Here Come Europe's Christmas Markets

The holidays and the holiday season, beginning after Thanksgiving, are a great time of year to visit Europe. You don’t see the crowds of tourists, the bikini tops in cathedrals or the “I’m with stupid” tee-shirts. You see European people observing their holidays their way. The shopping in Europe isn’t bargain shopping for the most part; instead it’s fun and memorable shopping or shopping as experience. Nothing embodies that spirit more than Christmas markets. Every year on Nov. 25, Christmas Markets open in towns and villages all around Germany. These markets, which have become a main stay of European travel during the holidays, began in Dresden in 1434. Dresden’s old city center, like city centers around Germany and increasingly around Europe, will build their wooden stalls and throw up decorations, pour hot mulled wine and serve pastries as they sell artisanal crafts to visitors. This year, Germany is celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther, and the states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, where Luther spent much of his life are planning to celebrate Christmas the way that Luther suggested it should be 500 years ago.
In Erfurt, in Thuringia more than 200 wooden stalls fill the vast Domplatz (Cathedral Square) for its Christmas Market (Nov. 23 to Dec. 22). Highlights include the nativity scene, with 14 near life-size, hand-carved figures, a traditional tall wooden pyramid and the 80-foot Christmas tree, lit with hundreds of candles at night. The festive specialty here is Schittchen, a version of Stollen. Made with flour, butter, candied fruits and ground almonds, it makes a fine gift to take home. And the post office has a stall where Christmas cards and postcards can be franked with a special Christmas market stamp. The crypt beneath the cathedral features 24 Advent scenes created by local enthusiasts. Clients can book a guided tour and climb up the cathedral tower to see the 500-year-old Gloriosa, the oldest free swinging medieval bell in the world.
Across the Channel, throughout November and December, Orient-Express’s U.K. day trains, the British Pullman and Northern Belle, will offer a collection of seasonal journeys that include some of Britain’s best Christmas markets, carols at historic cathedrals, exclusive shopping events and more. With each excursion, guests can dine on a brunch served with a Bellini on the outward journey and a four-course meal with wine and champagne on the way home. Clients can do holiday shopping without ever leaving the British Pullman. Guests will travel through the British countryside in the festively decorated vintage carriages of the British Pullman, where many British luxury brands will be displaying their products and offering advice to guests looking for inspiration for gifts for family and friends. Expect to see Harrods, Brora luxury cashmere, Cath Kidston, Ettinger leather gifts, Miller Harris perfumes, Liberty, gun makers Holland & Holland with a range of gifts and accessories, Astley Clarke jewelry and more. Departing from London’s Victoria Station on Dec. 1, the journey is priced £300 ($470) per person and includes brunch with a Bellini and a four-course dinner with champagne and wine.
For a more traditional shopping experience, the Northern Belle will be departing from either London or Edinburgh for a day at the famous shopping streets of these historic capital cities. In London, guests can wander Brompton Road, Sloane Street, and Beauchamp Place and take in the extravagant window displays at famous stores, including Harrods and Harvey Nichols. In Edinburgh, guests can explore the boutiques and galleries while taking in the views of Edinburgh Castle, the famed Scott Monument, a tribute to the Edinburgh writer Sir Walter Scott, and the 17th-century Palace of Holyroodhouse. Priced from £310 ($460) per person, the package includes brunch with a Bellini and a four-course dinner with champagne and wine and departs London for Doncaster, Leeds, Sheffield, Macclesfield, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Warrington on Nov. 12 and Dec. 3. The journey departing from Edinburgh visits Chester, Crewe, Liverpool, Preston, Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield, and Bolton and departs Nov. 11, 18 and 26 and Dec. 10.
Other holiday programs include Carols in Canterbury and Salisbury; The Lincoln Christmas Market; Christmas lunch aboard the British Pullman or the Northern Belle; Christmas Dinner aboard the Northern Belle is also offering a special Christmas dinner where guests will truly feel the magic of Christmas in the comfort of the beautifully decorated carriages. Visit www.orient-express.com.