Christmas Markets

One of the great things about living in Europe is…CHRISTMAS MARKETS! This past year, I visited Cologne and Monschau in Germany, as well as Lille, in France, Maastricht in the Netherlands, and Ghent, here in Belgium. The different countries’ markets display distinct personalities, from their foods to their decorations.

Cologne (Koln) has a lot of different markets all over the city. They are all different. If you only go to one city’s market(s), choose Cologne!

Cologne: Near the train station

Cologne: The Angels’ Market (my favorite)

The food…you would expect bratwurst and other sausages, and of course, they were plentiful. But as a vegetarian, I am more interested in other things. Like potatoes. I really like potatoes. Maybe I should call myself a tatertarian…anyway, I digress. Back to the markets! Potato pancakes, potato spirals… Yum. There are also pretzels, smoked salmon, and flammekueche, and of course, gluwein.

Potato pancakes, potato spirals, smoked salmon, and gluwein!

And it doesn’t hurt that Cologne is simply beautiful on its own.

Cologne’s spectacular cathedral

Cologne’s riverfront is RAVISHING!

Lots of pretty places in this old and interesting city

Don’t be fooled, though. There are other stunning cities with pretty markets. For a taste of a few, click here.  (You can click on individual photos to see what city they were taken in. All were taken in 2015.)

Merry Christmas! Start planning next year’s Christmas market trips!