10 | Viking Explorer Society News
O
f Europe's many festive
traditions, perhaps none is more
beloved than the annual
Christmas markets. Replete with
cosy stalls selling all manner of handmade
crafts by local artisans, delicious regional
treats and authentic holiday accoutrement,
each of these charming markets boasts its
own heritage and character. With a history
dating back centuries, this treasured custom
has more than stood the test of time.
Though forerunners of today's Christmas
markets began in Europe during the Middle
Ages, the world's oldest genuine Christmas
market is Dresden's own Striezelmarkt, which
was first held for one day only on 23
December 1434. This initial iteration of the
Striezelmarkt was a meat market, held so that
the people of Dresden would have a selection
of fresh meat from which to choose for the
upcoming yuletide festivities. This endeavour
proved so successful that it became an annual
tradition, and the offerings supplemented the
following year with various other goods.
Beginning in the early 1500s, the duration of
the market was expanded from a single day to
encompass the Monday before Christmas
through 24 December. While the location of
the Striezelmarkt has changed many times
over the centuries, today it is held in same
place as the original 1434 meat market:
Dresden's Altmarkt square, the city's oldest.
While Christmas markets had begun to spring
up in the years following the introduction of
the Striezelmarkt, the 16th century is when
they truly began to proliferate across the
continent. In addition to celebrating the
festive season and providing a vehicle through
which local vendors could sell their wares,
they offered busy townspeople a way to
procure everything they needed for Christmas
in one convenient location. Today, Europe's
Christmas markets are enjoyed by locals and
visitors alike. Perhaps take a moment to
marvel at their long history as you explore the
land in which many of our most cherished
Christmas traditions began.
History of
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
World famous, Europe's Christmas markets are loved by locals and tourists
alike, spreading cheer throughout the festive seasons for centuries
ELBE
Prague
CZECH REPUBLIC
VLTAVA
Děčín
Berlin
Warsaw
Kraków
Potsdam
Wittenberg
Torgau
Dresden
Meissen
Bad Schandau
GERMANY
–
C r ui s e
•• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
M o to r C o ach
••
O ve r night in Po r t
POLAND
VIEW
VOYAGE
GETTING THERE: Consider our
10 -day Christmas Along the Elbe
itinerary, departing from Berlin to
Prague, or in reverse.
Traditional
gingerbread at
the Christmas
Market in Prague.
