The Christmas Markets of Vienna, Austria

On November 12, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria23 Comments

There are many reasons to visit the historic city of Vienna in Austria, but planning a trip in November will treat you with the extra treat of the Christmas markets. The markets in Vienna start in the middle of November, which is earlier than most of the other markets in Europe. We were there two years ago and visited four different Christmas markets that were located near the top sightseeing sites in the city. Although you can certainly visit the Christmas markets during the day, to really enjoy them, you should go at night.

We Still Have One of These Gluhwein Mugs

Obviously there are plenty of hot drinks to be found such as hot chocolate and gluhwein (hot mulled wine), but there are many more things to be found in the markets. Handmade crafts are on display with many of them being for the holiday season as well as items that make excellent gifts for family and friends. Food is certainly another highlight of all of the markets with many choices of bratwurst, roasted chestnuts, pretzels, and a variety of sweets. We actually purchased a candle holder with images of Mozart and Vienna at one of the stalls as a souvenir of our trip.

The markets are a great place to spend time with family and friends or just to stroll as a couple. With so many people gathering to enjoy the spirit of the season, they are certainly places of happiness. One of the markets that we visited in Vienna also included ice skating as they had frozen the walking paths and turned them into a skating rink. It certainly was one of the more unique Christmas markets that we have seen. Clearly Vienna has many reasons to visit at any time of the year such as the palace, opera house, and cathedral, but if you plan your trip during the holidays you will also get to enjoy some of the best Christmas markets in all of Europe.

One of Four Christmas Markets that We Visited

Hochheim, Germany

On November 8, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany2 Comments

Located just couple of hours outside of Frankfurt, we visited Hochheim for a quick day trip from the city. It is a small town surrounded by vineyards and still retains its medieval charm. It was early November and the town was holding its annual festival and market, so it was a lot busier than it normally would have been, but that also made it fun for us. It was a quick train ride from Frankfurt and since we had monthly passes for the train, we simply had to pay a little extra to get to the nearby town.

After walking up the hill from the train station past the vineyard and the church, we entered the town through its main gate. After walking the quiet streets for a few minutes, we found a nice Italian pizzeria called La Botte to grab some lunch and have a glass of beer and wine. After lunch we continued towards the heart of the town and quickly realized that we had come to Hochheim on the right weekend as the market was in full swing. We certainly weren’t the only ones who had decided to come to Hochheim for the day.

The Hochheim Market has been held since 1484 and is actually considered one of the biggest fairs in Germany. A combination of fair, market, and festival, there was plenty of food, gluhwein, crafts, and rides for the children. It is a seven day festival and market, which happened to just be starting. A banner for the local winery welcomed everyone into the market and it got busier and busier as the day went along. This would be the first of the many markets that we enjoyed during our time in Germany, so it has a special place in our hearts.

As the sun started going down and the crowds became overwhelming, we decided to find ourselves a pub to grab some dinner and a drink before heading back to Frankfurt. It was a quaint little place with signs from the 40’s and 50’s adorning the walls and ceiling. As with most places that we visited, the people were warm and welcoming, even with the language barriers. It is hard to believe that it has been almost two years to the day since we visited Hochheim. You can read about our initial thoughts about the Hochheim Market here.

Koblenz, Germany

On October 19, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany11 Comments

Taking a train from Frankfurt to Koblenz was one of the most memorable trips during our time in Germany. The city spans both sides of the Rhine River and is situated where the Rhine meets the Moselle River. There are many sights to see when visiting Koblenz, but the highlights are the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, the German Corner, and Schloss Stolzenfels. There is also an interesting statue that depicts the 2000 year history of the city, but even without all of these places, just walking along the Rhine would make visiting Koblenz worthwhile.

In order to get to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, you take a cable car across the river to the top of the hillside where the fortress stands. The fortress is definitely interesting to see, but the views of the city are absolutely spectacular. Seeing the German Corner from the top of the hillside is even more impressive than just walking it at ground level. It is the spot where the Rhine and Moselle meet and has a park and a large statue of William I, the first emperor of Germany, riding a horse.

Schloss Stolzenfels is just outside of the city, but definitely worth taking a taxi to see. It is located in a large park with walking trails and sits high atop a hill that overlooks the river below. It is possible to take a tour of the castle, but there were none in English at the time that we visited. Also, be sure to have a number of a taxi driver with you as you can’t guarantee that there will be one in the area after you visit the castle, at least not during October when we were there.

There are plenty of restaurants and hotels to choose from, but one of our favorite places to eat was at the Einstein Café where they served a rather extensive buffet brunch with paintings of Einstein all around the room. Perhaps because it was one of the first places that we visited during our time in Germany, Koblenz will always have a special place in our hearts. It certainly didn’t hurt that the scenery was so beautiful at that time of the year.