4 hours Ago By [email protected] (Liv Clarke)
With December fast approaching, Christmas markets are popping up in towns and cities across Europe. Naturally Germany is considered the home of Christmas markets, with tourists making a beeline for Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin. Yet the country still maintains some festive hidden gems when it comes to winter fairs.
Esslingen is a town in south-west Germany and every year it hosts not one but two Christmas markets ; one is a traditional market, while the other is a step back in time to the Middle Ages. The town’s fairytale-like timber-framed buildings provide the perfect backdrop for the Medieval Market, where stall-holders dress up in oldie-worldie costumes and street performers walk around in stilts. In fact it’s not just a market, it’s more of an experience.
READ MORE: Manchester Christmas Markets' best food, and exactly where to find it in 2024 You can expect to find traditional gifts with crafters and makers demonstrating their skills right in front of you, from basket-weaving to glass blowing. Visitors can even partake in workshops to learn the skills themselves, or have a go at mediaeval games like catapult shooting and archery. The market is surrounded by beautiful old buildings (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Esslingen was even named by The Times in its list of the 29 best Christmas markets in Europe for 2024, with the publication recommending it for having the “perfect festive market backdrop” where “you’ll see locals in costume as well as the odd stilt-walker or fire-eater.
” The Times added: "It’s small and walkable, with great restaurants and nightlife.” The town is very easy to get to from Stuttgart, one of Germany’s major cities which is a direct flight away from Manchester Airport . Although Stuttgart is home to its own Christmas market, it’s well worth checking out Esslingen as it's only a 10 minute train ride away.
One visitor described Esslingen as a 'must-do' (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) One visitor described the market as a ‘must-do’ on Tripadvisor. Merrowmum wrote: “Superb smaller market in a beautiful setting. This is an absolute must-do if you are in the local area during Christmas market season.
” They added: “Esslingen itself is a very pretty little town anyway, so do come during the day so that you can appreciate the gorgeous architecture.” Another reviewer on Tripadvisor, Traveling4Fun111, described the market as “a walk back in time”. They wrote: “My favourite village in all Europe.
The people are so friendly and the architecture is amazing.” Esslingen Christmas Markets run from November 26 until December 22. You can catch direct flights from Manchester Airport to Stuttgart with Skyscanner showing prices starting from £63 one way in December, with returns available for a similar price (although it’s important to note that this does not include seat allocation and baggage).
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