Marche de Noel in Strasbourg

The Marche de Noel in Strasbourg, France is the grand dame of Europe’s Christmas Markets. Originally christened the “Christkindelsmärik” (market of the Infant Jesus), it is France’s oldest Christmas Market. It comprises 12 different themed markets and is held outdoors each year from late November until December 31.

My sister and I visited this Christmas Market 10 years ago. If you have ever wondered if you should go on a vacation with your adult sibling, the answer should be yes. My sister had never visited Europe, so I decided that we needed to experience Christmas in the city where our paternal great-grandmother Mary Morelock was born in 1842.

My sister marveled that we would walk the same streets as our great-grandmother. On our train trip from Paris to Strasbourg, she stared out at the rural landscape passing by. We pondered what our great-grandmother’s life had been like in France and whether she had ever traveled outside of Strasbourg.

“Had she imagined that one day two of her great granddaughters would visit and fall in love with Strasbourg, her birthplace?”

Christkindelsmarik’s History

The chief reason for our visit to this Alsatian city—which is located in eastern France near the German border—was to experience first-hand the magic and traditions of an authentic French celebration of Noel. And Strasbourg reigns supreme as the granddaddy of all European Christmas markets.

Established in 1570, Christkindelsmärik attracts over 2 million visitors each year. Strasbourg has twice been voted Europe’s best Christmas Market among 15 different towns—despite serious competition from Aachen, Germany, and Vienna, Austria.

Since we reserved three full days to tour Strasbourg, there was no pressure to fill every minute with sightseeing tours. Instead, my sister and I wanted to sneak up on Strasbourg by winding down a tiny alley to find a bakery to buy a quiche Lorraine (which we could eat on a park bench with our mittens still on), by bending over a bridge to watch the swirling river below, and by peering in frosty window panes of medieval homes to see the rough-hewn furnishings. We were in search of Strasbourg’s Christmas secrets.

Second Largest City in France

France’s second-largest city, Strasbourg blends Old World with New World architecture.

The ultramodern European Union Parliament Building is but minutes away by boat cruising down to the Ile River where the historic quarter of Strasbourg (known as “Petite France”) sits. The brown and beige-stucco homes dating back nearly 700 years were once owned by millers, fishermen, and tanners. In 1988, Petite France was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Just as women adore dressing up in crimson silk frocks and draping themselves in fur stoles and pearls, so Strasbourg transforms itself during Christmas. Its half-timbered/half-stucco homes in Petite France wore glittering jeweled lights—which twinkle emerald, ruby, and diamond—while ivory tapered candles flickered in upstairs chalet windows. A whiff of pine needles perfumed the air.

Marche de Noel Food Stalls

From the moment we walked down to the old town, we felt the magic. Colorful lights festooned timber houses. Glittering snowflakes hung in the air.

We tried to angle our bodies past the people—young, old, and in between—that packed the stalls of the Marche de Noel. Hunger determined our first stop.

Following our noses toward the succulent aromas, we headed to the stalls selling food. Sausages sizzling in fat perfumed the air. Big vats of sauerkraut reeked of vinegar. Crispy laced crepes baked on the griddle before being coated in Nutella. The sweet smell of vanilla wafted in the congested corridors. We were famished after our red-eye flight from Washington, D.C.

With the temperatures plummeting to 35 degrees and my toes feeling like ice cubes in my fur boots, I headed straight for the mulled wine this afternoon. The first sip was elixir. The cloves mixed seductively with the white Alsace wine that was steaming hot. The after-taste of cinnamon and cloves coated my tongue. My lips were dyed burgundy. Our lunch was a sausage sandwich.

For our snack, we bought a salty bretzel (pretzel) and coated it in Dijon mustard. Now we were fortified for an afternoon of shopping.

Christmas Chalets

There are over 300 wooden stalls (known as chalets) scattered throughout Petite Strasbourg. Hand-carved Father Christmas statues stand poised to grab a red velvet satchel for their Christmas Eve journey. Pink-cheek French babies swathed in fur blankets reach out for crinkly bags of nougats at vendors’ stalls. A shop keeper’s Jack Russell terrier offers his paw for children to shake.

Handmade Gifts

For some American tourists, this outdoor holiday market is the antithesis of a Black Friday. Instead of chasing bargains locked in an overheated gargantuan mall, tourists head outdoors to find the perfect present. They shop for homespun Alsatian goods, such as hand-knitted wool sweaters, embroidered tea towels, wooden toys, and glass tree ornaments. I stood in line to buy two sets of hand-dipped candles—forest green and cranberry red—that were carefully wrapped in waxed paper and tied with a ribbon.

Place Gutenberg

Nights were the magical time when Santa’s elves came out to play. At Place Gutenberg (the center of medieval Strasbourg), we walked under the red and green illuminated sign that proclaimed Strasbourg as the Capitale de Noel. We marveled at the illuminated angels hanging in the air and blowing celestial horns which lit our path. The long trail of fairy lights made us think that magic was at work here.

Outdoor Films

At Place de Kleber, we stood in a drizzly rain to watch a “walk-in” movie projected on the brick face of side-by-side townhomes. The dialogue was in French but we could guess the meaning. Babies sat in their strollers and chortled at the cartoons.

Alsatian Pizza

We decided to eat dinner early and headed to Place d’Austerlitz for the Market of Christmas Treats. There were stalls for local bakers, winegrowers of the Couronne d’Or, Alsace foie gras producers, the Tribu des Gourmets d’Alsace, and local beer brewers.

We picked tarte flambee, a pizza-style sandwich that consisted of a thin flat bread covered with fromage blanc, crème fraiche, yellow onions, and thin strips of bacon. It was broiled until crispy brown. The pungent onion odor wafted through the air. My sister loved it.

“My favorite food was a French-type pizza on a baguette. One bite and I was hooked.”

We ate standing up at a high-top table while the sounds of French Christmas carols serenaded us. Then we followed the river back to our hotel and collapsed in bed.

River Walk

The next morning, we accidentally overslept so we had a late start on Tuesday. We were staying at Hotel Regent Contades, a grand 19th-century mansion, which was an easy 15-minute walk to Petite France. Our stroll followed the snaking path of the Ill River which meanders in a curve parallel to the street and winds down to the canal locks.

Back in the Middle Ages, the river was a thoroughfare for boats that plied the waters to transport goods. To get to Petite France, we walked down past the Quai des Bateliers on the Ille River.

Cathedral Notre Dame de Strasbourg

We began our sightseeing at the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, an imposing Gothic church in Petite France. Built on the prior site of the Roman Argentoratum, the pink-hued sandstone cathedral dates back to 1176. When completed in 1439, it was the tallest structure in the world.

I climbed to the cathedral’s rooftop and saw the city laid out below. The “Vue Panoramique” (panoramic view) astounded me. The wood-timbered houses looked like doll houses. Chalet rooftops clustered together in the square. Tiny people mingled on the streets.

We also toured the church’s magnificent interior which features stain-glass windows depicting the life of Christ and Creation. There was an elaborate display of nativity scenes that featured Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus in the straw-lined barn.

City Pass

In the afternoon, we dropped by the Tourism Office and purchased the City Pass. It included audio devices for the self-guided walking tour. Over the next three hours, we traipsed to over a dozen sights. We loved the easy pace of choosing where to dawdle (such as Palais de Rohan). 

But our favorite attraction was the Musee de l’Oveure Notre-Dame, which consisted of three medieval and Renaissance houses linked together. Inside we marveled at the low-hung carved wooden ceilings, hidden courtyards, and spiral stone staircases. The museum displayed medieval and Renaissance artwork as well as the architect’s original parchment drawings for the cathedral.

Night Boat Tour

On Wednesday night, we took the glass-covered sleek Batorama boats that ply the Ill River. From our toasty-warm vantage point, we observed the colorful Christmas illuminations that traced the outlines of the historic buildings. The boat traveled past the covered bridges, the Vauban dam, the “Neustadt” (imperial district), and the European parliamentary site.

On our final day in Strasbourg, we trekked from one market to another. They were sandwiched close to each other in Petite France so it was easy to visit them all. My favorite was the Market of the Magi where I purchased hand-carved Nativity figurines to add to my collection at home.

Grand Christmas Tree

As night descended, the Grand Christmas tree was illuminated in Place de Kleber. This has been a tradition since 1605 when the trade guilds were responsible for putting up fir trees decorated with ornaments during the holy Advent season.

Nowadays, a giant fir tree is hand-selected from the Bois-de-Champ region of the Vosges mountains. Its size can climb to over 100 feet tall. At the foot of the tree, visitors left gifts for the needy, thus the market’s name (Village of Sharing).

Musee Alsacien

Our final day was spent touring the Musee Alsacien to learn how 19th-century town folk lived in Strasbourg. Located on Quai Saint-Nicolas, it seemed a fitting last stop for our Christmas expedition. My sister and I could almost imagine what life was like for our great-grandmother in Strasbourg.

The museum was formed in 1907 but the structure dates back to the 17th century. The curators linked multiple old houses together via staircases and wooden passageways. With over 1,000 objects on display, we learned about earthenware, religious items, toys, costumes, and furnishings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Afterword

Our final evening was spent at the half-timbered residence of Maison de Tanneurs where we indulged in a heaping platter of sausages piled high on a bed of sauerkraut. With mugs of cider in our hand, we toasted Strasbourg and its enchanting Christkindelsmärik.

Ten years have passed since our trip to Strasbourg. My sister died in 2023, so I will always feel grateful that we shared this time in France together. You should never put off going places with your loved ones.