.
Strasbourg indiscreetly calls itself Capitale de Noël- the capital of Christmas. We had to go there at the end of December 2016 to see for ourselves that the city appropriated this title by right!
Day 1. Strasbourg, December 24
We arrived in Strasbourg by train, quickly checked into the hotel and went for a walk. The scale of the celebration was impressive from the first minutes: it seemed that there was not a single unadorned house or tree around, and the whole city was a continuous Christmas market! It became clear that the guide would not be needed: wherever we went, it would be beautiful, festive and tasty everywhere. And so it happened! What impressed me most was how the locals decorate the houses. Each building is unlike the neighboring one, there are many living Christmas tree branches and voluminous installations! 
And this is little France - a medieval quarter with half-timbered houses and many canals: 
(Placa Kleber), where every year the city's main Christmas tree is installed with a height of about 30 meters. At the end of the square there is a Christmas tree market - all trees are already with a 50% discount. 
(Notre Dame de Strasbourg) - the main attraction of the city. Its construction began at the beginning of the 11th century, and continued for many more centuries - because of this, elements of different styles can be traced in the architecture, and one of the towers has not yet been built. One of the main attractions of the cathedral is a unique astronomical clock that shows the orbits of the planets of the solar system and calculates the exact numbers of even those holidays whose dates change from year to year. 
Of course, we spent most of the time at fairs, and when you write about French fairs, the topic of food inevitably comes to the fore! Here are just a few of the Alsatian gastronomic delights to try at the Christmas market or at any restaurant in the vicinity: 
v
in
chaud
- mulled wine made from red or white wine. It costs 2-3 euros and another 2 euros will take a deposit for a mug. tarte
flamb
é
e
- translated into Russian "flaming pie". It is cooked over an open fire, so the "correct" tarte flambé will have slightly burnt edges. Resembles pizza, but uses soft cheese or cream instead of tomato paste. The traditional filling is with onions and bacon, but there are also vegetarian options, and even sweet ones (for example, with apples and calvados). It costs 7-10 euros.
Where to try: A restaurantFlam´ s - just 300 meters from the Cathedral!29 rue des Frè res, 67000 StrasbourgOpen daily from 11:30 to 24:00
G ewurztraminer - Alsatian wine, which deserves special mention. Sommeliers describe it as complex, aggressive, unique, spicy, distinctive, adding many other epithets. But, as a rule, they agree on one thing: after the first sip, you either fall in love with him forever, or from now on you will bypass it. Dry Gewürztraminer goes well with onion pie or foie gras, while sweet goes well with münster. Foie gras (foie gras) - the famous goose liver pate. Served as an appetizer, often with something sweet (I especially like fig jam). Choucroute - a famous dish of Alsatian cuisine. Quite unpretentious, and will not at all please vegetarians or lovers of healthy food: sauerkraut, potatoes and up to five types of meat on one plate - most often pork and local sausages. Very satisfying, but not very cheap - from 15 Euros. Munster - one of the most popular French cheeses in the world. And do not be scared off by its sharp, knocking smell - strange, but the taste is surprisingly noble and delicate! At Christmas markets, you can try gratin - jacket potatoes with melted muenster. You will find places of sale by smell, rest assured?
Advice: if you decide to bring the Munster to your friends, make sure the packaging is tight! And keep an eye on the expiration date, tk. after it expires, the cheese starts to smell 10 times stronger !!
Tarte à l'oignon
- onion pie, light and satisfying at the same time. It can be an appetizer for wine or a separate dish. In the afternoon we looked at the embankment near the Palais Rohan and bought tickets for the glass-roofed Batorama pleasure boat from the machine. Tickets can be bought in advance at https://www.batorama.com, but we acted impromptu. In 1 hour and 10 minutes we sailed along the river Ill, watched Petite France from the water, took part in the adventure of “passing the locks” and sailed through the Vauban dam to the European Quarter, where the European Parliament is located. 
Well, after that we went to wander around the evening city. Some streets, like Rue des Orfèvres, are beyond description - see for yourself: 
The streets began to become empty, the locals had long gone home, or vice versa, rushed to the Christmas services, and we went to rest at the hotel.
By the way: the Christmas service in the main Cathedral is open to all comers, but be prepared for possible long queues at the entrance due to increased security measures.
Day 2. Colmar, December 25
We knew that all Strasbourg fairs were closed on December 25, but we were still amazed at how deserted the city looked in the morning. We walked along the promenade, stood with other tourists in line for coffee at the only working kiosk, reached the station and went to Colmar! This stunning city can rival Strasbourg in its beauty on Christmas days, and most importantly, Christmas markets reopen in the afternoon on January 25!
Train tickets can be bought at the station, or in advance on the website: https://ru.voyages-sncf.com/travel time 25 minutes, round-trip ticket 13.5 Euro
At the Christmas market, tourists happily go to the first stalls they see for mulled wine and pancakes, but we are not here for the first time, and we know the secret! In Place Dominicans, there is a nondescript Colmar Gourmet kiosk with a couple of outdoor tables. The sign is inconspicuous, the plates are plastic ... There, in the December sun, you can taste foie gras, Alsatian snails, oysters and drink everything with a glass of local Cremant sparkling wine! Tourists passing by slowed their pace in surprise when they saw this feast.
A portion of each of the delicacies cost 10 euros, which is incomparable with restaurant prices!
Strasbourg Christmas official website: http://www.noel-colmar.com/en/
Maya Vasilenko Strasbourg - Wiesbaden 2017
Lit with hundreds of Christmas lights and garnished with colorful decorations, most notably wreaths made from spruce branches, holly, laurel and ribbons. Each one bears four candles, which symbolize the weeks of fasting preceding Christmas. But, of course, the main festive decoration is the city tree on the Kleber square.
Feel the spirit of Christmas and find yourself in a fairy tale, a Russian-speaking guide who knows the city perfectly will help you, sign up for an excursion. We also recommend that you think about buying the Strasbourg City Pass, which will greatly facilitate your walks around the city, in more detail.
Where to stay in Strasbourg for the New Year
Weather for New Year in Strasbourg
So that the chilly December weather does not spoil your Christmas mood, take care of warm clothes. In Strasbourg, winter temperatures can drop as low as 1.5 ° C, and snow and rain are quite frequent during this season. Therefore, a warm coat, sweater or cardigan and comfortable shoes with fur will be very useful for you. Also, do not forget to warm yourself with a scarf, gloves and a hat, a good durable umbrella will also come in handy. With a thorough outfit, you can easily bypass all the fairs and celebrations in Strasbourg.
Celebrating Christmas and New Years in Strasbourg
The idea of decorating a Christmas tree for Christmas dates back to the 16th century in Alsace, the center of which is Strasbourg. Then it was still part of Germany. It is believed that the German princess Helen of Mecklenburg contributed to the spread of this tradition throughout France when she married the Duke of Orleans. Originally, Christmas trees were decorated with apples and nuts. As the local legend says, 1858 turned out to be a barren year, and glass decorations replaced the delicacies, which caused such a sensation that since then it has been customary to decorate the Christmas tree with special toys.
The mythical heroes Saint Nicholas, Hans Trapp and Christkindel play an important role in celebrating Christmas and New Years in Alsace. Alsatian kids do not need to wait until the end of December to receive gifts: the local analogue of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas comes to them on December 6, when the holiday dedicated to him is celebrated. But even at Christmas, children can receive additional gifts if the angel Christkindel and her assistant Hans Trapp visit them with a large basket of sweets and other pleasant surprises.
Holiday fair in Strasbourg
From November to January, life in Strasbourg is in full swing: almost every day, pre-holiday events, live concerts, enchanting shows and exhibitions are held here. But the main event in the city is the legendary Christmas market - the oldest in Europe, the first took place in 1570 and was then called Christkindelsmärik (baby Jesus fair). Since then, Strasbourg has been considered a kind of capital of Christmas and one of the best places to dive into the festive New Year's atmosphere.
The Strasbourg Christmas Market starts at the end of November and continues until Christmas. It covers almost the entire city, primarily Broglie Square and Cathedral Square. The fair features over 300 stalls selling handicrafts, Christmas treats, drinks and decorations.
Where to celebrate the New Year in Strasbourg
You can taste these and other Christmas dishes not only at the fair, but also at a festive dinner in Strasbourg restaurants. A classic Christmas lunch usually starts with seafood and foie gras, the delicious duck liver for which Alsace is famous. Beckeoffe is served for hot dishes - meat stewed in Alsatian style or fried goose. Lunch ends with a Christmas stollen - a rich muffin filled with nuts, raisins and lemon zest. But keep in mind that on the eve and on Christmas Day, many restaurants and cafes will not work, so it is better to organize lunch or dinner a couple of days before the holiday, and the feast can also be postponed closer to the New Year.
If you want to have a Christmas feast in a restaurant, for traditional Alsatian cuisine, we recommend stopping by the old Winstube tavern Zuem Strissel (5 Place de la Grande Boucherie), which is famous for its flammecuche and chucrut, a stewed sauerkraut seasoned with smoked meats. The brasserie Le Gruber (11 Rue du Maroquin) also offers a good selection of Alsatian dishes - a very cozy place with a peculiar decor. Here you can enjoy excellent meat stews and foie gras. If you are more attracted to the authentic atmosphere than just the beautiful setting, then you will surely enjoy Le Troquet des Kneckes (112 Grand "Rue), an unpretentious but very cute restaurant, which serves eight flammecuche and delicious fresh bretzels.
We wish you a fabulous Christmas and New Year in Strasbourg!
The trip this year began to take shape in October and we did not consider other options besides Strasbourg, although we were there relatively recently - in the summer of 2015. But here I will not talk about the city itself (about it in another review), but will show the festive atmosphere that attracts millions of tourists to Alsace in general and to Strasbourg in particular annually.
We felt this when we started looking for accommodation options. I opened Booking and was horrified - on the 10th-20th of December the prices were simply cosmic - from 150 euros per night plus breakfast. Therefore, I had to move away from the holiday closer to November, and in the end I found an acceptable option for the period from November 30 to December 5 in the Adagio Access Strasbourg Petite France apart-hotel, already checked on a previous trip - I will write about it separately. As a result, for 5 nights it turned out with taxes 740 euros. And the savings on breakfast are just wonderful. We cooked the same omelet with sausages in the room, and we bought cheese, ham, wine and sweets for tea, as well as excellent dishes for warming up in the microwave "for a penny" in the nearest Carrefour store. In short, a great option. The hotel itself didn’t offer anything new, but it didn’t get any worse either. True, the room was on the "ground" floor with direct access to the courtyard, but it did not bother me at all.
Therefore, the first life hack of this story is to start preparing for your trip in December in advance. Otherwise, you will have to overpay. So we were lucky with the hotel.
But, he still had to get to. I again chose the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt and then by bus. In the summer, the period between the landing of the plane and the departure of the bus was almost an hour and a half, but in the winter the schedule changed and I was offered 2 options - the bus would leave in 1 or 3.5 hours. I thought for a long time, even called the Lufthansa office with a question - will we make it in time? I was convinced that these options have been repeatedly tested and worked out, so there is nothing to be afraid of. And I, a fool, believed ... Although, the weather intervened here - it was on the night of November 30 in St. Petersburg that heavy snow fell and although we got to the airport easily (I ordered a taxi 6,000,000 at 4 am and along the WHSD in 40 minutes and 1120 rubles everything went fine), but before the plane took off we were sent for de-icing and instead of 6.15 we took off only at 7 o'clock. True, we almost compensated for this delay in the air, but still sat down 10 minutes later, then taxied around the airfield for a long time and went to the terminal by bus. Jumping out first to the passport control, we saw there a group of aggressive black women with children, who were proving to the German border guards their right to enter the country, and they resisted in unison. Having lost some more time waiting, we jumped out and went, according to the experience of the previous trip, for the luggage. We quickly saw the tape with the designation of our flight and were very happy when at 8.05 it started working and threw out several suitcases - but ours was not there. There were still 25 minutes left before the bus left and I was not very worried. But another 10 minutes passed, and our suitcase did not appear. My wife began to worry and we decided that I should run to the bus and persuade the driver to wait for us, since we were registered for a specific flight. I ran to the bus and, together with another lady from our flight, persuaded the driver to wait for our luggage at least 5 minutes, after which I rushed back (and this is a completely different terminal), but I just couldn't get into the baggage claim hall - I had to run to bypass. The wife was close to hysterics, because the tape stopped, the luggage was taken away and no prospects for the appearance of our suitcase were foreseen. I found an employee in charge of luggage, and I say - where is our suitcase? He looked at the boarding pass and said: “Oh, are you going to Strasbourg? Your luggage must be collected in the railway station hall! "
Yoly-Pali, this is next to the place of boarding the bus! I ran back there and, indeed, I see - in the center of the hall there is a certain area fenced off with ribbons and there is just our suitcase standing there! This is the place.
1 day Moscow - Frankfurt - Wiesbaden - Ruedesheim 28.12
Departure from Moscow by DME by morning flight. Meeting at the airport 3 hours before departure.The exact information on the flight and departure time will be indicated in the section 2 weeks before the start of the tour.
Tourists flying to Frankfurt on their own from their own city must be at the meeting point no later than the arrival of the main group.
Accommodation on the bus, transfer (~ 30 km) to the city of Wiesbaden - the capital of Hesse and one of the oldest thermal spas in Europe. Walk with an accompanying person. Goethe and Dostoevsky visited the city, who in 1860 lost all his savings in the casino.
In the afternoon, transfer (~ 30 km) to Rüdesheim am Rhein - the capital of winemakers, a walk and tasting * (from € 8) of Rei wines. Recommended! Eiswein or ice wine.
In the evening, transfer (~ 60 km), accommodation and overnight at a hotel in Germany.
2nd day Koblenz - Bernkastel-Kues - Trier - Strasbourg 29.12
Breakfast in the hotel.
Accommodation and overnight at the hotel
Day 3 Strasbourg - Baden-Baden * 30.12
Breakfast in the hotel.
Overnight at the same hotel.
4th day Strasbourg - Ribeauville * - Colmar * 31.12
Breakfast in the hotel.
Free time in Strasbourg. Walk * on a boat along the canals in Strasbourg (approx. € 13.5 / 7.8 children up to 12 years old)
or travel * (€ 30, transfer) through one of the most picturesque places in Europe - "Alsace Wine Route". Wine village Riboville, walk with an accompanying person, it is possible to visit wine cellars with tasting * (local white wines, from € 10), transfer and tour with an accompanying city of Colmar - "French Venice".
Return to the hotel in Strasbourg, preparation for departure to the city to celebrate the New Year.
New Year's Eve dinner * at a restaurant in Strasbourg ~ from 20:00 to 23:00, with a glass of wine.
We invite you to the Alsatian restaurant "Le Gruber", located in one of the most beautiful buildings in Strasbourg, listed as a cultural heritage of the city, and unconditionally participates in the picturesque charm of the historic center of Strasbourg.
Musical animation accompanied by an accordionist and guitarist.
Celebrating the New Year on the festive streets of the city.
Around 01-00 return to the hotel.
Day 5 Strasbourg - Black Forest * 01.01
Breakfast in the hotel.
Free time in Strasbourg or full day travel in the Black Forest * (€ 35 transfer).
Freiburg (~ 87 km) is the "pearl of the Black Forest" of the Black Forest. Inspection of the Old Town: the famous Münster Cathedral, Münsterplatz Square, Old and New Town Halls, the Old Craftsmen Quarter, and much more.
Moving to the city of Staufen(~ 20 km) - "the city of Faust", the city known for the works of Goethe. City tour with an accompanying person.
Transfer to Triberg, the capital of the famous cuckoo clock, guided tour. Inspection of the largest cuckoo clock in the suburb of Triberg - Schonachbach.
Return to the hotel in the evening.
6th day Basel - Zurich 02.01
Breakfast in the hotel.
In the morning, transfer (~ 140 km) to Switzerland in the city of Basel. Sightseeing tour of the city of Basel, which stretches on two banks of the Rhine: Greater Basel - Cathedral, Marktplatz and Fishplatz squares, Spalentor gate, Market Tower, Theater Square and more.
In the afternoon, transfer (~ 90 km) to Zurich. Inspection of the city of Zurich with an accompanying person: Bahnhofstrasse, St. Peter's, Niederdorf quarter, Grossmünster and Fraumünster cathedrals with stained glass windows by Marc Chagall and more.
In the evening, transfer (~ 160 km) to Germany, accommodation at the hotel.
Day 7 Rothenburg an der Tauber - Würzburg 03.01
Breakfast in the hotel.
In the morning, transfer (~ 150 km) to the town of Rothenburg an der Tauber, sightseeing of the city - an open-air museum city, famous for its Christmas traditions. Walking around the city with an escort, getting to know Christmas nsk traditions of Bavaria. Visit to the "Christmas Village": the wonder shop is located inside the interconnected half-timbered houses. In the romantic scenery of the market square, decorated with a 5-meter white Christmas tree, you can find absolutely everything that has to do with the theme of Christmas. Visit to the Christmas Museum *, from € 4.
In the afternoon, transfer (~ 60 km) to Würzburg. Sightseeing tour of the Bavarian city of Würzburg - the center of the Franconia region, famous for its winemaking. St. Kilian Cathedral, Hofkirche Church, Marienberg Fortress. Free time in Würzburg. Tasting * Franconian wines (from 12 €).
In the evening, transfer (~ 120 km) across Germany.
Overnight at a hotel in Frankfurt (possibly in the suburbs).
Day 8 Frankfurt - Moscow 4.12
Breakfast in the hotel.
If there is time, a tour of the city of Frankfurt am Main with an accompanying person: the bank quarter, half-timbered houses in the Römer quarter, the Goethe house-museum, St. Paul and others.
Transfer to the airport, departure from Frankfurt, arrival in Moscow.
For information on flight and departure time, see the section a week before the start of the tour.Tourists flying from Frankfurt to their own city independently organize their own transfer to the airport or can join the main group if the time coincides.
