This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
As soon as the first door of advent is flung open, a multitude of pop-up wonderlands start to spring up all over the continent. With their twinkling lights, colourful carousels and towering spruces and firs, Europe’s Christmas markets are more than just a visual spectacle — their smells and tastes tend to linger longest in visitors’ memories. Their uniqueness is most evident in their food — dishes brimming in regional flavour and loved by locals since childhood. Whether you’re in the market for something hearty to ward off the cold or a spirit-lifting spiced tipple, you’ll find endless temptations below.
Nürnberger Rostbratwurst now has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, so you could say it’s the Champagne of sausages.
Photograph by sakchai vongsasiripat; Getty Images
Nürnberger Rostbratwurst in Nuremberg, Germany
These miniature, marjoram-flavoured pork sausages are grilled over beechwood and served drei im weggla (three in a roll) in Franconia’s unofficial capital, Nuremberg. The city’s legendary Christkindlesmarkt dates from the 16th century, but its signature bratwurst has an even longer history. First mentioned in contemporary documents in 1313, legend has it that the sausages were made so small to allow innkeepers to slip them through keyholes after curfew. Nürnberger Rostbratwurst now has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, so you could say it’s the champagne of sausages — though, this being Bavaria, it would be criminal to wash it down with anything other than one of the region’s rich, malty beers.
(In Nuremberg, expect to find bratwurst, Rotbier and the quiet side of Bavaria.)
Stewed sauerkraut in Riga, Latvia
There’s a reason štovēti kāposti is a staple of the Latvian Christmas table. Europeans have made sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) for centuries to preserve food supplies over long, harsh winters — but here it’s combined with bacon fat, various aromatics and other ingredients to enhance both its sweetness and flavour. From caraway seeds to bay leaves, every family has its own unique twist on the recipe. Those without an invite for dinner can sample the delicacy at capital city Riga’s annual Christmas Market — held in the Old Town’s cobbled Dome Square, in the shadow of its medieval cathedral. The delicacy is especially good with karbonāde: a pounded, breaded pork cutlet that’s Latvia’s take on the Wiener schnitzel.
(A winter guide to Riga, Latvia’s petite, snow-dusted capital.)
Strasbourg is France’s so-called ‘Capital of Christmas’.
Photograph by Jochen Tack; Alamy
Vin chaud in Strasbourg, France
Cosiness in liquid form, nothing brings festive cheer like a glass of ‘hot wine’ — as the drink pioneered by the Roman Empire is known in France. Infused with cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, cardamom and star anise, the drink’s heady scent lures visitors to festive markets across the country — but perhaps most especially to the one in Strasbourg, France’s so-called ‘Capital of Christmas’. The city’s gothic architecture and half-timbered houses make a delightful backdrop to one of Europe’s oldest and largest seasonal markets — actually a multitude of themed mini-markets. The largest is Christkindelsmärik, next to the landmark 15th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame, where visitors can try dishes typical of the German-influenced Alsace region — such as tarte flambée, a thin flatbread with cream, onions and bacon — as well as plenty of vin chaud.
Raclette in Montreux, Switzerland
Perhaps best-known for its connection with bygone rockers including Freddie Mercury, this Lac Léman resort town is also home to one of Switzerland’s most scenic Christmas markets. The go-to dish here is raclette: a Valais canton cheese, made using the milk of cows who have grazed on alpine pastures, and served melted. Traditionally, herders would have softened it over a campfire and scraped the cheese onto a slice of bread — the dish’s name comes from the French verb ‘racler’, meaning ‘to scrape’ — but now table-top grills are more common. From late November, Chez Hugo pairs raclette with the traditional accompaniments of potatoes or bread at its wooden chalet on the lake’s edge, bringing a whole new layer of meaning to ‘Smoke on the Water’ — the hit song Deep Purple wrote about Montreux. Wash the dish down with a white wine from the nearby UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyards, then take a post-prandial stroll past the many other stalls lining the quay.
For the past 25 years, residents of Bergen in Norway have been baking up a storm to create the world’s largest gingerbread town.
Photograph by Lars Emil Aga Haugom; Alamy
Gingerbread cookies in Bergen, Norway
The gingerbread house originated in Germany, after the publication of Grimm’s fairytale Hansel and Gretel in 1812; however, the coastal Norwegian city of Bergen has taken the tradition one step further — for the past 25 years, locals have been baking up a storm to create the world’s largest gingerbread town. Made up of more than 2,000 structures, it features homages to buildings both imagined and real — including replicas of the colourful gabled houses found in the charming neighbourhood of Bryggen. There are also trains, cars and boats; this is, after all, the gateway to the Norwegian fjords. After admiring the edible landscape, stroll over to Festplassen to try pepperkaker (pepper cookies), perhaps with a glass of gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine) or its alcohol-free equivalent tomtegløgg.
(The story behind Christmas cookies.)
Chimney cakes in Budapest, Hungary
This descriptively titled pastry looks very much like Santa’s entryway of choice — or Mikulás, as he’s better known here. Made from a yeast-enriched dough coated with oil and sugar, kürtöskalács are wrapped around a spit and cooked over an open fire, creating a crisp crust, a contrastingly squishy inside and a wisp of chimney-like ‘smoke’ when served piping hot. The earliest known recipe was printed in 18th-century Transylvania, now part of Romania, but chimney cakes have become a staple at all Hungarian festivities. Get yours at one of the capital Budapest’s many Christmas markets — Vörösmarty Square is the go-to spot for traditional food and handicrafts, while nearby St Stephen’s Basilica features 3D projections onto its facade and an outdoor ice rink.
Hot chocolate in Bolzano, Italy
Though consisting of the same key ingredients — cocoa, sugar and milk — Italian hot chocolate is in a different league to versions found elsewhere in Europe: it’s thicker, creamier and richer. Thought to have been popularised by the Duke of Savoy in 16th-century Turin, the drink can also be found at the South Tyrol city of Bolzano’s annual Christmas market. Piazza Walther now hosts around 70 wooden chalets, where visiting shoppers are serenaded by local choirs on weekends. For a sit-down cup of cioccolata calda with a bird’s-eye view over the market’s sparkling lights, head to the cafe run by local confectionary brand Loacker, on the second floor of the Twenty shopping centre. Once you’ve drunk your bodyweight in hot chocolate, it’s time to explore the Dolomite Mountains — nature’s nearby winter wonderland is made for snowbound play.
(15 Christmas dishes from around the world.)
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Dining and Cooking