CHRISTMAS MARKETS

STRASBOURG CHRISTMAS MARKET

There is nothing that gets you more into the spirit of Christmas than a visit to a Christmas market, the lights, the decorations and the smell of Gluhwein all help to set the mood. Although they are becoming ever more popular in the UK, you cannot beat the Christmas markets in Germany and France. On a recent visit to Germany, staying in Hinterzarten in the heart of the Black Forest I was lucky enough to visit three Christmas markets, two in Germany and the other in France.

I had travelled independently to Germany, travelling by car via the Euro Tunnel and France. The route to Hinterzarten had taken me through Strasbourg, a journey that I had done on a few previous occasions. I had never been impressed with the little I had seen of Strasbourg as I drove through a mostly industrial area, however, I was soon to change my mind.

Strasbourg is the capital city of the Alsace region of France and is also the official seat of the European Parliament. Its close proximity to the German border has led to many German influences both in architecture and language.

First signs of human activity in the area dates back some 600,000 years and the first signs of a settlement date back to 1300 BC by Proto-Celts. In the 5^th century AD the town was held successively by both the Huns and the Franks and in 923 AD it became part of the Holy Roman Empire. For 10 months from September 1939 to June 1940 the entire town was empty having been evacuated due to the start of World War Two. It was then annexed to Germany until its liberation by the 2^nd French Armoured Division in November 1944.

Today the City has a population of over half a million and the port of Strasbourg is the 2^nd largest port on the Rhine. The historic city centre with its 12^th century Cathedral was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. The University of Strasbourg is the largest in France.

My trip to the Christmas market in Strasbourg had been arranged as a surprise for me by my son (an early Christmas present) and he had booked it in Hinterzarten where he lives. The trip was booked through a local German coach company called Steiert. There are many travel companies in the UK who provide package holidays to the European Christmas markets either by coach, plane or ferry. It is even possible to take a river cruise and also take in the markets, or as we did make your own independent arrangements.

My son had arranged our trip to Strasbourg on Saint Nicholas day, this is a very important saints day on the continent with many recognising it as a day to give gifts. Our day started with a taxi ride from our hotel to the train station at Hinterzarten where our coach was due to depart at 09:00. We took our seats on the comfortable modern coach and made our way to the city of Freiburg where we would pick up more passengers. Hinterzarten is over 800 metres above sea level and as we descended towards Freiburg the snow and mountains quickly disappeared and we were soon making our first stop. The driver made announcements throughout our journey, informing us of the days events, these announcements were of course in German as it was a German coach company. We also had a little German music for a while which helped make the journey even more special.

Once you cross the Rhine you are no longer in Germany but in France, and almost immediately in Strasbourg. The journey had taken about 90 minutes and we would have a further 30 minutes on the coach as we were given a tour of the city before being dropped off in the centre close to the Cathedral and Christmas market. We had approximately 5 hours of free time to explore this beautiful city.

The Christmas market in Strasbourg is one of the biggest and most famous of all the markets and there has been a market held here for several hundred years. Situated around the Cathedral in the old town, the setting is delightful. There are numerous places to eat with both German and French food available. Punch, Gluhwein and an assortment of snacks are available from the market stalls and there are many restaurants situated in the square and the side streets around the Cathedral. The Cathedral is well worth a visit, it is a beautiful building, entry is free but visiting times are restricted so as not to disturb worship.

On our return to Hinterzarten we stopped at Gengenbach to view the worlds largest advent calendar, a building in the square where a window is opened everyday to reveal a picture. We also had some free time to explore the Christmas market in Gengenbach, a very pretty spectacle as it was now nightfall and the lights of the stalls came alive in the dark. We arrived back in Hinterzarten at around 21:00 having had a wonderful day.

Whilst in Germany we also visited the Christmas market in Freiburg, as with the market in Gegenbach this wasn’t as large or as comprehensive as the one in Strasbourg but it was still well worth the visit. Strasbourg was a much more beautiful city than I had previously believed, having only seen the industrial areas as I had driven through it. I can now highly recommend a visit to this unique city at any time of the year, but if it’s a Christmas market that you are after, look no further.

TRAVEL TO FRANCE BY CAR

 

 

EURO TUNNEL/LE-SHUTTLE

Normally when I travel to France with a vehicle I choose to take the ferry. There are various reasons that I have chosen this mode of transport, firstly I am a complete fanatic when it comes to anything to do with the sea and will always jump at the chance to hop aboard a ship or boat. Secondly, I find the ferry crossing very relaxing and look upon it as part of the holiday, it is also very convenient to have a meal whilst on board, saving time by not stopping once on the road. There is also the benefit of being able to stretch your legs whilst on board and maybe do a bit of shopping, it is also normally cheaper to take the ferry than travel via Euro Tunnel.

Before my most recent trip to France, I had only been through the Euro Tunnel on four occasions, twice with a car on Le-Shuttle and twice on Eurostar. I chose to cross the Channel using Euro Tunnel on this most recent trip as it is somewhat quicker than the ferry, only 30 minutes as opposed to 90 minutes. For those of you who may not be good sailors, it also means you can avoid any rough seas and the inevitable sea sickness.

Euro Tunnel opened to the public in 1994 having cost almost £10 billion and taking 6 years to build. The tunnel runs from Folkestone in England to Calais in France, a total distance of 31.4 miles. At a distance of 23.5 miles the portion of the tunnel that runs under the sea is the longest under sea tunnel in the world. Total passenger numbers for the tunnel in 2010 was in the region of 17 million, with around 7.5 million travelling on Le-Shuttle and 9.5 million travelling on Eurostar. The train operates for 365 days of the year with up to 4 departures an hour.

For my most recent trip I booked my outward journey on-line via Euro Tunnel’s own website, I booked about 2 weeks in advance and the single journey with car and 4 passengers cost £75 as opposed to £39 - £45 on the ferry. As the train was booked for 10:20 and last check in was 09:50 I stayed at a hotel in the Folkestone area the night before.

When I awoke on the morning of the crossing to the sound of heavy rain and strong winds, I was glad that we were using the tunnel and not crossing by ferry as my travelling companions were not good sailors and it looked as if it could be a rough crossing. Check- in at the tunnel was quick and easy, as we drove towards the check-in the car registration was electronically read and the ticket machine greeted me by name and issued a ticket to be hung from the rear view mirror. The ticket had a letter printed on it which corresponded to the lane in which we had to wait for boarding.

Boarding starts about 25 minutes before the train is due to depart, whilst you are waiting there are places to purchase food and drink as well as a shop at the terminal and toilet facilities. The attendants direct you onto the train, loading the cars in the position best suited for an optimum load, there are two decks and each carriage will hold 4 or 5 cars depending on size of vehicle. Once on the train you are directed to park close to the vehicle in front (this is both for maximum loading purposes and to discourage people walking between the vehicles during transit). Vehicles must be left in gear or with the hand brake on and windows should be left half open. Although it is recommended to stay in your vehicle you can get out and walk about to stretch your legs, there are also toilets available but as with most toilets on public transport these are best avoided unless desperate.

The crossing was very quick and the train does not feel as claustrophobic as you might imagine. There is some motion noticeable and this seems to be increased if sitting in the vehicle (due to the vehicles suspension), so anyone who does suffer from motion sickness may be advised to stand in the train rather than sit in the vehicle. Unloading on arrival in France was as easy as loading in England and once we had driven through passport control we were clear to proceed on our journey.

For our return to England we would book on-line the day before departure at a cost of £83 (compared to £60 for the ferry). We booked on the 13:50 departure but arrived at the tunnel much earlier than we had anticipated at about 10:00. We were given the choice of travelling on either the 10:42 departure or the 10:50, we chose the 10:50 and made our way to the car lanes going through both the French passport control and the English passport control. When boarding started in the lane we were in, we found that we were being directed onto the 10:42 departure after all.

After another quick and uneventful journey we arrived back in the UK a little earlier than expected. The journey with Euro Tunnel had been quick and efficient, albeit a little expensive. Under normal circumstances I would still rather take the ferry but for speed of travel you cannot beat the tunnel.

Prices for Euro Tunnel, if booked in advance, start from £44 for a day return and £39 for a single whilst flexi tickets start from £124 each way.

RETURN TO HINTERZARTEN

 

HOTEL SONNENBERG

 

When I was in Hinterzarten in the German Black Forest back in June of this year, little did I realise that I would be returning so soon. Back in June the weather was glorious with long sunny days and temperatures in excess of 30 C. I had spent most of my vacation in nearby Titisee staying only one night in Hinterzarten.

Hinterzarten is at the very heart of the Black Forest and with the city of Freiburg only a short drive away, it is an ideal base from which to explore the area. At over 800 metres above sea level and surrounded by mountains, it is little wonder that Hinterzarten has become such a popular ski resort.

Arriving at the beginning of December, as I did, one can expect a little snow, although the ski season doesn’t get underway until after Christmas. In the weeks prior to my visit there had been some snowfall but it hadn’t lasted long and on the day I arrived there was not a snowflake in sight. However, the very next morning I awoke to a blanket of snow which had transformed this small town into something quite magical, a complete contrast to my previous visit.

The hotel that I and my travelling companions were staying at was the Hotel Sonnenberg situated on a hill high above the town at Am Kessler berg 9. This position afforded us the most fantastic views of the town and surrounding area, both from our bedrooms and the restaurant where we enjoyed breakfast every morning.

On our arrival at the hotel we were greeted by Herr Lehmann (the owner) with a cheerful “Welcome home”. Over the next six days it was to feel very much like our home with the generosity and hospitality that was shown to us by Herr Lehmann and his wife. The owners and their staff worked tirelessly to keep the hotel spotless and see to our every need, ensuring that we had a wonderful stay.

The Hotel Sonnenberg is rated 4 star and has an indoor swimming pool, sauna and massage rooms as well as the perfectly situated aforementioned restaurant and a library. Wi fi internet is also available and is free of charge and there is also free guest car parking. Breakfast is continental but with such a wide range of meats, cheeses, cereals, breads, preserves, fruit and juices, there is no need to go hungry. Evening meals are also available in the restaurant although you do need to pre-book in the morning.

My room was a non smoking double room at the front of the hotel overlooking the car park and town, there was also a small dairy farm opposite with a delightful cow shed that looked quite splendid all lit up at 04:30 in the morning. The bedroom was of a good size and featured a Laura Ashley design and the bathroom with its large shower cubicle had a granite finish. The bedroom also had ample seating with a settee, two chairs and a coffee table. There was the usual TV, mini bar, dressing table and adequate wardrobe space with a built in safe. All that was missing in my opinion was tea/coffee making facilities, but this is something that I have come to expect whilst travelling in Europe as it is not as common to find this facility on the continent as it is in the UK.

A short walk from the hotel is the Ski Museum which is well worth a visit, you can easily while away an hour or two looking at the ski exhibits and art work. Something to bear in mind when visiting local attractions is that often you will get a discount if you have a Hochschwarzwald card. These cards are supplied by many of the hotels to guests staying for at least two nights. The cards will also allow you travel free on some local trains, take a lake cruise on Lake Titisee and have free time on bike hire and Segway hire in Titisee.

Due to the heavy snowfall and the fact that our English car was not fitted with winter tyres, we did, on occasions, experience a little difficulty driving around, but this didn’t stop us having a great time. The local taxi drivers had no problems getting around as they all had their winter tyres on and were familiar with the winter weather conditions. We also used the train to travel into Freiburg and Herr Lehmann was kind enough to drive us to the train station. For our day out to the Christmas market in Strasbourg we hired a taxi from the hotel to the train station where we then travelled by coach for a full day’s excursion to Strasbourg and Gegenbach.

One thing to bear in mind on a visit to Hinterzarten is that for the first two weeks of December there are a lot of hotels and restaurants closed for holidays before the Christmas rush. I had booked the Sonnenberg via Booking.Com a few weeks before leaving the UK and had originally booked for 5 nights. However, we enjoyed our stay at the hotel so much that on the fifth day we booked in for an extra night.

We drove away from Hinterzarten feeling that we had experienced a wonderful holiday, but thinking it had ended all too soon. The hospitality shown to us by Herr Lehmann and his wife was second to none and we look forward to our next visit with anticipation. Germany is a wonderful country, the Black Forest is a beautiful area of Germany and Hinterzarten and the Hotel Sonnenberg is the ideal place to stay and experience this magnificent area.