La Capitale de Noël

When Margaret told me when she would be visiting, I immediately booked a hotel room in Strasbourg, which I had read has one of the best Christmas markets in Europe and is only a few hours away by train. That was back in August, and even then, we had trouble finding a place to stay. Fortunately, we found a recently opened hotel within reasonable distance from the city centre.

La Capitale de Noël

Many months later, we found ourselves in beautiful Strasbourg, which at this time of the year dubs itself, "La Capitale de Noel". For me, it was a return visit but Margaret would be experiencing the place for the first time. Our goal, then, was to balance Christmas shopping with touring the sights. 

Just a few of the figurines available

A few blocks from our hotel was the Christkindelsmärik, the largest of the eleven markets scattered around the city, and the one we visited most often. Margaret and I were impressed by the sheer number of items on sale here. There were figurines and many ornaments of various designs, local handicrafts, as well as a large selection of food. As expected, mulled wine was available to warm patrons as they shopped. 

These chandeliers hung over one of the streets

The Cathedral at night

As we headed towards the centre of the city, we were struck by how beautiful Strasbourg was at night. Houses were decorated whimsically, and lights were everywhere. As we wandered the streets, it was impossible not to feel the Christmas spirit.

Gorgeously decorated houses

Strasbourg waterfront at night

On our first evening, the concierge at the Hotel reserved us a table at a German restaurant, Au Pont du Corbeau, where we both decided to sample a local specialty, choucroute with Riesling. We were fortunate to find a place to eat since the city was chock full of others who had come for the famous markets. In fact, we were the first to arrive at the restaurant but half an hour later, there was not a seat to be had.  

Choucroute

The blue tree at Place Gutenberg

After dinner, we headed to the Temple Neuf for a free concert, put on by a very entertaining and talented brass quintet. What a treat that was! The event included a sing-along. I was thrilled that one of my favourite French carols that I recalled from childhood was played: "Il est né, le divin enfant." The best part, though, was the singing of "Douce Nuit' and "Stille Nacht", "Silent Night" in French and German. How wonderful!

The brass quintet in Temple Neuf.

On Saturday, it drizzled for several hours but that did not dampen our spirits. Our first stop was the Cathedral of Notre Dame, a gothic masterpiece that I had visited with Bob in the summer. At 10:00 in the morning, it was not at all crowded. There were two seasonal displays that I had not seen before: a collection of tapestries depicting the life of the Virgin Mary, and a very extensive nativity scene which traced many events in the early part of Christ's story. Near the famous astronomical clock, Marg was very taken by the Angel column, a very unusual feature. 

The Angel Column

Part of the Nativity Scene

Nearby, we visited another Christmas market and then crossed the canal to see two more as we followed the route that Bob and I had taken in August. On this Saturday morning, there was a brocante (collectibles market) set up too, so there was something for every shopper. Eventually, we popped into another church, Saint Thomas, where there was a service about to begin. We were accompanied by organ music as we explored the interior. The highlight here is a marble mausoleum behind the altar.

Marg rubs this fellow for good luck. It worked.

Mausoleum in Saint Thomas Church

In La Petite France, the old tannery district, the crowds got larger, as again, there were two Christmas markets set up, one right on top of the area where I had enjoyed lunch in the summer. We found a small café to have a bowl of soup before continuing our explorations. Good fortune visited us again, since shortly after we sat down, the "complet" sign went up. 

La Petite France district

Towers on the covered bridge (which is no longer covered, by the way.)

Eventually, we headed back to the heart of the city along La Grande Rue, the festively decorated main street. In Place Gutenberg, we visited the Belgian Village (apparently Strasbourg invites another culture to sell its wares every year), before going our separate ways. Margaret was interested in the Musée Tom Ungerer, while I wanted to hit the shops.

The Gutenberg Statue in front of the Belgian Village and a building with colourful dormer windows. 

Thanks to our concierge, we had a reservation at a French restaurant for dinner, Le Bistrot des Arts. Like the night before, the meal was delicious! Beforehand, we took in another free concert which featured three vocalists accompanied by a pianist. It was not of the same quality as the first one, so we left early. After dinner, our walk home featured more markets, and more lights.

Our favourite market, near our hotel

Alsacian pottery and sweets for sale

On our final day in Strasbourg, we headed for the Palais Rohan which houses le Musée des Beaux Arts and the Archaeological Museum, both offering free admission on the first Sunday of the month. We had expected to pay, so here was another bit of good luck.

Inside Le Musée des Beaux Arts

The view from the window of the Museum

On the way back to our hotel, we visited yet another market, stood in front of the massive Christmas tree, sampled some of the street food available at the Christmas markets, picked up a few more gifts and then headed for the train station, where the eleventh and last market awaited us. Of course, we looked at the wares there before boarding the train and returning to Neuchâtel.

In front of the Great Tree

Strasbourg's atmosphere was very seductive, and although there were many people there, it rarely felt crowded. This was clearly an event for families. We loved every minute. Our one regret: we should have bought even more! 

The Great Tree at night.