What to Expect, See and Do in 5 More European Christmas Market Cities

This week I am sharing all the details about visiting 5 MORE European Christmas market cities!

This is the itinerary of the second half of our Christmas Market trip!

Heidelberg, Germany

  • We took the train from Stutgartt to Heidelberg!

  • This city was so magical and picturesque! By the time we got here (Dec 24) most of the markets were closed for the season, but we were able to visit one and get some food and see a huge Christmas tree.

  • Heidelberg has a great main street about a mile long and tons of shopping, bakeries, and other cute stores.

  • I recommend staying near Old Town! This will put you near the markets and the main street. 

    • We stayed in an Airbnb in this area.

  • We spent Christmas in Heidelberg and it was so magical. The town was very quiet and almost everything was closed on Christmas Eve night and all day on Christmas. But we took this time to relax and loved it.

  • There is great public transportation with trams and buses throughout the city.

  • Not-market things to do

    • Visit the Heidelberg castle! We rode the vernacular to the top and walked around the castle without a tour.

    • Visit a local church for Sunday services.

    • Walking tour of Old Town

    • River tour

    • Eat German food! Yelp is a great resource.

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

  • We stopped in Luxembourg for a couple of hours while driving between Heidelburg and Brussels. We had a driver from My Day Trip who dropped us off and picked us up. 

  • The market in the city was small but still great! They had a lot of carnival games and rides.

  • The market had amazing smoked salmon on a baguette! We also ate amazing cheese-filled bratwursts. 

  • We visited Luxembourg on December 26, which is a holiday in Europe. Almost everywhere was still closed, but it was fun to walk around. 

  • I don’t think that you’d need much time here, but it is a fun stop.

  • Not-market things to do

    • Tour the castles and cathedrals

    • Art museums

    • Walking tour

Brussels, Belgium

  • We decided to visit Brussels because their markets stayed open later than other cities. And because the country sounded amazing! 

  • There were 200 booths throughout the city with ice skating and carnival rides.

  • Although we didn’t buy anything here, it was still so fun to look around!

  • Our family loved Brussels! We would definitely recommend it!

  • Be aware that Brussels is a big city with lots of people. However, you can walk to most of the places you’d need to. There is also a metro system.

  • Not-market things to do

    • Tour the Grand Palace

    • Visit art museums

    • Natural Science museum

    • Visit the Atomium! You go up escalators between balls in the sky to see views of the city. You’ll have to look this up!

Bruges, Belgium

  • We took a day trip from Brussels to Bruges by train! It’s only a one-hour ride from Brussels.

  • This town is so charming and beautiful. It was much smaller and more picturesque than Brussels. 

  • The markets are spread throughout the city. Be sure to visit the market in the main square. The buildings around this area are beautiful!

  • Not-market things to do

    • Visit the Old Chocolate House and get hot chocolate! You get to choose your own type of chocolate and milk and then mix it all together. We also had some great waffles.

    • Go shopping or window shopping! There are tons of clothing stores here.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

  • We took a My Day Trip driver from Brussels to Amsterdam.

  • Unfortunately, we didn’t make it in time to see many markets in Amsterdam. We only got to see one. But it was ok because there is SO much to do here!

  • Not-market things to do

    • Visit Kinderdijk to see lots of windmills! It was the perfect Netherlands place to be. We only had one hour, but I wish we could have stayed longer.

    • Visit Clara Maria Clog and Cheese Farm. This was so much fun! It’s a real farm that gives tours of their cheese-making process. They also have a clog workshop and we got to see how they’re made. 

    • Van Gogh Museum. Be sure to purchase tickets in advance!

    • Anne Frank House. Buy these tickets a few months in advance!

    • Electronic Music Museum. This is an awesome place to visit if anyone in your family has an interest in music and music production.

    • Take a boat tour around the city via canals. There are private and large group tours.

    • Amazing restaurant recommendation!!! Boxx Social! This restaurant had such a cool vibe and the food was absolutely fantastic. They had a super unique menu and everything was delicious. We would definitely recommend eating here.

Lisa AndrewsComment