nearly every year since then. playlists Christmas in Northern France https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLke86NFI6R8xmdN61APFa5zZwDGMd8_CH&si=d78BCLXlfGL_l1ob Chicago at Christmas https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLke86NFI6R8ywB6zK76coflcx22SIWJxf&si=xXK81KPd5o8bIn78 Christmas in New York https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLke86NFI6R8wxcyBey--7g6jAGbfCNxDR&si=Q3UftvJMDqN-5JGj Strasbourg, France, is one of the truly great cities of Europe, especially because of its large historic zone, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a huge pedestrian area where cars are generally prohibited, with many of its buildings dating back largely to the 15th and 16th centuries, and some to the medieval period. Everybody flocks to the city to these wonderful Christmas markets. They're open every day. Throughout December, actually, from late November. Strasbourg claims to have the oldest Christmas markets in Europe. They go back 450 years, and it's been happening virtually every year since then. And in recent years, it's gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. So they're on every day for about a month and a half, all throughout November and December up to Christmas, from about ten in the morning till about 8:00 at night. And you'll find all kinds of knickknacks and handcrafts and special, one of a kind items that you just won't find any place else. And lots of food. Food for snacking and the hot wine to warm you up a little bit. It is a little cold here at this time of year. Of course. December. You can expect it to be in the 30s and the 40s, but if you bundle up and wear your layers, you should be just fine. We're visiting here in December, which is a quite exciting time to be in Strasbourg. In fact, it really is the high season because of the Christmas markets. Strasbourg has not only the oldest Christmas market in Europe, it's one of the most popular. They have 2 million visitors during this one month period. Many of them streaming in from Paris by that high speed train. And so it can get crowded, especially on a weekend. And more so in the evening. So if you love to look at people, then come on a weekend and hang around for the evening and you'll really enjoy it. Or on the other hand, if you'd like it a little bit less crowded than visit during the weekday, it makes quite a difference. And especially if you come in the morning, say 10:00, 11:00, everything is open at that hour. And there are always parts of town that are much quieter getting away from the market squares. You just take a walk in the little back streets and you can have the town all to yourself. The Christmas Market takes place in 11 different locations in the town, and there's over 300 different booths selling all sorts of merchandise. A lot of it is handmade. You've got the toys, you've got the goodies to eat. There's clothing, there's textiles. And so you really can explore the town quite extensively, and you might even take a look at the tourist information map that they provide that will help you locate all of the various markets to make sure that you don't miss out on anything. And of course, all the shops are open as well. So the entire town comes to life during this season. The Tourist Information office has a lot of practical advice for you. And they're conveniently located right on the Plaza de la Cathedral, right in front of the main Cathedral square. They've got maps and brochures, and they have a special booklet. All about Strasbourg. The capital of Christmas. As we look at more of the sights of town, let's share some information from the tourist information booklet about the Christmas market. Or they tell us that it was in Strasbourg in 1570 that the very first edition of the oldest Christmas market in Europe took place. And since that time, Strasbourg has continued the tradition of authentic, warm and generous Alsatian Christma travel videos & photos at: https://townsofeurope.com/ with text, maps & links.