Hailing from Manchester, where the cult of the German
Christmas Market has become all-consuming over the past years, I certainly had
to make the most of my connections in Austria this year to visit some of the
most famed markets the world over.
Living in Marseille, I found the Christmas spirit in the
south of France to be, sadly, lacking. From the absence of Christmas trees in
the big squares of the city, to the small markets that offered little in the
way of variety, I would be lying if I did not say I was disappointed and
longing for the traditional festivities that Manchester offers at this time of
year.
Fortunately, having lived and worked in Austria for half of
2014, I was able to arrange a Christmas reunion to visit dear friends and
colleagues in Salzburg, just across the German-Austrian border to experience
the authentic markets first hand.
When the idea was initially suggested in June, my boss made
it clear that Salzburg at Christmas was not at all like Salzburg the rest of
the year: “You think there are enough tourists now with The Sound of Music and
Mozart, you wait.”
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| Markets next to the Cathedral |
Arriving to a cold but perfectly blue skied Salzburg, the
small city, with a population of 150,000 people, had been completely overtaken
by Christmas decorations, the smell of Austrian food, and so many tourists that
walking down the street took some serious skill in manoeuvring around the crowds.
The three squares that surround the Dom (Cathedral) in the
city centre were filled with different stalls that were open throughout the
day, from morning until after 9pm depending on the stand and the night.
In addition to the usual Salzburg memorabilia, the markets
boasted handmade and locally sourced clothes for all ages, decorations for
Christmas, present ideas, ranging from plaques and posters, to pots, vases and
items for the garden, and German games.
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| Gluhwein |
Of course, the stands that were the busiest were those that
offered food and drink. Punsch and Glühwein were the chief attractions of the
season amongst the many German brews on offer, and I was certainly spoilt for
choice for dinner, between Bratwurst and Krainer sausages, Käsespätzle, hot
baked potatoes, baked apples, Kaiserschmarren and other delectable dishes that
have since merged into one in a post punsch haze (especially the Feuerzangenbowle punch, which translated
literally means the flaming fire tongue punch!)
In Salzburg, these
festivities are enjoyed in the charm of a UNESCO world heritage site under the
watchful eye of the Festung (Fortress), in a city that looks like it might have
jumped out of a Hans Christen Anderson story or Disney creation. With the extra
lights spread through the streets and along the bridges, and religious cribs to
be found scattered about the city, it is enough to make even the most cynical
Scrooge feel warm affection for this season.
And if these
Christmas nay-sayers remain resolute in their anti-festivity sentiment, there
is always the Salzburg tradition of the Krampus – a mythical creature that
comes to town on the 5th of December to scare and beat up naughty
children before the festival of St Nicholas on 6th December.
Inhabitants take it quite seriously, and dress up in masks and costumes and
chase teenagers and children down the street. Scary.
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| A view of the city from the Salzach River |
No wonder the Christkindlmarkt
are the most popular and renowned – from the ambience, to the gastronomy, to
the quirky local traditions, nothing shouts Christmas like these markets!
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