Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In the mood for a market

Illustrations Wesley Valenzuela / illustrationroom.com.au

Get into the festive foodie spirit with Alex Gorton’s guide to Europe’s most mouth-watering Christmas markets, where you can sample local delicacies while stocking up on gifts

Brussels

BELGIUM
27 November 2009 – 3 January 2010, www.plaisirsdhiver.be

Brussels is a foodie heaven and no time more so than at Christmas. Sample everything from steaming plates of moules, juicy olives and mulled wine to rich Belgian chocolates and gingerbread biscuits at the city’s annual Winter Wonderland market. Held in the pretty Place Saint Catherine from the end of November, the market is famed for it’s gastronomic delights and lively festive atmosphere. Alongside food stands, you’ll find pretty gift stalls, two skating rinks and street performers to keep shoppers entertained. Towards the end of December, some of the gift stalls change hands and the overall feel of the market becomes even more gastro-orientated.

Vienna

AUSTRIA
14 November – 24 December, www.christkindlmarkt.at

Established in 1296, Vienna’s Christkindlmarkt is one of the oldest Christmas markets on the continent. Held in the heart of the city in front of the imposing town hall, the atmosphere is incredibly family-friendly, with a kids’ club and pretty decorations including lights in the shape of hearts or gingerbread men. Foodies will love the selection of stalls selling classic Christmas treats such as roasted chestnuts, sweets and the Austrian speciality Jägertee, a strong, alcoholic tea perfect for warming you up on a cold Viennese afternoon.

London

UNITED KINGDOM
21 November 2009 – 3 January 2010, www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

Bringing traditional Bavarian festivities to the heart of London, Hyde Park’s annual Winter Wonderland plays home to a German Christmas Market. Over 50 chalets selling everything from gifts to food are set up in Hyde Park alongside restaurants including the Bavarian Village, House of St Nikolas and Café Grell. Having perused the stalls, explore the rest of the site, which includes an ice rink and a Christmas circus including funfair rides such as the ‘Santa Express’, a ‘toboggan slow slide’ and an Ice Palace ‘mirrored maze’.

Copenhagen

DENMARK
20 November – 30 December, www.visitdenmark.com

Enjoy a Danish December with a visit to Copenhagen’s world-famous Christmas Market. The setting in Tivoli Gardens, Europe’s oldest amusement park, is wonderful with thousands of lights strung through the grounds, hundreds of Christmas trees and a fabulous outdoor skating rink held on the park’s central lake. Well-known for culinary delights, the market’s specialities include stalls selling hot apple dumplings, pan-fried cakes served with sugar and jam, and gløgg, a traditional Danish mulled wine served with spices and liquor. For entertainment, visit Father Christmas, enjoy a pony ride, watch a light show on the lake or try some of the amusement park’s collection of attractions, which include ‘Pixieville’, an indoor town with hundreds of mechanical pixies.

Frankfurt

GERMANY
25 November – 22 December, www.frankfurt-tourismus.de

Germany has a long tradition of festive markets with over 2,500 events held all over the country. Frankfurt’s Christmas market is one of the most famous and most popular. Centred around a huge Christmas tree in the Paulsplatz and Romerberg, the market sells a selection of merchandise including tree decorations, toys and candles. Gastronomic delights include baked apples, grilled sausages and “Brenten”, “Bethmaennchen” and “Quetschemaennchen”, three local biscuits traditionally used as a gift by hopeful suitors when courting in the 17th century.

Stockholm

SWEDEN
Gamla Stan Old Town Market, 22 November – 23 December, www.gronalund.se
Street, Design & Handicrafts, 22 November – 21 December, www.streetinstockholm.se
Skansen market, 29 November – 14 December, www.skansen.se

The Swedish capital comes alive during the festive period when Christmas markets can be found all over the city. It’s a great time for gastro-tourists who can sample traditional Swedish sweets, reindeer meat and smoked sausages as well as shop for gifts, arts and crafts.

Held in the Old Town, the Gamla Stan market is one of the most traditional, while for produce direct from farmers the Street, Design and Handicrafts market is recommended as is the Skansen market held on the island of Djurgården.

Prague

CZECH REPUBLIC
28 November – 23 December, www.visitprague.cz

The fairytale capital of Czech Republic is a veritable smorgasbord of delights for Christmas lovers with markets and events held all over the city. Head to concerts, catch a play or visit the city’s biggest market in the Old Town Square. The backdrop of the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Tyn is stunning, while the stalls sell a selection of Christmas ornaments and gifts including Bohemian crystal. Make sure to sample a glass of mulled wine and a bag of roast chestnuts and keep your fingers crossed for a whiteout – Prague is even more beautiful when it snows.

Strasbourg

FRANCE
28 November – 31 December, www.noel-strasbourg.com

The biggest Christmas Market in France has over 300 chalets and attracts around 1.6 million visitors over the festive period. The setting close to Strasbourg’s gothic cathedral is stunning; while the Christmas tree on Place Kléber and the skating rink on Place du Château add to the winter wonderland feel. Food is a big draw with local dishes such as sausages, choucroute (pickled cabbage) and three-meat baeckeoffe stew on hand to warm you up.

Munich

GERMANY
27 November – 24 December, www.muenchen.de

There are over 140 stalls at Munich’s vibrant Christmas Market, held annually in the Marienplatz (the heart of the old part of the city) since the 17th century. It opens on the first Friday before advent when a giant Christmas tree is lit up for the first time. Food stalls cater to locals and tourists with roasted nuts, hot potato cakes and baked apples on offer besides mugs of steaming gluhwein. The atmosphere becomes even more festive during the afternoon when choirs sing and brass bands play from the Town Hall balcony. Make time to visit the Crib Market (behind the main market) where you can buy traditional nativity figures or head to one of the city’s smaller Christmas markets, which include the Schwabing where you can find gifts and artwork by local artists.

FR En plein marché des délices

Entrez dans l’esprit festif de la cuisine de fête. Suivez le guide d’Alex Gorton des marchés de Noël les plus irrésistibles d’Europe

Faites le plein de plats de moules fumants et de vin chaud épicé en passant par les riches chocolats belges et les biscuits au pain d’épice, à l’occasion du marché annuel Plaisirs d’Hiver de Bruxelles.

Fondé en 1296, le marché Christkindl de Vienne est l’un des plus anciens marchés de Noël européens, où l’atmosphère est incroyablement familiale et amicale avec de fantastiques décorations dont des luminaires en forme de petits bonhommes de pain d’épice.

Les annuelles Féeries d’Hiver de Hyde Park apportent les festivités bavaroises traditionnelles d’un marché de Noël allemand au cœur de Londres. Le plus célèbre marché de Noël de Copenhague dans les Jardins de Tivoli brille de mille feux avec les milliers de lumières répandues sur le sol, les centaines de sapins et une fabuleuse patinoire extérieure située sur le lac central du parc.

Le marché de Noël de Francfort est l’un des plus renommés et populaires, installé autour d’un sapin géant sur la Paulsplatz et Romerberg tandis que le très animé marché de Noël de Munich se tient annuellement sur la Marienplatz depuis le 17ème siècle.

Le plus grand marché de Noël en France attire près d’1,6 millions de visiteurs durant la période festive. L’endroit, à proximité de la cathédrale gothique de Strasbourg est époustouflant. Plus loin vers l’Est, la capitale fantasmagorique de Prague est une véritable profusion de délices.

Stockholm s’éveille durant la période des fêtes lorsque les marchés de Noël fleurissent dans toute la ville. C’est un moment privilégié pour les touristes gourmets car ils peuvent déguster les pâtisseries traditionnelles suédoises, la viande de rêne et les saucisses fumées sans oublier le shoping d’objets d’art et d’artisanat.

NL In the mood for a market

Kom in de feestelijke culinaire stemming met Alex Gorton’s gids over kerstmarkten in Europa die u het meest doen watertanden

Probeer alles: van stomende schotels mosselen en warme wijn tot rijke Belgische chocolade en gemberkoekjes op de jaarlijkse Winter Wonderland markt in Brussel.

De Christkindlmarkt in Wenen werd opgericht in 1296 en is één van de oudste kerstmarkten op het vasteland waar de sfeer ongelofelijk gemoedelijk is met mooie decoraties, waaronder lichtjes in de vorm van peperkoeken mannetjes.

Het jaarlijkse Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park brengt de traditionele Beierse feesten naar het hartje van Londen en huisvest een Duitse kerstmarkt terwijl de wereldberoemde kerstmarkt van Kopenhagen in Tivoli Gardens prachtig is met de duizenden lichtjes op de grond, honderden kerstbomen en een fabelachtige ijspiste in open lucht op het centrale meer van het park.

De kerstmarkt van Frankfurt is één van de meest bekende en populairste kerstmarkten, rond een gigantische kerstboom in de Paulsplatz en Romerberg terwijl de kerstmarkt van München sinds de zeventiende eeuw jaarlijks doorgaat op de Marienplatz.

De grootste kerstmarkt in Frankrijk trekt ongeveer 1,6 miljoen bezoekers tijdens de feestdagen. De opstelling dichtbij de gotische kathedraal van Straatsburg is verbijsterend terwijl de sprookjesachtige hoofdstad Praag een waarlijk lappendeken van verrukkelijkheden is.

Stockholm komt tijdens de feestdagen tot leven wanneer je overal in de stad kerstmarkten vindt. Het is een fantastische tijd voor gastronomische toeristen, die traditionele Zweedse zoetigheden, rendierenvlees en gerookte worsten kunnen proeven en tevens kunnen winkelen voor kunst en handwerk.

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