European Christmas Markets - December 2023 - Hostess Round Up

There is no better place than Europe to get into the Christmas Spirit. It was a magical time for a group of Sisters to come together to enjoy this festive time of year.  Our adventure began in Prague with no better place to begin our Christmas market exploring. The beautifully lit up King Wenceslas Square with the nearby famous Astronomical Clock put on a spectacular show for us. Over the next couple of days we enjoyed a visit to impressive Prague Castle, we ventured out to visit Karlovy Vary a nearby Spa town enjoying lunch at the James Bond Pupp Hotel. Many of us enjoyed a performance of Swan Lake whilst in Prague whilst others enjoyed being enticed into some Christmas shopping. many shops and enjoyed a must-see ballet performance in one of the many theatres in Prague. Onto one of my favourite places in the whole world Czesky Krumlov where our beautiful accommodation saw us located in the local Square complete with their cute Christmas Markets. Spotting bears as we enjoyed a visit to the Castle hearnig the interesting history of times gone by and enjoying free time to explore this UNESCO world heritage town.  Heading to Vienna which, in my opinion showcases the best Christmas lights anywhere in the world, with some visiting the Belvedere Palace to pay homage to Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss", Vienna was a favourite for many. A visit to the Habsburg's Schonbrunn Palace with their huge Christmas markets saw many trinkets bought and mulled wine sipped with pleasure.  Onto Salzburg where we were lucky enough to see snow falling (for about 10 mins). Home to the Sound of Music, we enjoyed all there was to see in the Old Town including a beautiful Mozart Concert.  Again, many Christmas markets to explore including the 100 stands in Salzburg's Cathedral Square. Heading to Bavaria we were absolutely thrilled to enjoy an impromptu day trip to Hallstatt one of the most picturesque villages in all of Bavaria.  Christmas Day was spent exchanging Kris Kringle gifts with each other and a visit to nearby Oberammergau for a tour of the Passion Play theatre. No visit to Bavaria would be complete without Neuschwannstein Castle, the inspiration behind Disney's Castle.  The story of quirky King Ludwig was certainly entertaining if not a little sad. We headed into Munich to complete our Christmas Markets tour - thank you to the wonderful women who embraced sharing Christmas together.