Best European Christmas Markets for Foodies

The season of European Christmas markets is around the corner and my favorite part of the markets is the food, but also the warm alcoholic beverages are not bad. I asked some of my travel blogger friends to share their favorite Christmas market food. I received a lot of responses ranging from cities like Berlin with over 60 markets to unsuspecting picks like Luxembourg. It was a lot of fun putting this article together and reading all of the great recommendations these travelers have for us.

Please do go show all of the contributors some love; click their links, follow them on social media, let them know if their recommendation inspired your next winter getaway. I am currently checking my calendar every day thinking about which markets I should try to visit this year!

Cologne, Germany

By Joy of My Traveling Joys
Follow her on Instagram

You really can’t beat the aroma of mulled wine, homemade gingerbread or lebkuchen, and sizzling sausages, especially if you are at a Christmas market in Germany.

The Christmas markets in Germany are some of the best we’ve ever visited in Europe, and the ones in Cologne certainly top the list! Two of Cologne’s main Christmas markets are located near the impressive 770-year-old Cologne Cathedral; and this year, they are open from 25th November – 23rd December.

The markets here feature a massive Christmas tree, cute, wooden huts known as “buden,” and all sorts of Christmas trinkets and foodie delights. Grab a mug of glühwein to keep you warm as you explore the lively Christmas markets in Cologne. You can even add a shot of German schnapps if you want to spice up your mulled wine!

Of course, you’ll find tons of traditional German bratwursts grilling over open fires, but we opted to try something different called grünkohl und pinkel, which translates to kale and sausage. This hearty, winter dish hales from the Rhine and Northern Germany areas and is usually accompanied with sliced, boiled potatoes and crispy bacon bits. Delicious!

Other foodie options in Cologne include soft pretzels, raclette (a Swiss cheese melted over potatoes), potato pancakes served with apple puree, German apple strudel, local cheeses, and cured meats and even homemade filled chocolates. So there are plenty of options whether you are a vegetarian or a carnivore!

What makes the Cologne market even more special for me is that many of my ancestors originated from the Rhine Valley area before they settled in America! I will always have a piece of Germany in my heart!

Wrocław, Poland

By Dani of Travelling Jezebel
Follow her on Instagram

Although Krakow has probably the most famous market square in all of Poland, not many people know that the prettiest market square in Poland is actually in Wrocław! Wrocław’s main square is one of the biggest in Europe, and with its cobblestones and pastel colours, it is an Instagrammers dream! However, the time of year that this market square is extra special is Christmas time, when the Wrocław Christmas Market takes over the entire square!

For me, the Wrocław Christmas Market is special because it is so quintessentially Polish. As well as all of the usual international fare you will find stalls selling piping hot mugs of Polish soups (from zurek to borscht and beyond), smoked cheese from the Tatra mountains, fresh pierogi in almost every flavour imaginable, paper plates piled high with kaszanka (blood sausage) and thick crusty bread with lashings of smalec (lard). There is even a Wrocław version of mulled wine that comes served in a little red boot (porcelain of course!).

In addition to the abundance of hearty Polish cuisine, you will find a stage with children singing Polish Christmas carols, a gigantic white Christmas tree next to a reindeer carousel and Father Christmas himself riding a horse and carriage around the perimeter of the square! However, perhaps my favourite things about the Wrocław Christmas Market (as well as the food!) are the tiny wooden cabins known as ‘Fairy Tale Forest’ with fairy tale scenes set up inside complete with fairy lights, music, and moving dolls. In these cabins, you can see the stories of Hansel and Gretal, Little Red Riding Hood, Pinnochio and more all coming to life with the magic of Christmas.

There are many more reasons to visit Wrocław Christmas Market this year, but to find out what they are, you’ll just have to visit yourself!

[irp posts=”562″ name=”Traveling to Kraków, Poland: A Cultural and Gastronomical Pilgrimage”]

Munich, Germany

By Dorothée Lefering of The Touristin
Follow her on Instagram.

The whole of Munich is decorated lavishly for the festive season. Sipping mulled wine on Munich’s Christmas markets while looking at the twinkling lights and stars on the wooden stalls and fir trees… you can’t help but feel like the star of a classic German fairytale. I won’t tire of working my way through all the clove- and cinnamon-spiced sweet gingerbread varieties. To enjoy how special these are, I make myself wait until the last weekend in November until I start baking and eating them. That is the time when the Christmas Markets traditionally open their doors.

It is not only the mulled wine or the eggnog and sweet treats I love dearly. Browsing for festive-season decorations, speaking to the artisan people, and I’m in heaven. One of my favourite Christmas Markets in Munich is the one at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden. I love to watch the crowd trying their luck at ice-curling. You need to drink lots of hot drinks, to withstand the freezing cold. Closing my hands around my hot mug, listening to traditional Christmas songs by the horn blowers. I feel cosy and festive. There is always a stall with a reading-granny. When I see all the excited childre