Hi everyone!
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Alsace between Christmas and New Years Eve. It was kind of difficult to know what to expect because all of the information about this area in December is concentrated on the time BEFORE Christmas. Since my vacations are dictated by the school district I work for, the only opportunity for winter travel to Europe was at this time. For all the educators in the same boat, here are things we learned!
- Strasbourg as a home base worked out well. All the restaurants seemed to be open. The city is beautiful.
- Strasbourg was super busy, even without the Christmas Markets going. All the lights were still up! The little huts that make up the markets were also still around. This made navigating some areas pretty difficult as they worked to remove them.
- Colmar was too busy to be enjoyable. The Christmas Markets were still up in Colmar, but they are strewn throughout the streets, making it almost impossible to participate without being in someone's way (or they being in your way.) I would not return to Colmar again during the winter season. Even doing Rick's walking tour was challenging. The best respite from the crowds was the Unterlinden Museum. When you purchase a ticket, you have in and out privileges all day. We returned to see more Roman artifacts later in the day and enjoyed a beer at the delightful cafe.
- Reservations are a must! We would not have survived Colmar if I didn't have a lunch reservation to get away from the crowds. Also note that some restaurants in Colmar are closed between Christmas and NYE. (I did not notice this in Strasbourg, but many were turned away from restaurants for not having a reservation during our meals.)
- The $20 (3 day) Museum Pass in Strasbourg was well worth it. We visited most museums covered. The best were the Historical Museum, Alsatian Museum, and the Archeological Museum (so much cool Roman stuff to learn!)
We had previously enjoyed Christmas Markets in Vienna, Innsbruck, and Salzburg. Those all had a calmer vibe than the experience we had in Colmar. After Strasbourg, we spent three nights in Koblenz where we found a more relaxed Christmas Market still going. I would definitely return to the region again. The wine and food were amazing! I'd probably prefer the summer though.
Happy travels!