Hi All-
Hoping you have a suggestion for a couple of weeks at the end of this year.
We love the Christmas Markets in the Italian Alps, and are thinking we could fly direct to Geneva or Zurich and be close enough to get to an area with some traditional markets, maybe some horse drawn sleigh rides, skiing in the area - fun stuff!
Aloha!
I stayed with my friend's family in Baden (north of Zurich) a few years ago right before Christmas. I only got to visit the Bern and Basel Christmas markets but had a lot of fun. We liked Basel's more but it was also raining while we were in Bern so it wasn't the best weather for exploring. You could reach either of those easily from Zurich. We also took a day trip to Lucerne and went to Mount Rigi. The boat trip across the lake was gorgeous, and being up at the top at sunset, above the clouds - it was absolutely amazing. Very beautiful and a great memory.
This is a great website that we use here in Europe also.
http://www.christmasmarkets.com/
There's quite a few you can reach from either Zurich or Geneva. Watch the end dates, some end right before Christmas, some end at New Year's.
For loads of ambiance, look to the big ski resorts for events, sleigh rides, etc.
Have fun!
I didn't see any markets, but when I stayed in Grindelwald over Christmas in 2012, there was plenty of sleigh rides offered. And of course, the skiing...
