Aachen Christmas Markets 2011
Dates: 18th November – 23rd December 2011
Aachen Hotels
Visitors to the Aachen Christmas Market have a huge choice of colourful stands and stalls - it is why Aachen brings them back year after year to linger amongst the best of Christmas fare.
Just 4 hours by rail from London, and you could join them in the city of Aachen, where the Christmas Market is the nearest of all the markets in Germany.
Aachen styles itself as ‘The City in the Heart of Europe’. It sits lies on the border of Belgium and Holland, making it a convenient base for daytrips to Liège and Maastricht, as well as into Germany’s scenic Northern Eifel. You might know it as Aix-la-Chapelle, named after the great Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne and now part of Aachen's treasure-filled Cathedral.
The Chrismas Market is to be found by the cathedral and town hall. It takes the form of a "Christmas village", with all kinds of traditional gifts, food and wine. This year from the 18th November the streets around the Aachen Town Hall are transformed into an oasis of lights and colours. There is always something for visitors of all ages - both the young and the young at heart.
There is always a fabulous choice between the simple crafted goods as well as more stylish and precious goods - all at exceptional value, and all bringing tradition back to the Christmas giving and receiving.
Amongst the unique food and delicacies on offer, one local speciality is known as the Aachen Printen, which is a unique style of gingerbread. Potato fritters will sustain you at all times of the day, but of course you will discover a wide range and variety of Printen and other Christmas cakes and biscuits, These include local "Domino Stones", gingerbread, "Spekulatius" and marzipan bread, all of which are a mainstay of Aachen bake-houses. Everything, of course, comes straight from the oven and have a delicious freshness which is hard to resist.
As part of your visit, you must not miss the large number of pubs, restaurants, shops and museums found all over Aachen, offering an always entertaining and lively atmosphere.
See also: Aachen Christmas Market Website
Aachen Christmas Markets by Rail
Getting to the heart of Aachen by train from the UK could hardly be easier – and it can certainly be quicker than flying. The most direct route is to take Eurostar to Brussels, from where it’s an hour or so on a Thalys or ICE train to Aachen Central Station. The whole journey takes as little as 4 hours. You could also take Eurostar to Paris and catch a fast Thalys train from there. This route takes a couple of hours longer – but then you don’t have to do the journey all in one go. There are certainly plenty of reasons to stay a while in the French capital before moving on.
Aachen Christmas Hotel Bookings
To help you plan your German Christmas Markets trip, we have teamed up with international hotel group Hotels.com, to offer a huge range of de-luxe and tourist class hotels in Germany. Click here for Germany Hotel Reservations
Flights to Germany
We have teamed up with flight specialist eBookers, to provide a one-stop source of flights to Germany, flying from the UK or from airports throughout the world. You are sure to get the right price for your trip here. Click here for Online flight bookings
Click here: Aachen Rail Info and Bookings
Click here: Aachen Hotels