This year we spent Christmas in Zagreb, Croatia. Now if you had asked me a year ago where I thought would be a fun destination in Europe for the holidays, Croatia definitely wouldn’t have come up. I had heard about it as a great summer beach vacation but it wasn’t until moving to Istanbul that a few people told me how amazing the Christmas Market is there. So amazing in fact, they were voted Best Christmas Market in Europe the last three years in a row. I don’t think this year would have been any different except, after winning three times, they can’t be included in the voting anymore.

The whole European Christmas Market concept is something relatively new to me. There was one in NYC’s Bryant Park that was always fun, but nothing like what we saw in Croatia. The tradition apparently dates all the way back to 1296 in Vienna when the first Dezembermarkt  (December Market) was held and shopkeepers would sell various supplies to the townspeople to last through the winter. Then in the early 1300’s in Germany, the winter market, turned into the Christmas Market, beginning and lasting through Advent, the four week period leading up to Christmas. Beautifully lit and decorated stalls lined the streets selling items such as baskets, toys, almonds, roasted chestnuts, and gingerbread to be given as gifts for Christmas. The idea spread throughout Europe and has become quite a spectacle, making many European cities magical destinations during the holidays. Many of the traditional foods are still offered in addition to grilled Bratwurst, hot-mulled wine, handmade ornaments and decorations as well as many other local specialties and treats.

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