Sunday Blog Carnival #31 - 35 European Christmas Markets

Get International Clients is about getting into different international markets.

This edition of the Sunday Blog Carnival looks at how different European cultures take advantage of the Christmas season… don’t miss my final comments below.

From Rovaniemi Finland to Madrid  Spain and…

From Hafnarfjörður Iceland to Tallinn Estonia…

European Christmas Markets are becoming increasingly popular, drawing crowds that are searching for the warm atmosphere of what Christmas used to be like.

A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, is usually an open air market. Most Christmas markets are open the four weeks before Christmas Day. Keep in mind that the Christian Orthodox celebrate Christmas in January, so some markets remain open the first week of January. Some Christmas Markets are open for the entire month of December.

Christmas markets originated in Germany and Austria but are now being held in many other countries. There are “German Christmas markets” as far away as Seoul and Tokyo. Wikipedia lists the oldest Christmas markets as “Bautzen Christmas market which was first mentioned in records in 1384. The Vienna ‘December market’ was a kind of forerunner of the Christmas market and dates back to 1294.”

How To Say Merry Christmas In Different Languages

Now, before going to a Christmas Market, you should learn how to say Merry Christmas in the language of the local market.

35 European Christmas Markets

Salzburg Advent and Christmas Markets

Place: Salzburg, Austria

Date: From 11 November thru 24 December 2008

Best known for: This is a Christmas Market that started in the 15th century.  There are also 3 smaller Christmas markets nearby.

Suggestions: The Salzburg area is know for skiing, the best season being from late December and early March. For those not skiing (or just after leaving the slopes), there are areas in the south of Salzburg with hot springs.

Vienna Christmas Markets

Place: Vienna, Austria

Date: End of November until Christmas

Best known for: This market is known for handcrafted Christmas presents and the hot spiced wine.  This is one of the oldest Christmas markets.  This Christmas Market started in 1298.

Suggestions: Rathaus is set outside the Gothic-styled Town Hall and during market tine the gardens are decorated with lanterns, snowmen and fairytale huts. Children can try their hand at making traditional Christmas gifts.

Brussels Christmas Markets

Place: Brussels, Belgium

Date: From 28 November through 28 December 2008

Best known for: There are 240 wooden chalets around the Grand Palace.  Gastronomic specialties, handicrafts and unusual stocking fillers.

Suggestions: Belgium is a small country, take a day to visit the the city of Liege which has its own Market. 155 decorated wooden cottages form a Christmas Village all of December. Don’t forget to try the holiday treats such as marzipan, flat hard cakes known as ‘klaasjes’ and ‘speculoos’, a hard gingerbread molded in the form of St. Nicholas.

Mons Christmas Market

Place: Mons, Belgium

Date: From 13 - 31 December 2008

Best known for: Games, food delights, chorals and music.

Suggestions: Belgium is a small country, take a day to visit the differnt towns and villages throughout Belgium which will also have Christmas markets. Most will be aglow with colorful illuminations around their main streets and shopping centers.

Prague Christmas Market

Place: Prague, Czech Republic

Date: From 29 November 2008 through 1 January 2009.

Best known for: There are actually 3 mini-markets within walking distance of each other.  Wooden huts selling Czech handicrafts, hot food and hot wines.  There is a large nativity scene.

Suggestions: The Prague Castle was built over 1000 years ago, this city has some history. It is the ancient capital of Charles IV’s Bohemian Kingdom and has been a key Central Europe city since the Middle Ages. This amazing history hasmade Prague one of the most beautiful cities in the world and today tourism is a major force, but Prague is not overrun by tourists.

Aalborg Christmas Market

Place: Aalborg, Denmark

Date: From 29 November through 23 December 2008

Best known for: Father Christmas comes in on November 29th on a sailing ship.  There is an ice-skating rink and a giant Christmas tree.

Suggestions: Download maps and MP3 audios for a guided tour of the city. Aalborg is home to the Danish Distillers of akvavit (schnapps) and well worth a visit.

Tivoli Christmas Market

Place: Tivoli, Denmark

Date: From 13 November through 28 December 2008

Best known for: Close to Copenhagen hotels.  20 restaurants.  Hot and spicy wine and pan-fried cakes.  Pickled herring and liver paté.

Suggestions:
Tivoli, Summer 2000
Harlekin and Columbine at The Pantomime Theatre

Tivoli Gardens is a famous amusement park near Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843 and is the second oldest amusement park which has survived intact to the present day.

Bath Christmas Market

Place: Bath, England

Date: From 27 November through 7 December 2008

Best known for: 123 wooden chalets with handmade and unusual gifts, decorations and food.  Bath is a UNESCO world heritage city.

Suggestions: Bath was a Roman city with the original Roman baths and it’s a spa city with hot springs beneath the city.

Hyde Park, London Christmas Market

Place: London, England

Date: From 1 December through 6 January 2009

Best known for: This is a traditional German Christmas market with German mulled wine and other seasonal specialties.  Hand tatted lace and tin toys.

Suggestions: You will find unusual Christmas presents such as amber & silver jewellery and fragile glass ornaments for your Christmas tree.

Tallinn Christmas Market

Place: Tallinn, Estonia

Date: From 30 November through 7 January 2009

Best known for: Handmade Christmas toys and decorations.  Woolen sweaters and sheepskins.  There are real blacksmiths and woodcarvers at work.

Suggestions: Tallinn is one of the most completely preserved medieval cities in Europe and it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  It was once a medieval Hanseatic town and for long periods in history dominated by the Germans, Swedes and Russians. The Town Hall  - Raekoja plats - St. Olaf´s Church and the towers and town walls, are among most popular tourist attractions there.

Rovaniemi Christmas Market

Place: Rovaniemi, Finland

Date: From 29 November through 23 December 2008

Best known for: The Christmas capital of the world.  Real reindeer.  There is an ice park.  Christmas bazaars, decorations, theater performances.

Suggestions: Plan to be cold! Rovaniemi is North of the Arctic Circle and has less than 3 hours of daylight during the Christmas Market season. There are  snowmobile safaris to see the reindeer herds and well worth the trip. Listen to the locals and make sure you dress as they tell you.

St Thomas Christmas Market

Place: Helsinki, Finland

Date: From 8-21 December 2008

Best known for: Crafts, baked goods and Christmas specialties.  Santa Clause walks around.

Suggestions: Visit the Helsinki Ice Park, a skating rink in the city center and the Winter Circus Light - the Dance Theater Hurjaruuth with international circus magic, trapeze artists, dance and illusions, all backed by the circus orchestra are not to be missed.

Yuletide Peace in Turku

Place: Turku, Finland

Date: From 29 November through 13 January 2008

Best known for: 400 events in museums, concert houses and theaters.  A lot of American traditions.

Suggestions: Kuralan Kylämäki is a village of living history. Kylämäki is a different kind of museum where you can touch the exhibits. Prehistoric hunting weapons are made in the experimental archaeological workshop, where prehistoric work methods are studied and presented. In the hunting grounds, you can try out your own hunting skills.

Strasbourg Christmas Market

Place: Strasbourg, France

Date:  From 29 November through 31 December 2008

Best known for: A lot of lights in the city.  They claim to be the undisputed capital of Christmas.  A tourist haven during Christmas season.  There is a village of sharing.  This market is 5 centuries old.

Suggestions: Strasbourg’s historic city center, the Grande Île is classified a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Strasbourg is fused into the Franco-German culture, come to Strasbourg to get a taste of Germany in France.

Hamburg Christmas Market

Place: Hamburg, Germany

Date: From 24 November through 31 December 2008

Best known for: Stalls laden with confectionery, toys and craft.  Old fashioned carousels.

Suggestions: Hamburg’s real name is the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. A typical Hamburg visit includes a tour of the city hall and the grand church St. Michaelis, and visiting the old warehouse district (Speicherstadt) and the harbor promenade (Landungsbrücken), harbor and canal boat tours (Große Hafenrundfahrt, Fleetfahrt) which start from the Landungsbrücken.

Budapest Christmas Fair

Place: Budapest, Hungary

Date: From 21 November through 29 December 2008

Best known for: Cottage style wooden stalls in an outdoor stage.  Honey cookies, mulled wine. Cinnamon and fir trees.  Cruise and dinner on the Danube.

Suggestions:  Budapest’s history left marks everywhere in the city including ruins from the Roman era, Turkish baths form the 150-year Ottoman rule and magnificent bridges spanning the Danube. The Danube divides the right-bank (west) Buda & Óbuda and Pest on the left (east) bank. Combined BudaPest. It is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has several UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Hafnarfjörður Christmas Village

Place: Hafnarfjörður, Iceland

Date: From 24 November through 23 December 2008 - only on Saturday and Sundays

Best known for: Houses and streets are decorated with lights.  Wide selection of gifts, decorations and local foods.  There are 13 mischievous Santa Clauses one for each of the 13 days prior to Christmas.  Each with his own name and each with his own specialty.

Suggestions: Hafnarfjörður is famous for having one of Iceland’s largest settlements of elves (which can only be seen by people with second sight), dwarves and other Harry Potter type mystical beings. Centuries-old folklore says that whole clans of such beings reside in the rocks that make up part of the town’s centre. About a 30 minutes drive from Hafnarfjörður is the Krísuvík geothermal area with its solfataras, boiling mud springs, blowing steam vents.

Belfast Christmas Continental Market

Place: Belfast, Ireland

From 19 November through 20 December 2008

Best known for: Inspired by Germany and Easter European traditions.  The city center is divided into villages, including German, Irish and European.  Each with its own theme, gifts, crafts and food.

Suggestions: No visit to Belfast would be complete without a trip around its famous and historic pubs. The St Patrick exhibition is a new interactive experience which tells the story of Ireland’s Patron Saint. Take a walking tour through the Victorian streets of Belfast including The Old Town and Titanic Trail.

12 Days of Christmas’ Festival

Place: Dublin, Ireland

Date: From 12-23 December 2008

Best known for: A waterside village with 80 market traders.  Gifts, seasonal food and stocking fillers.

Suggestions: Kilmainham Gaol -Ireland’s most famous prison where the leaders of the 1916 Rebellion were executed by the English. Guinness Storehouse - in the heart of the Guinness factory complex this excellent visitor center tells the dramatic story of the 250 year history of Guinness. Temple Bar - Dublin’s Cultural Quarter. Located in the heart of Dublin’s City Center, some of Dublin’s best night spots, restaurants and unusual shops line these narrow, cobbled streets running between the Bank of Ireland and Christ Church Cathedral.

Florence Christmas Markets

Place: Florence, Italy

Date: From 23 November through 22 December 2008

Best known for: Big Christmas tree, ice skating rinks, choral concerts, crafts, food and typical products.

Suggestions: In Florence you’ll find leather goods, paper goods, and jewellry as well as nice souvenirs and art productions. Florence has a number of open air markets selling food, clothing, and antiques. Florence’s most popular site is its Duomo, the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore. Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce, is the largest Franciscan church in Italy and holds the tombs of several important Florentines including Michelangelo and Dante.

La Fête de Noué

Place: Jersey - island wide

Date: From 29 November through 21 December 2008

Best known for: Canopy of brilliant white lights.  There are guides to learn the island’s history.  The ghost of Christmas past takes people on tours of the island’s castles and graveyards.

Suggestions: Jersey Zoo was set up by famous conservationist Gerald Durrell, and the zoo houses the international headquarters of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The aMaizin Maze is the site of a specially designed maze, with hidden corners, obstacles and surprises.

Riga Christmas Market

Place: Riga, Latvia

Date: From 30 November - Christmas

Best known for: Typical wooden chalets with environmentally friendly products.

Suggestions: Old City Riga (Vecriga) is one of the nices places to wander around aimlessly in. It is full of small squares where you can drink good local beer or huddle over a hot bar snack. The Cat House has a unique architecture. Its Latvian owner who was denied membership in the powerful Great Guild. To express his feelings, he built two cat sculptures on his roof with their backsides facing the Guild and their tails straight.

Luxembourg Christmas markets

Place: Luxembourg

Date: From 28 November though 24 December 2008

Best known for: Candles, tree decorations and nativity scenes.  Mulled wine, schnaps and mettwurscht.  Local banks, choirs and life in the city.

Suggestions: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg or the Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. An easy place to visit if you happen to be in one of the bordering countries. The Casino Luxembourg and the Palace of the Grand Dukes (Palais Grand-Ducal) are the two big places to visit.

Antwerp Christmas Market

Place: Antwerp, Netherlands

Date: From 12 December though 4 January 2009

Best known for: Mulled wine, seasonal products and carol concerts.

Suggestions: Diamond District - This is the district south and southwest of the central station. As the name already indicates, this is an area where you will find countless jewelry shops, as well as the Antwerp Diamond Exchange, arguably the most important financial center of the world’s diamond industry. Rubenshuis, Rubens’ house is now a museum of his life and artwork. Red Light District - Like other cities such as Amsterdam and Hamburg, Antwerp also has its own red light district. It’s pretty small and right in the center of town.

Maastricht Christmas Winterland

Place: Maastricht, Netherlands

Date: Christmas season

Best known for: Ferris wheel, petting zoo, ice skating rink and traditional activities.  80 partially covered stalls.

Suggestions: Coffeeshops - In the Netherlands, the policy regarding soft drugs is lenient. Therefore, there are several coffeeshops where you can buy these products. This is at least worth seeing, even if you don’t intend on buying. Bonnefantenmuseum - is the foremost museum of Old Masters and contemporary art in the province of Limburg.

Valkenburg Christmas Market

Place: Valkenburg, Netherlands

Date: From 4 November though 5 January 2009

Best known for: The Velvet Caves that runs underneath the castle of Valkenburg.  These caves were built in 1050.  Floats, dancers and entertainment in fairy tale lighted streets.

Suggestions: Go to Plenkertstraat to see a reproduction of Early Christian catacombs from the Roman period. The Christmas market ‘Fluweelengrot’ takes place in beautifully lit Velvet Cave which runs underneath the town. This year the caves will be decorated to provide an interpretation of the theme “Christmas Elves”.

Oslo Christmas Fair

Place: Oslo, Norway

Date: The first two weekends in December

Best known for: Historical houses are moved from different parts of Norway and rebuilt for Christmas in this area.  Each house is decorated according to the traditions of the initial inhabitants.  Homemade crafts, Christmas decorations and Santa’s workshop.

Suggestions: Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is the old castle built to protect Oslo. The first work on the castle started around the late 1290s, by King Håkon V, replacing Tønsberg as one of the two most important Norwegian castles of the period. Also see the Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy, with a large open air museum

Kraków Christmas Market

Place: Kraków, Poland

Date: From 28 November though 26 December 2008

Best known for: Giant wooden barrels for sale - imagine Astorix and Obelix.  Sausage and distinctive fried oscypek cheese.  Presents and amber jewelry.

Suggestions: Kraków is considered by many to be the cultural capital of Poland and wasthe European Capital of Culture for the year 2000. Kraków has 28 museums and public art galleries. See the main market square “Rynek Glowny” main landmarks, St. Mary’s Basilica, St. Adalbert’s Church (one of Poland’s oldest stone churches, dating back to 1000), and the old Cloth Hall (”Sukiennice”).

Edinburgh Christmas Market

Place: Edinburgh, Scotland

Date: From 27 November though 13 December 2008

Best known for: Traditional German Christmas.  The Highland Village Christmas Market.  Christmas carols and the Edinburgh Wheel - a gigantic ferris wheel.

Suggestions: Don’t miss the Edinburgh Castle, located on one of the highest points in the city. The castle has been continuously in use for 1000 years and is in excellent condition. Then walk along the Water of Leith, a small river that meanders through Edinburgh.

Bratislava Christmas Market

Place:Bratislava, Slovakia

Date: Christmas season

Best known for: 50 stalls next to the old town hall with typical gypsy liver pork burger, spicy sausage, bread with lard and onion.  Christmas mead - honey wine.

Suggestions: Try some Bryndzové halušky - a small, spaetzle-like dumplings with sheep’s cheese. Drink a Kofola with it. Kofola is a local soft drink. See the Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad) and the Slavín. The Slavín is behind the castle, overlooking the entire city, this is a monument in memory of Soviet casualties in the liberation battle of Bratislava.

Ljubljana Christmas Market

Place: Ljubljana, Slovinia

Date: From 3 December though 2 January 2008

Best known for: 15 market stalls snake through the cobbled streets with misteltoes and thousands of lights.  Handmade candles, wooden toys and designer jewelry.  Spiced mulled wine and warming gluhwein.

Suggestions: Visit Old Ljubljana is Ljubljana’s historic part. It has the city hall, monuments, and well-preserved old buildings and churches. See the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje), Ljubljana’s central bridges. relax at the Water City of Atlantis. A water park with 14 pools, thermal baths, slides and saunas. Special section is dedicated for children.

Barcelona Fira de Santa Lucia

Place: Barcelona, Spain

Date: From 1-31 December 2008

Best known for: 300 stalls selling seasonal treats outside the main cathedral.  A large nativity scene.  And on 28 December, muscians and artists entertain the crowds.

Suggestions: See La Rambla, the most famous boulevard in Barcelona stretches from the harbor to La Placa Catalunya running through the Ciutat Vella. Plaça d’Espanya. Once used for public hangings, Placa d’Espanya was created for the 1929 World Exhibition. Follow the Ruta del Modernisme which leads past all the Modernisme (art nouveau) buildings in Barcelona.

Madrid Christmas Market

Place: Madrid, Spain

Date: The stalls start selling on 28 November, but it officially starts on 5 December 2008 - through Christmas.

Best known for: Stalls are put on all 4 sides of the city plaza - a plaza within a plaza.  2 large nativity scenes.  Christmas lighting across the city.

Suggestions: See the Museo del Prado which houses one of the best collection of classical art in Madrid. Includes many different collections: the Spanish (El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya), the Flemish and Dutch (Rubens, van Dyck, and Brueghel), Italian (Botticelli, Tintoretto Caravaggio, and Veronese) and German (Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, and Baldung Grien). Then go eat a bocadillo de calamares (squid sandwich).

Liseberg Christmas Market

Place: Liseberg, Sweden

Date: From 3-23 December 2008

Best known for: 4 million sparkling lights, 700 Christmas trees and 6 kilometers of spruce garlands.  Traditional art, knitwear and Swedish buffet.

Suggestions: See the indoor Fish Market, called “Feskekôrka” which is located by the canal near the harbor. The Skansen Kronan (Crown Keep), a hilltop fortification southwest of the city center that was built in the 17th century. Visit the Slottsskogen (the castle forest) where you can visit Gothenburg’s Natural History Museum (Naturhistoriska Museet), a children’s zoo (Barnens Zoo), and a family animal park (Djurgårdarna).

Basel Christmas Market

Place: Basel, Switzerland

Date: From 25 November though 23 December 2008

Best known for: Traders and craftsmen at 130 stands and wooden cabins.  Concerts, classical rock and pop and romantic cruises on the Rhine river.

Suggestions: In old town see Münster and Pfalz. Walk up cobbled streets and alleys from Marktplatz or Mittlere Brücke to Münsterplatz (Cathedral square) to see Basel’s Münster. See the Kunstmuseum Basel, the art museum with a permanent collection of 19th and 20th century works.

Seasonal Marketing

It is a month away from Christmas. Beyond travel ideas, I hope this review of a selection of different European Christmas markets is an inspiration for:

• Your own seasonal marketing
• How to adapt your seasonal marketing to your different international markets

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer and International Sales Specialist, with over 25 years field experience in international business development. Learn how you can get more international sales