A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the most popular European Christmas markets and while I would like to visit all of them at some point, for now I’ve put together a little Christmas market tour which I’ll be leaving for next week. I’ll be heading to Lille with F but after that I’ll be on my own so this will be my first solo trip in years.

Lille

Lille Grand Place

Lille is one of the cutest towns in France with its wonderful Flemish architecture and grand squares. It’s also a great foodie destination and sampling the traditional and international food at the Christmas markets is going to be a high priority. Other plans include visiting Meert for their stuffed waffles, heading to La Piscine and taking a spin on the Grande Roue (Ferris wheel). I’m also interested in visiting the Australian military cemetery in nearby Fromelles which opened last year and would love to hear from anyone who has already been.

Nuremberg

This is going to be my first time in Nuremberg and their Christmas market is supposed to be one of the most popular and most traditional in Germany. Viewing the markets from the top of the Frauenkirche, going on a coach ride, meeting the Nuremberg Christmas Angel and snacking on Lebkuchen should make for a fun experience.

Munich

I’ve been to Munich four or five times and still love it! As soon as I arrive I’m going to head to Cafe Frischhut for one of their world famous doughnuts before walking up to Marienplatz to visit Munich’s oldest and most popular Christmas market. I’ll later be checking out the Tollwood Winter Festival which should be an interesting alternative to the traditional markets.

Dresden

Dresden is another new city for me. I’ve heard it’s beautiful, has world-class museums and is home to the Streizelmarkt in the Old Market Square. The Residenzschloss and Zwinger palace are of particular interest but I think for the most part I’ll just be doing a lot of wandering around and taking in the atmosphere.

Frankfurt

My trip to Frankfurt is more about breaking up the journey from Dresden to Paris than about visiting the Christmas markets. Even though Frankfurt isn’t particularly popular with tourists, it does have a cute little old town and lively riverside location which I’m looking forward to returning to.

That’s what I’ll be up to in December and in January I’ll be heading even further east. If you have any tips for visiting these cities please let me know in the comments.