Vacation For Life

10 Things To Eat and Drink at European Christmas Markets

What to Eat and Drink at European Christmas Markets

The holidays are meant for eating, aren’t they? When we visited the European Christmas markets of the Danube River we kept our eyes open for special European Christmas market foods. From sausages to glühwein, we’ve got you covered for finding some of the best European Christmas market eats.

Lángos

One of the first food items I spotted at a European Christmas market was lángos at one of the Budapest Christmas markets. Lángos is a Hungarian food specialty consisting of deep fried bread topped with sour cream, grated cheese, and lots of garlic. It kind of looks like a personal-size pizza. Lángos is a street and fair food, so it is perfect Christmas market fare. While lángos is Hungarian, we also found it at some of the German Christmas markets.

Chimney Cake

Chimney cake, or kürtőskalács, is another Hungarian specialty, though it also can be found at Christmas markets in other European countries. Chimney cake gets its name from its shape, which is achieved by winding sweet bread dough around a spit and roasting it over an open fire.

Sengzelten

Sengzelten is another delightful European Christmas market snack we found at the Passau Christmas Market. This individual-sized treat is baked in a wood-burning pizza oven. A thin cracker crust is topped with your choice of toppings including sour cream and chives; leek, onion, and cheese; ham, onion, and cheese; or smoked meat, leek, onion, and cheese.

Gingerbread

When at the Nuremberg Christmas market, it is essential to sample the elisenlebkuchen. Lebkuchen is traditional German gingerbread, and elisenlebkuchen is specific to Nuremberg. This gingerbread was originally a honey cake and is still usually sweetened with honey. There are many spices and very little flour in the gingerbread, and elisenlebkuchen is full of nuts.

Half-Meter Sausage

A popular Christmas market treat in Germany is the half-meter sausage. The name explains what it is, a really long sausage on a bun which looks pretty funny.

Nuremberg Sausage

Nuremberg has another specialty food for which they are known, this time of the savory variety. The Nuremberg sausage must be no longer than nine centimeters and no heavier than 25 grams. Nuremberg sausages are enjoyed in a set of three served on a bun with mustard.

Glühwein

The quintessential European Christmas market beverage is glühwein. Glühwein is mulled wine, wine that is warm and spiced with cinnamon and cloves and sweetened with some sugar. In Hungary, it is called forralt bor, but the concept is the same. A mug of glühwein at a Christmas market is made even more fun by the cute mugs in which it is served. You’ll need to pay a deposit, but you’ll get it back when you return your mug, unless you decide to take home that mug for a cute souvenir.

Punsch

Another beverage which will keep you warm while visiting European Christmas markets is punsch. We found punsch in both Germany and Austria, but we found the greatest variety at the Christmas and New Year’s Market at Schönbrunn Palace. The enticing aroma of warm punsch filled the air, with flavors like apfelstrudel.

Glühbier

Warm, alcoholic, Christmas market beverages don’t stop at glühwein and punsch. We also discovered glühbier, which follows the same concept as glühwein, except the base is beer instead of wine. We found our glühbier at the Christmas market at the Spitalgarten in Regensburg.

Thank you to Viking River Cruises for hosting our Romantic Danube cruise and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are our own.

9 Thai Customs to Know Before Traveling to Thailand

Thai Monk Thai Customs and Traditions to Know Before Traveling to Thailand

When traveling to a foreign country, it is always a good idea to read up on the country’s customs, culture, and traditions ahead of time in order to avoid doing anything that would be viewed as disrespectful. When we were doing our research before traveling to Thailand, we found there were a number of Thai customs we needed to remember. Since nine is a lucky number in Thailand, hopefully knowledge of these nine customs you should know before traveling to Thailand will keep you out of any uncomfortable situations.

Avoid Public Displays of Affection

While you may see couples holding hands, it is best for traveling couples to avoid holding hands, and especially kissing or hugging in public. Public displays of affection are not the norm in Thailand.

Don’t Touch Someone’s Head

The head is the most valued part of the body. It is offensive to touch someone’s head. What we did witness, however, was adults patting children on the head. However, travelers should not take such liberties.

Keep Your Feet to Yourself

While the head is the most valued part of the body, the feet are the lowest, least revered part of the body. Whatever you do, don’t point your feet towards statues of Buddha. When entering a temple, be sure to kneel with your feet pointing backward away from the Buddha. In fact, don’t point your feet at anything.

Respect the Royal Family

Thai Money Thai Customs and Traditions to Know Before Traveling to Thailand

Thailand’s King recently passed away. He and the rest of the royal family are highly revered in Thailand. It is important to never, ever say anything against the royal family. Do not step on money, as the recently deceased King’s image is found on money. For instance, if you drop a coin and it starts rolling or spinning, do not step on it to make it stop.

Take Your Shoes Off

Outside of Buddhist temples, you will usually see many pairs of shoes. This is because you must take your shoes off before entering a temple. Therefore, it’s a good idea to wear shoes that are easy to take on and off. You may also be required to take off your shoes before entering a home or a house museum. You may want to carry socks with you if you are wearing flip-flops or sandals.

Related: Bangkok's Wat Saket (The Golden Mount) and Jim Thompson House

Avoid Buddha Selfies

Buddha Selfie Thai Customs and Traditions to Know Before Traveling to Thailand

The image of Buddha is a very sacred thing. Therefore, it is to be respected greatly. Some places prohibit taking a picture with a statue of Buddha. However, some of the more touristy temples will allow it. When in doubt don’t take selfies with the Buddha. However, if your guide offers to take a picture of you with the Buddha in the background, it must be okay.

Related: A Day Trip from Bangkok to Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and Ayutthaya

Dress Temple Appropriate

Most Buddhist temples in Thailand adhere to a strict dress code. This means no short skirts, no shorts, and no sleeveless tops. These rules are sometimes more relaxed in extremely touristy places, like Phuket, but are adhered to in places like Bangkok. Some places will provide a sarong, like the Grand Palace. However, others will not. It can get very hot and humid in Thailand so, if you must wear shorts or tank tops, carry a sarong with you for visiting temples.

Related: A Day in Historic Bangkok, Thailand

Don’t Touch a Monk

This Thai custom only applies to females. Females must not touch monks or pass items directly to monks. Once, while following a path where a monk was coming from the other direction, our guide suggested I move off the path to let the monk pass. It is okay for females to greet monks.

Keep Calm

It is very bad manners to lose your cool or have loud outbursts in Thailand. An important part of Thai culture is the concept of face. Losing face is to be avoided at all costs. One way to lose face is to be loud in public or lose your temper.

Travel the World: 9 Thai customs and traditions all travelers should know before they travel to Thailand.

Cruising the European Christmas Markets of the Danube River

Viennese Christmas Market European Christmas Markets Danube River

A dream we had for years was to visit some of the Christmas markets of Europe. While cruising may not be everyone’s top travel choice, a European river cruise along the Danube River is the perfect way to see many of Europe’s Christmas markets without having to fly or drive long distances and stay at multiple hotels. During our European Christmas market cruise with Viking River Cruises, we were able to visit the Christmas markets of Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), and Passau, Regensburg, and Nuremberg (Germany).

Related: Review: What It’s Like to Cruise with Viking River Cruises

Budapest Christmas Markets

Budapest Christmas Market Vorosmarty Square European Christmas Markets Danube River

During our Viking river cruise we spent one night in Budapest, so we were able to get off the boat at night and visit three of Budapest’s Christmas markets, both within easy walking distance from where our ship was docked.

Malac Cipoban Budapest European Christmas Markets Danube River

Budapest’s oldest Christmas market is located on Vörösmarty Square. When we first walked into the Christmas market we were greeted by a crispy roasted pig. It looked so delicious that when we came back, it is what we had for dinner. (Sadly, this is also where Rome lost his camera equipment. Read his tale of woe here.) This most delectable sandwich was filled with caramelized onions, sweet pickled cabbage, tender pulled pork (called malac cipóban), gravy, and peppers. It reminded me a little bit of the muffaletta in New Orleans.

The Budapest Christmas market was full of other delicious looking foods and I was just sad I couldn’t eat it all. There was the puffy Hungarian fry bread called langos, which is topped with garlic, sour cream, and cheese. There was also chimney cake, a type of pastry wrapped around a stick and cooked while rotating over a fire.

Forralt Bor Budapest European Christmas Markets Danube River

No visit to a European Christmas market is complete without having a mug of glühwein, and we enjoyed our first in Budapest. However, in Hungary, glühwein is called forralt bor, which translates to boiled wine. Forralt bor is made with wine, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves. Forralt bor is usually made with red wine, but we also found it made with white wine. (To make your own, check out our traditional European Christmas market glühwein recipe.)

Budapest St. Stephen's Square Christmas Market European Christmas Markets Danube River

Another Christmas market we visited in Budapest is a short distance away on St. Stephen’s Square in front of the towering St. Stephen’s Basilica. In addition to the many wooden market stalls is an ice skating rink and a huge Christmas tree.

We found one more Christmas market in Budapest. This one is in Erzsébet Square near the Sziget Eye, Budapest’s Ferris wheel.

Related: What to Do in Budapest in One Day

Vienna Christmas Markets

Christmas Market on Stephansplatz European Christmas Markets Danube River

While some of the towns and cities along the Danube River may have one or just a handful of Christmas markets, Vienna has over 20 official Advent Markets. We couldn’t visit them all, but we were able to visit quite a few, again thanks to the fact that it was easy to leave our Viking River Cruises ship and head into the city while we were docked overnight.

Christmas Market on Stephansplatz Stall European Christmas Markets Danube River

Our first Viennese Christmas market was the Christmas Market on Stephansplatz, overlooked by the towering St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its colorful tiled roof. The Christmas Market on Stephensplatz is one of the best markets for souvenirs. There were many beautifully-made Christmas ornaments as well as other great traditional and high-quality products.

Gluhwein European Christmas Markets Danube River

This was our first introduction to the many shapes of the European Christmas markets’ glühwein mugs. While the forralt bor in Budapest was served in plastic cups, most European Christmas markets serve glühwein in special mugs, many specific to that particular Christmas market. When you purchase a mug of glühwein, you pay not only for the glühwein, but also a deposit for the mug. If you return the mug, you get your deposit back. If you don’t, you get to take home a fun souvenir. You can bet the cute little red boot mugs painted with a Christmas scene of St. Stephen’s Cathedral were not returned by us.

Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market European Christmas Markets Danube River

One of Vienna’s other great Christmas markets is the Christmas and New Year’s Market at Schönbrunn Palace. The Christmas market, backdropped by the majestic yellow Schönbrunn Palace is so festive with live Christmas music and the smell of Christmas with the multitude of flavored hot punches and glühwein.

Christmas Village Maria-Theresien Platz European Christmas Markets Danube River

Other Viennese Christmas markets include the Viennese Christmas Market in front of City Hall, the Christmas Village Belvedere Palace, and the Christmas Village Maria-Theresien Platz in front of the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Art.

Graben Christmas Market European Christmas Markets Danube River

Vienna is also full of festively lit streets, like Graben, where there are also Christmas market stalls.

Passau Christmas Market

Passau is a small city of Germany where the Danube splits to also create the Inn River. The Passau Christmas Market is held every year in the Old Town in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Domplatz.

Regensburg Christmas Markets

Regensburger Christkindlmarkt European Christmas Markets Danube River

Passau Christmas Market Gluwhein European Christmas Markets Danube River

Regensburg’s old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has four Christmas markets from which to choose. In Neupfarrplatz is Regensburg’s traditional Christmas Market, Regensburger Christkindlmarkt, in front of Neupfarrkirche and a few blocks away from Regensburg Cathedral. Here you can indulge in a half-meter sausage, a mini-sausage sandwich, and, of course, glühwein.

Thurn and Taxis Palace Christmas Market European Christmas Markets Danube River

Kids Playing Thurn and Taxis European Christmas Markets Danube River

One of the most atmospheric Christmas markets is Regensburg’s Christmas market in the courtyard of the Thurn and Taxis palace. There’s a reason it’s called the romantic market. There is nothing more romantic than sipping a hot mug of glühwein while standing in front of a fire, surrounded by a regal palace topped with crowns and wooden market stalls decorated in evergreen.

Spitalgarten Christmas Market European Christmas Markets Danube River

An unusual Christmas market we were excited to visit is the Christmas market at the Spitalgarten. This was an opportunity to visit a biergarten and Christmas market all in one. The Spital Brewery’s biergarten turned Christmas market is in the garden of St. Catherine’s hospital. Here, instead of glühwein, the proper thing to have is glühbier, also a hot, mulled beverage, but this time made with beer instead of wine. In addition to the unusual setting and unusual drink, the Spitalgarten Christmas market has high-quality products for purchase and a manually operated carousel.

Nuremberg Christmas Market

Last, but not least, is Germany’s most famous Christmas market, the Nuremberg Christmas market. Nuremberg's Christmas market is huge. The main part of the market is in the square in front of Frauenkirche, but it is so big, the stalls continue up the street leading out of the square. An elevated view reveals a sea of candy-stripe covered stalls. The Nuremberg Christmas market is famous for many things including Nuremberg sausages, lebkuchen (gingerbread), and prune men.

Nuremberg Christmas Market Gluwhein European Christmas Markets Danube River

Thanks to Viking River Cruises we fulfilled two dreams, taking a European river cruise and visiting some of Europe’s best Christmas markets. The European Christmas markets were everything we had hoped for and more. Visiting them was an experience we will not soon forget. If you love Christmas, make sure to visit some of the Christmas markets of Europe at least once in your life.