It is held in the Cathedral Close. I arrived in the late afternoon when the cathedral was bathed in the rays from the setting sun. It looked spectacular.
The stalls were arranged all around the Close, with the central area being given over to a "portable" ice rink. Nobody was skating while I was there: the ice was being washed!
The stalls sell everything that could be possibly connected to Christmas or be a Christmas present. 
As it is run by the cathedral, unsurprisingly several stalls had a religious theme and there was a simple nativity scene. 
Tapestries. 
Nothing but candles.
More Christmas decorations. 
I was particularly taken by this pottery man outside a stall selling pottery mugs and jugs. 
I'm not at all sure how eco-friendly it was, but I certainly enjoyed it. By the time I left, the sun had almost set and the lights were visible in the trees. The whole thing was very attractive. 
You might also like to see RennyBA's great post on the Yule market in Oslo.
Updated to add the Christmas street market in Stockholm, from Captain Lifecruiser.
The Christmas market in Brussels, from Gattina.
It's good to see some of the "continental" traditions beginning to catch on here. You have captured the essence of the market very well. It reminded me of the Christmas Market we saw in Prague a few years ago - I will post some pictures of it.
ReplyDeletePS. No mention of GluhWein?
ReplyDeleteIt sure looked nice. Kind of old fashioned which I liked. We were attending a xmas market (Julmarknad) yesterday, a different one. More like a street market with other influences than xmas. I'll post about it later.
ReplyDeleteThanks LR. It is a very pleasant tradition and I do hope it continues. It's good to see smaller traders there, not the big chains. Good for the traders and a better choice for the customers. Gluhwein in the afternoon?!! :) I didn't see any but I did notice there was a food and drinks area.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I've added a link to your Prague market post.
Captina Lifecruiser, I look forward to your post too. We'll have a daisy chain of Christmas markets soon!
Thanks Ladybanana!
I looked to see if I could find any here the U.S. They are a few but the little stalls are different and some are indoors. Most are related to the German Christkindlmarkt. Here is some pictures of one in Chicago, its inside.
ReplyDeleteI like both markets better, here and in Prague. Your pictures are always good.
Finished looking at all the pictures in Chicago, there are some stalls outside too.
ReplyDeleteIt sure looks beautiful and inviting. Glad it has become a tradition!
ReplyDeleteThe simple Nativity scene is simply great!
Thanks for the link Hathor. It looks spectacular! I've added the link to the post.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it mar!
Nice to walk in the Winchester christmas market! Love the beauty of the cathedrale and the atmosphere we can perceive through the photo and your description!
ReplyDeleteThat was a very interesting tour ! I have one too in Brussels, where I went on sunday. In Germany Christmas markets have always existed since I was a child. But Belgium and France took this use over from them far later because when I arrived in Brussels in 1959 there wasn't any Christmas market.
ReplyDeleteChristmas time in Prague is wonderful. Prague in winter has several advantages over visiting in summer. There are still tour buses, but they are far fewer, and everything seems less crowded, except Old Town Square, where the visitors to the Christmas market make it seem like an ordinary summer throng. I like the Christmas market in the Old Town Square which is full of tourists who came to Prague and stayed in wonderful Prague hotels, they choose Christmas goods there and watch the killing of carps with surprise: many of them don´t know, that it is a Czech tradition, to have a carp to dinner on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDelete