Christmas Markets in Europe-Return to the Magic of Childhood

Do you remember what Christmas was like when you were a little kid? Would you like to experience that magic again? Then I recommend a Christmas Markets River Cruise.

River cruising is becoming hugely popular with good reason. I described all the pleasures of river cruising in a previous post: “River Cruising – A Good Choice for Seniors”.

Christmas Markets Along the Rhine

Since the holidays are near, I am going to describe one of two Christmas Market river cruises I took called “Christmas Markets Along the Rhine”. It was a 12-day Grand Circle river cruise that explored 12 cities in Switzerland, France, Germany and Holland.

Kaysersberg, France

Our first stop was Kaysersberg. Although it feels German, it is actually a French town.

This was the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer, a theologian, organist, writer, philosopher and physician. This great humanitarian, who is famous for his philosophy of “reverence for life” and his work in Africa, received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize.

Kayserberg is on the French side of the Rhine, in the Alsace region.

Although the beautiful architecture of these houses appears to be German it is actually Alsatian French.

Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg Cathedral is over one thousand years old. It took the entire 13th century to build the nave and until 1439 to complete the delicate spire. A team of artists, mathematicians and technicians put together this marvel of ingenuity.The famous Astronomical Clock draws a crowd every day to see the automated figures on parade at exactly half past midday.

Baden-Baden

Baden-Baden is a spa town in Germany. Since Roman times, it has been renowned for its thermal baths, with mineral waters thought to have restorative powers. The springs produce the hottest and most mineral rich water in the country with its healing properties absorbed through drinking, inhaling, and bathing.

Europeans relax in the spa waters naked so it is probably fortunate that we did not have time for a dunk in the waters.

There was thermal water in the lobby available for drinking. While many recommend the water at the Baden-Baden spa for ingestion, few people drink it. I only took a small sip and can understand why!

Speyer, Germany

Our First Christmas Market

Speyer is a city whose charms—including portions of its medieval wall and gates—date back more than 2,000 years. This is where we experienced our first Christmas Market and it truly was magical.

A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt. is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many other countries. Traditionally held in the town square, the market has food, drink and seasonal items from open-air stalls accompanied by traditional singing and dancing.

Home Hosted Visit

The Grand Circle River Cruises usually include a home hosted visit and this one was no exception. We were split up into small groups for the visits. Our group of 6 was driven to a neighborhood outside the city. It started snowing as night fell creating a picture postcard image of a perfect winter scene. The family welcomed us into their home for a traditional kaffeeklatsch of coffee, cake, sausages, pickles and conversation.

The hosts did not speak English but we managed to communicate using sign language until their grand-son arrived. He was able to translate for us. The host then offered to take us across the street to his church where the parish children were practicing for the Christmas play. The host guided us upstairs to the choir loft, sat down at the organ and played a concert of Christmas music for us. It was enchanting.

After the home hosted visit, we returned to the city and explored the magnificent Christmas Markets enjoying the traditional lighting and decorations.

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Mainz, Germany – City of Gutenberg

One of the things Mainz is known for is the Gutenberg Museum named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the movable-type printing press. He was born in Mainz around 1400.

The Gutenberg Museum is one of the oldest museums of printing in the world.  The collections include printing equipment and examples of old printed materials. The Gutenberg Bible and the printing press are housed here. The museum exhibits one of the 47 surviving copies of the Latin Gutenberg Bible—a 42-page volume with elaborate Gothic lettering, dating from the 1450s.

A staff member demonstrated the printing procedure used in olden times and made a sample document which he gave to me. I treasured it for years.

In the evening, we visited the Christkindlmarkt and explored the craft stalls.

Cologne, Germany

There was a visit to a beautiful Gothic church but what I remember most was the chocolate factory and museum!

The Chocolate Factory

Firstly, a giant chocolate fountain greeted us and filled the air with its delicious scent. It was specially constructed for the museum and is an artistic structure filled with 441 pounds of warm, liquid chocolate. Smooth, warm Lindt chocolate flows from four stainless steel spouts into a fountain bowl.

In addition to the chocolate fountain, the production facility contains a complete unit for processing cocoa beans: from roasting, breaking and grinding through to the end mixed, rolled and conched chocolate mass.

 Conching is a process used in the manufacture of chocolate whereby a surface scraping mixer and agitator, known as a conche, evenly distributes cocoa butter within chocolate and may act as a “polisher” of the particles.

The museum produces its own chocolate and the chocolate fountain, constantly replenished with fresh Lindt chocolate, is not the only enticing highlight. Glass-sided machines allowed to follow the manufacturing process step by step.

The Chocolate Museum

The Chocolate Museum opened in 1993. It became a triumph of German museum history that nobody thought possible. With around 600,000 visitors a year, it is the most frequented cultural institution in Cologne.

It covers a five-thousand-year history of cocoa, including the mystical ceremonies of Central America and the luxury drink of the European aristocracy through to the instantly available treat that it has become today.

That evening we visited the Cologne Christmas Market.

National Liberation Museum/Freedom Museum

The Freedom Museum formerly called the National Liberation Museum, is located in the beautiful green and hilly landscape of Groesbeek in the Netherlands. The museum is close to Germany and right in the area of two of the most important operations on the Western Front during WW2: Market Garden and Veritable

We experienced the Story of War and Freedom in both the Netherlands and Germany, Europe and beyond. The sustainable building itself, the 39 foot high Dome, is also an attraction and has a strong resemblance to an enormous parachute.

I left the museum feeling very grateful to those who fought for the freedom we now enjoy.

In Summary

This 12-day Rhine Christmas Market river cruise is a once in a lifetime memory. Experience Christmas as you remember it. However, be prepared for bone-chilling cold. Bring your warmest clothing!