I woke up to several texts concerned we were ok. Last night in a city near Berlin, far from where we are in Munich, a car plowed through a Christmas market - killing and injuring 60 people. It is a tragic occurrence for such a festive scene. Our hearts go out to those families. Everyone here now has a heightened sense of security - we will do our best to stay safe!
Strasbourg, France shares a border with Germany in the Alsatian region of France. Having changed its nationality four times, this region of France has had a lot of German influence.
Strasbourg has all the makings for a dreamy Christmas market: a Unesco World Heritage–listed island lined with twisting lanes and wonky, timber-framed houses in pastel colors. The quaint village is downright a Disney fairytale setting. When you take the perfect stage and add a touch of Christmas, magic happens! It is no wonder it is France's largest and oldest Christmas market.
After we arrived and dropped off our luggage, we spent the next four hours exploring Strasbourg and its Christmas markets (in daylight).
In France, Glühwein (mulled wine) is called Vin Chaud, and I had read that Chez Mathilde in Broglie market has the best. Finding it proved a little bit of a treasure hunt when we realized that a lot of the stands don't have names.
Chez Mathilde's discreet sign
Strasbourg's Christmas markets serve their mulled wine in plastic cups with a €1 deposit. It is nice that you can order a small, medium, or large pour.
We noticed that everything in the Strasbourg Christmas markets tend to be on average at least €2 cheaper than Munich. Our .25cl of wine was only €3.
I've never been so happy to see rain before and tonight it made me utterly gleeful. Being at the most popular Christmas market the Saturday before Christmas is a guarantee for suffocating crowds … except when it's raining!
All smiles, even in the rain
As night draws in, thousands of Christmas decorations and lights twinkle and sparkle to create a bewitching atmosphere in the Christmas capital. Every inch of Strasbourg's Grande Île is lined to the gills with Christmas lights and decorations. "You'd be missing out if you only got to go during the day," claimed Jeremy.
Don't miss getting your souvenir photo at the Strasbourg Capitale de Noel illuminated arch in rue du Vieux-marche-aux-Poissons
The blue tree at the Vitrines de Strasbourg, place Gutenburg
Rue Mercière leads you to Strasbourg's magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral
At Rue du Maroquin are a grouping of some of the most photographed buildings in Strasbourg with dozens of giant teddy-bears all over the façades
The small alleyway, Rue des Orfèvres, was an unexpected hidden gem! It is so popular that they make it one-way at night
The Christkindelsmärik on place Broglie is Strasbourg's historic Christmas Market, dating back to 1570
Closing the markets down for the night, our enchanted evening ended in perfect timing. As we stopped in Place Kléber for pictures of its majestic tree, the rain stopped and the tree's last hourly music/light show began.
Standing majestically at the heart of the city, the 90-foot Grand Sapin is a key symbol of Strasbourg Capital of Christmas.
Fun Fact: 180 branches from other trees are added to the Grand Sapin to plump it up.
Crossing the bridge to Petite France to see the illuminated quay
Walking back to our hotel next to the Grande Île, I was filled with content. I agree Strasbourg is rightfully the Capital of Christmas! It is simply magical and perfectly encompasses the spirit of Christmas. And best of all is that we're all here together experiencing it.
Watch Chris' TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8Nt6yyH/
Logistics:
A handy map to the Strasbourg Christmas markets
When you're planning your itinerary and budget to the Christmas markets a year in advance, don't rely on Rome to Rio for helpful or accurate costs and availability! My train budget came in at 30-50% of the actual expense. There was also no indication that if we wanted to take one direct train from Munich to Strasbourg (instead of three), we would have to leave before 7:00am! That was not the crazy itinerary I wanted to plan for my family. But it was totally worth leaving early and paying three times the cost to not have to run around three different train stations on one of the busiest travel days before Christmas.
Very cozy on our four-hour train ride to Strasbourg
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