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Enjoy our guide to traveling to Alsace at Christmas. With this post we want to explain our experience, learning at the destination and thus help you prepare your next trip to Alsace at Christmas for free.
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Video guide Alsace at Christmas
Summary of our experience of traveling to Alsace at Christmas
Our trip through Alsace is a trip of 5 days during the Purísima and Constitución bridge in December.
A trip, which as always, we do as a family. With our two children, ages 10 and 7, and this time with our motorhome by road.
10 hours of driving and about 1000 km is what separates Barcelona from Alsace on our route.
A route that is actually part of a larger journey. A 10-day trip through Alsace and the Black Forest in Germany at Christmas, in the 10 days of the December macro aqueduct.
We have loved this route, so much so that it is the second time we repeat it, with that we tell you everything.
It's like walking into a Christmas story. With its decorated towns, all full of lights, its endearing Christmas market stalls, its “vin chaud” (spiced hot wine with a thousand flavors) and beautiful towns and cities with a lot of magic.
Costs of our trip: Alsace at Christmas
On our 10-day trip through Alsace at Christmas and the Black Forest we have spent a total of 1710 € uros for the 4 of us traveling:
In this post below we detail all the expenses and prices of Alsace at Christmas:
What we liked the most and what we liked the least about traveling to Alsace at Christmas
The best thing about traveling to Alsace at Christmas on our trip has been…
- Traveling to Alsace at Christmas is seeing fairytale towns like Eguisheim, Riquehwir, Ribeauvillé…
- Colmar and Strasbourg as beautiful cities, with a lot of life, many different Christmas markets and corners which are more beautiful.
- Visit the castle of Haut-Koeningsbourg and the views from there, being able to walk for a while through a quiet and lonely forest.
- Eating Nutella crepes, a must when traveling to Alsace at Christmas or whenever.
- Eating manalas, some Advent brioches in the shape of a doll.
- The mulled wine that warms the soul and hands on cold nights
- The snow that fell on us in some towns. He made it a 100% Christmas trip.
- Discovering that Alsace has a lot of Germany and many traditions very different from the Spanish at Christmas.
- Get out of the most famous towns and go to other towns without crowds watching their markets calmly as happened to us in Bergheim or Tahnn.
- Visit the open-air museum Ecomuseum de la Alsace. Large with many explanations, workshops and a Christmas period atmosphere.
The worst thing about traveling to Alsace at Christmas on our trip has been…
- The large number of people in most towns and cities. A mass of tourists, lifeless local people. Very different from the German markets that are a meeting place for the locals after work.
- The overcrowding meant that in some towns we could not find a place to park or we had to spend a long time looking for a free place.
- That it hadn't snowed anymore. We love the snow and our idea of going skiing to some Alsatian ski resort could not be.
- It is very difficult to square the entire route to be able to see the markets on the days and times they are open. It required a lot of planning and preparation in advance, and even in some places we couldn't square it.
- That the markets do not last until kings, to be able to space out the tourists and visits. Perhaps that way there would be less crowding during the week of the Immaculate Conception Bridge, which is also a festival for Saint Nicholas in many parts of Europe.
- Not having had more days to enjoy more traveling to Alsace at Christmas!
11 Things you should know and tips for traveling to Alsace at Christmas
Before advancing on the route and on the essentials of what to see and do in Alsace at Christmas, we give you Some tips to keep in mind before going.
1 In Alsace it is cold and it usually snows: winter wheels or chains are compulsory from November 1 to March 31
That said, if you are going to travel to Alsace at Christmas with your vehicle, from November 1 to March 31 in this area of France it is mandatory to wear winter tires or chains.
2 Documents needed to travel to Alsace at Christmas
For this trip do not forget to bring both for adults and for children your Valid ID or passport and also for any health problem the European sanitary card that you can do on the social security website and receive it at home.
In addition, we have used to hire the travel insurance from Iati Escapadas, which, due to its cost, we go more calm with the children and we know that later we avoid anything the co-payments that health has in France. I leave here the link with a discount that on top of the discount if you hire it through this link you help us to continue writing on the blog.
3 You should know that Alsace at Christmas has different celebrations than the Spanish ones
In Alsace Christmas starts earlier than here. That is probably why you will see that the Christmas markets here start the third week of November already.
They start with Saint Nicholas, December 6, and around the weekend before you can start to see their parades.
Saint Nicholas was a bishop with a long white beard of wealthy Turkish origin, who is said to have done charity work for families with needy children by throwing coins down his chimney.
This is where the tradition comes from that on the night of December 5 to 6, children in Alsace, and in many other places in Europe such as Germany, Belgium or Switzerland, leave boots near the fireplace or a front door and Saint Nicholas leaves them money, sweets or gifts.
Now you are surely thinking… but Pilar, isn't this Santa Claus? Well… Bingo! That's where Santa Claus comes from...
Our map of Alsace at Christmas with everything you can see and visit
Here you have the map that we made with all the interesting places to visit in Alsace at Christmas. An interactive map of Alsace at Christmas with everything you need to know to plan your route through Alsace at Christmas.
Proposal for a 5-day route through Alsace at Christmas
Based on our experience of two trips through Alsace, we propose a route to fully enjoy Alsace at Christmas but also its essential places.
Day 1: learning about Alsace at Christmas and arrival in the Capital of Christmas
On this route we suggest the following stops:
- Tahnn: visit its Christmas market and beautiful church. We suggest you eat at a restaurant with a menu of the day that we loved
- Ecomuseum of Alsace: visit this impressive museum essential to understand the history of Alsace at Christmas
- Strasbourg: arrival in Strasbourg for the night
Day 2: Capital of Christmas
- Strasbourg: day to fully enjoy the more than 10 Christmas markets in Strasbourg, a visit to its cathedral and astronomical clock, strolling through the beautiful neighborhood of Little France, etc...
Day 3: From the most beautiful castle in Alsace to the medieval Christmas market in Alsace and one of the most beautiful villages in France
- Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle: visit and interior tour of this beautiful castle and walk around its surroundings with impressive views
- Bergheim: visit this small town, one of the most beautiful in France
- Ribeauvillé: visit the medieval Alsace market of this beautiful village
- Riquehwir: visit the Christmas market and spend the night in this town listed as one of the most beautiful in France
Day 4: We continue through villages classified as the most beautiful in France, visit the Christmas market of the elves and arrive at Colmar
- Kayserberg: visit this beautiful village on the banks of the river and its Christmas market
- Turckheim: visit the elf market and the famous Turckheim giant advent calendar to see the opening of its new window at 17:XNUMX p.m.
- Colmar: Arrival to sleep in Colmar
Day 5: Full of enjoyment and night in one of the towns that inspired Beauty and the Beast
- Full day of enjoyment in Colmar strolling through the alleys of Little Venice and its more than 5 markets
- Eiguisheim: visit its Christmas market and spend the night.
The 20 essential plans to travel to Alsace at Christmas: what to do and what to see in Alsace
Below, we show you after our two trips to Alsace, our 20 favorite plans, which for more details you can click on the photo and see everything about that plan in a new detailed post. Plans to do and see in Alsace at Christmas or even in summer. They serve the same for most plans.
They are all plans to travel to Alsace at Christmas that you will be delighted with!
Access them by clicking the button below.
The Alsace by motorhome or camper at Christmas
If you want to see how to travel by motorhome or camper on this trip with the rules that apply, see where to spend the night in a motorhome in each place or discover how our experience of this motorhome trip through Alsace was, we leave you this post with all the details.
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