Christmas in Europe – Innsbruck

We arrived in Innsbruck at 5 p.m. and were soon marshalled into the Swarovski shop so that some of the passengers could get their Swarovski fix.  The visit was OK, but nothing special (I found the exhibition in the basement a little kitsch, frankly) so Tony and I were quite glad when we moved on to stroll down to the old town where we found our next nightmarket.  Right in the old town square you’ll also find Innsbruck’s greatest tourist attraction and certainly its most characteristic landmark – The Golden Roof.

It was great walking around the stalls, seeing what each one had to offer.  A little further to the far side there was a Christmas pantomime which attracted huge crowds.  We made our way back to the central square and decided that it was time for some glühwein as it was getting cold.  We also couldn’t resist the waft of raclette cooking and decided to sample some as well.  The smell of cheese cooking was mouth-watering and it tasted delicious. Just as we started to eat our food the sound of trumpets and French horns filled the air.  We looked up and there on the top balcony of the Golden Roof, an orchestra was performing Christmas carols.  It was truly magical.

Helen