I love Christmas in Germany, and the highlight of the holiday season there for me is visiting a local Christmas market. The Weihnachtsmarkt is a local phenomenon across German-speaking Europe during the four weeks of the Advent Season, right before Christmas. These markets are held in the town squares and adjacent pedestrian zones, and sell food, drink, and seasonal items from open-air stalls. There’s often traditional singing and dancing, which leads to an extremely jolly, festive atmosphere. Over the years, I’ve purchased most of my own Christmas ornaments and decorations from these markets, and one of my favorite activities while shopping is to devour a German Wurst (i.e. sausage) and drink the Glühwein (hot mulled spiced wine).
One of our Savvy Navigator friends and fans, Cathi, recently took a Rhine River Cruise from Cologne, Germany down to Basel, Switzerland. Cathi kindly documented her adventures along the river in this clever little video and we think it’s worth sharing. As you’ll see, the highlight of her trip was visiting all of the Christmas markets along the Rhine, and she and her mama brought home WAY too many Christmas decorations (but that’s another story). Take a look here at this fun video, and let’s make sure you visit the Christmas markets yourself in 2016! Click here and we’ll send you more info!