Christmas markets

Uhhh...Colmar?
http://www.noel-colmar.com/en/

Hi,

Since you're close enough and have that time, go to Strasbourg as well as day trip.

We love Colmar but it's Christmas decorations can't beat those in Strasbourg. I hope you see the Strasbourg decorations at night as they're spectacular.

Alsace is all good. . . . take a peek here. Paris isn't exactly shabby either when it comes to the holiday season.

If you can work it in, visit the medieval market in Esslingen (a short train ride from Stuttgart).

Also in day trip range from Colmar, Freiburg-im-Breisgau and Basel have Christmas markets.

We went to Paris last year, and there were about 5 Christmas markets in Paris alone. (We went to three.) They reminded me of a county fair, especially the one by the Eiffel Tower, which had rides. Google Christmas markets Paris, and I'm sure you'll find several.

The town of Eguisheim, near Colmar, is also supposed to have a great, small village market. I have not had the opportunity to go--on my bucket list. Enjoy your trip.

Gary,
I hope you come back and let us know how your trip went. I am curious how you found the markets and which ones were your favorites!

I was in Paris after Christmas and walked along the market boardwalk near the Eiffel Tower, saw the tiny one near one of the churches closer to the Cluny (sorry drawing a blank on which church that is, could've been Saint Germain des Pres), and the small one at Abbesses Metro. I admit I skipped the Champs-Elysees market--too many people for me. The one near the Eiffel Tower was okay.

I'm going to say what I'm going to say, and you can let the tomatoes fly if you wish. I had some expectation that the markets in Paris would be similar to what you see in Germany and Austria (and I suppose Alsace) as in nice handicrafts, food, candied almonds for days. Almonds check. Some regional food check. There was also some cruddy fair food mixed in. The "crafts" were stuff that I'd describe as borderline junk like they sell on the fringes of flea and farmers markets around here. I mean purses, soap, Peruvian style mittens, scarves, jewelry but not juried or nicer level crafts. There was one booth at Abbesses that I thought had some nicer scarves, and I did buy some almonds from that fair, but if you go with visions of Black Forest sugar plums dancing in your head, that's not what it is. At least not in Paris. I have not been to the markets in Colmar, Strasbourg, Rouen, etc. so they may be different, and I cannot speak to them. We all have different likes and expectations, but I was a little disappointed.

Yes, authentic Christmas markets are a tradition of culturally Germanic countries (including Colmar and Strasbourg, but not elsewhere in France). Ones elsewhere in Europe have only sprung up since the last ten years or so and are just money-making ventures.