Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose (song by Mel Torme and Bob Wells, sung by Nat King Cole). These lines evoke visions of Christmas, and one thing that Christmas brings to Europe in Christmas Markets. Smells of sausages sizzling and gluhwein wafting through the air. Wooden stands, looking like small cabins, adorned with carved Santa Clauses (Babbo Natale in Italian), snow globes, warm wool scarves, and fleece slippers. The buzz of hundreds (or thousands) of excited patrons, sharing the joy and warmth of the season. This atmosphere forms the backdrop, from late November through Christmas, across much of Europe. And as Later Gap Travelers, this is one of those experiences that we pulled up stakes in the U.S. to come back to relive and enjoy.
On the Road Again
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, we had a few days to try and get in as many markets as possible. Having previously lived in England, and spending quite a bit of time at the Belgium and German markets, we decided that this year we would check out Northern Italy. We looked at a couple maps and figured there were a couple of different possible areas that were close enough to drive. We now had a timeframe and an area of the continent to focus on. So we turned to our usual sources of information and inspiration – blogs and vlogs – to narrow down our final destination(s). The towns of Trento, Bolzano, Merano, and Bressanone were promising and offered what we were looking for – local markets that were close enough together so we could enjoy them all in the short time we had. So we loaded the car, I picked up my wife a little early from school, and off we went.
Abutting Austria and nestled into the Dolomite mountains, the area is an alpine mix of Italy and Austria (or Germany). This provides for an interesting culture and some extra opportunities to excel (obstacles). First, each of the towns has two names – one Italian and the other not Italian; Bolzano is also Bozen, Merano is Meran, and Bressanone is Brixen. This means that making reservations can be confusing, as where you thought you were going isn’t necessarily on your map (although really it is, just with a different name). Also, while elsewhere in Italy, many signs and menus are in Italian and English, in this region the second language is German. For someone struggling with rudimentary Italian, trying to translate to German was really not going to work – thank goodness, again, for Google Translate. However, this also meant a doubling of the pleasure. In the food stands, the wurst and kraut were on sale next to the Parma ham and parmigiano cheese, and the Grappa was next to the Gluhwein.
Life in the Northern Towns
We stopped on the way north in the town of Nove, a town known for ceramics (it makes many of the ceramic dishes for Williams & Sonoma, Tiffany, and Vietri among others). This was actually a bonus stop, and one of those cool things that is possible on a Later Gap adventure. We had offered to pick up a couple replacement plates for a friend in the states who had bought stuff there 15 years ago – they still carried the same pattern. Since it was already dark (it gets dark pretty early in the winter, especially in the mountains), we grabbed an inexpensive hotel, had a quick pizza for dinner, and got rested up for our 4-day market adventure. After the short detour, we continued on our way.
Trento
The first town, and market, we decided to visit was Trento. There were two Christmas markets in the town, a larger one in Piazza Fiera (on the edge of the Old Town) and a smaller one in Piazza Cesare Battisti (within the shopping district). Our hotel, the Boutique Exclusive B & B, was between the two. We arrived around midday, found the parking lot our host recommended, left our luggage in the car, and headed up to our first market of 2022, in Piazza Fiera.
Along one side of the market stands one of the old city walls. Between our exit from the carpark and the grey city stood a host of food and drink stands. All of them offered their take on mulled wine (gluhwein, brule rot (or weisse), brule rosso – different names, same basic idea) and each one had its own food specialty. One of my favorites was the German version of a potato taco (at least that is what I called it), a thinly fried round of hash-browns, folded in half, and filled with sauerkraut and cut up sausage pieces. Other stands offered bread bowls of goulash soup, wurst and kraut, paninis (sandwiches with fresh rolls and typically speck), and giant pretzels, either sliced in half as sandwiches or covered in mustard or chocolate. We grabbed a couple mugs of wine and proceeded out of the food area and into the merchandise stands. While most of the items on offer were what you would expect in such markets (all very nice), one item that caught my eye was the hand-carved wooden nativity sets on small rounds of pine; one carver was actually whittling a small set as people wandered by and watched. After a couple hours of slow wandering, we headed into the old town and our hotel, knowing that we would be back when it got dark, for another glass or two of hot wine and to experience the magic of the market under the lights and stars.
After another enjoyable trip through the market in the evening, and a good night’s sleep, we proceeded on with our itinerary. We had booked our hotel in Bolzano (Bozen), a slightly larger town between our other two destinations, Merano and Bressanone. We planned to visit the two outlying markets during the afternoons and return in the evening for dinner and the market in Bolzano. Most markets open around 10-11 AM and close around 7 PM, although the food and drink stands stay open well later into the evening. This would allow us to have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel (something we rarely do), drive around 30-40 minutes to one of the markets, wander and have lunch, then return before dark to park and take an hour or two in the Bolzano market before dinner. Surprisingly, our plan worked pretty well – they don’t always go quite so smoothly, meaning they sometimes turn into adventures.
Merano (otherwise known as Meran)
Our next market was in Merano, or Meran, depending on which name you want to use (I will stick with the Italian, Merano, for this one). The market was located along a river, with a wide walking path running between stands. Unlike in Trento, food and drink stands were interspersed with Christmas goodies stands throughout the whole market. We began our time with a quick stop for an Aperol spritz – not really a Christmas market drink, but it was a warm and sunny day and we also needed to use the restroom. We found that a coffee (in the morning) or aperitivo (in the afternoon) works well to allow bathroom stops. Refreshed, and more comfortable, we began our saunter through the market.
Many of the items were similar – nutcrackers and Christmas tree ornaments, wool and fleece scarfs and slippers, meats (both Parma ham and wurst) and cheeses, and food and mulled wine – and we enjoyed stopping and admiring the handiwork with an occasional longer pause for a cup of wine. After splitting a sausage with sauerkraut, we made our way out of the market and up into the town. We spent some time looking in windows and wandering through regular stores, where Black Friday Sales were being widely advertised. It is amazing, and sometimes depressing, to see what ideas have been imported. After not buying anything (not for lack of options – call it one moment of strength), we got back in our car and drove down to Bolzano.
Bolzano (aka Bosen)
Arriving in Bolzano, on a Friday evening, during the opening of the Christmas market and as it was getting dark, led to a bit of a domestic discussion. Traffic was a bit heavy, and we really didn’t know where we were going, except that we knew our hotel was downtown and we would have to find parking somewhere in the vicinity. I kind of wanted to navigate to a parking lot while my lovely bride wanted to navigate to the hotel and find a parking garage when we got close. We are still working on perfect and seamless communication – just like how we started this whole adventure. Both methods will work, but switching back and forth, losing the map at critical intersections, doesn’t. Short version, we eventually found a garage, in the vicinity of the hotel, parked – and kissed and made up.
Our next little surprise was when we checked in – the room was a bit pricier than I had expected (and I booked it). Going back to the itinerary, I couldn’t figure out what was going on, until we got off the elevator (the one with wood panels and a padded seat – my wife enjoyed that part) on the top floor to find out that I had somehow booked the Rooftop Terrace Suite – good on me, I guess. There was a doorway to the roof, with a private small garden and sitting area that overlooked the city, which we enjoyed for a few minutes – it is winter after all, and quite cold, but the view was really nice. After cleaning up, we made our way out to the market.
There were two Balzano markets – one was more of a crafts and artisans set up, with a meandering path through the park winding amongst the trees and spaced out booths. The other was a more traditional setup with rows of stalls selling Christmas goods and crafts among a few hot wine and food providers. We figured we would wander around for just a little bit as our drive into town and trying to figure out why the room had cost so much took some of our time and most markets close at 7. We also were hungry and had seen a couple places (while watching our preparation videos) that we figured to try for dinner. The market itself was fairly small, but the stands offered a good assortment of stuff, and the glühwein was good.
After about an hour, we headed to one of the restaurants we had heard about only to find a crowd gathered outside and a waiting list that was over an hour long. I guess we weren’t the only ones who had watched videos or read about eating in Bolzano. We asked about reservations for the next night – but they didn’t take them; it was first come, first served. Being hungry, and not the kind of folks who like to eat at midnight (see In Search of the Blue Hair Special), we started wandering the streets looking for an alternate option. We found one, which was full, but they offered us a table on the third floor, in the doorway. The food was great, the service was outstanding, and we ended up with another wonderful dining experience in Italy – but we also relearned (for the fiftieth time) that you need to make reservations if you want to eat on Friday nights, especially during busy tourist times.
Bressanone (Brixen – that’s easier)
The next day we headed up to the market in Bressanone or Brixen (I will stick with Brixen – it is shorter). The town is nestled in the mountains and the market is in the plaza in front of the cathedral. After finding a place to park (usually an adventure in itself), we wandered up the treet and into the market area. The Brixen market was in the front courtyard by the Duomo. Unlike Balzano and Merano, Brixen didn’t have a High Street shopping area. There were some nice little restaurants around the piazza (which was now full of Il Mercado Natale), so our primary focus and shopping was the market itself. We again found that many of the stalls, and handiworks, were similar, sausages and Parma hams, some cheeses, wool products and some wooden figurines. Also, we again found that the gluhwein was nice and warming and people were enjoying the time and atmosphere. After a couple hours of wandering and admiring, we meandered back to our car and headed back to Bolzano for our final night. We wanted to get back early. We had learned (again) that if you don’t have dinner reservations, you better be at the front of the queue if you want to eat, and we were going to get into that beer hall we had seen on the videos.
After a glass of wine in our private garden on the roof terrace (we paid for the room, might as well enjoy it) and a quick change, we headed out to grab an early bite to eat. Apparently, we weren’t quite early enough (it was only 6 for heaven’s sake), but we were able to get a seat at the bar. Thankfully, we could have a bite and enjoy a beer, not all places serve food at the bar – you can wait there with a drink, but no eating.. The food was good, there were quite a few options for beers, and we left feeling like we had least tried a couple of the suggestions we had picked up for the trip. On our walk back through the market, we were surprised to hear a couple different quartets, a string one and a brass one, playing Christmas music on balconies. The streets were packed, people were enjoying the atmosphere, the stalls, and the music. We wandered through the town, partaking in the festive mood, and relaxing. No pressure to eat, drink, or buy anything – just to take it in and enjoy. I guess at the end of the day, that is really what the joy of the market is about – a relaxed place and pace, where you can experience the excitement and the beauty of the season, with an occasional drink, bite to eat, and memento to help you remember.
Wrapping up the Weekend
Overall, the Christmas markets were nice – a fun blend of German or Austrian with Italian. The foods represented a mixture of the cultures, or pointed to a unique blend of its own. The markets offered goods that somewhat reflected the ideas of some of the traditional markets we had experienced in Germany with distinctive local flairs. The surrounding scenery was beautiful, with the snowcapped peaks of the Dolomites rising up around the towns providing a beautiful backdrop. And the markets were bite-sized – not too big as to be overwhelming, but large enough to provide a nice mix of all the things Christmas markets are supposed to offer. Overall, it was a very enjoyable weekend. We enjoyed four unique markets, in four different locations – and reinforced the “Reason for the Season”.