This European city is the perfect place for a last minute festive escape this winter (Image: Ellen Jenne)
There’s only so much time to revel in the Christmas spirit before the big day, and even though work and life becomes more chaotic than usual, I managed to swap the hustle and bustle of London for Amsterdam. It was my first time back to the Dutch capital in a decade, with my arrival coinciding with the beginning of one of the city’s most iconic Christmas markets.
Christmas markets in the UK can vary in their success, and I have to be honest, the ones I’ve visited over the years have never quite stood up to those on the continent. The first time I realised our markets didn’t compare was only a few years back when I visited Vienna, which can only be described as Christmas on steroids. The largest Christmas market in Amsterdam pops up in the shadow of the Rijksmuseum on Museumplein, where you can combine the festive spirit with a visit to some of the city’s most iconic museums and galleries.
READ MORE: ‘I’m a travel expert – here’s the best hot and cheap destinations for January’
READ MORE: I’m a travel expert – here’s how to save hundreds on Christmas hotels
When in Dam, sample local Dutch wursts (Image: Ellen Jenne)
We arrived on its first day open, and even though we visited in the evening, we managed to escape the wall-to-wall crowds. This was something I never found in Vienna, and on this occasion, I was extremely thankful for it.
The market is free to enter, but you’ll need to pay €16 for the pleasure of skating on its ice rink. Much like other European markets, Amsterdam’s came lined with wooden chalets serving everything from trinkets to treats, steaming cups of glühwein and food from all corners of the globe. There was even a cabin flying the Union Jack serving fudge. Who knew that British fudge was so popular abroad?
No trip to a Christmas market would be complete without sampling some of the local delicacies. A Dutch wurst is a hearty cured pork sausage usually served with stamppot, a mix of mashed potatoes and kale.
However, we appeared to have arrived too late. No wursts for us. So we opted for the next best thing: barbeque jumbo sausages served on toasted slices of bread with pickled onions and gherkins, topped with crispy onions and mayo.
No Christmas market trip is complete without a hot cup of gluhwein (Image: Ellen Jenne)
You’ve never seen a sausage sarnie like this before (Image: Ellen Jenne)
This isn’t your typical typical sausage sarnie. Trying to navigate every bite is a mouthful, overflowing with bits of smoky sausage and crumbly onions.
It was clearly a popular choice, with crowds huddling around the open flamed grill right in the middle of the action, with sausages sizzling and smoking an enviable aroma. A barbeque may not be what you expect in the dead of winter, but boy, was it needed.
Unfortunately the warmth radiating from the grill wasn’t enough to warm our bones while we waited, so two cups of glühwein were in order. Glühwein is traditional German mulled wine, lightly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, star anise.
I’m not entirely sure what it is, but somehow the Germans manage to carefully balance the red wine and spices perfectly, as all the mulled wine I’ve drank at UK Christmas markets are always far too acidic. Glühwein is the perfect drink to warm the very depths of your soul, especially in a bitterly cold city in December, even if the city is known for its beer.
When our sausages finally arrived, they came piled high with pickled onions and gherkins. Much like a Scandi open sandwich, it came overflowing with different flavours, so unlike anything festive you’d find at home.
Raclette completes the holy trinity of Christmas food and drink (Image: Ellen Jenne)
You got an entire jumbo sausage on one piece of bread, quartered to actually fit in your face hole. The smoky pork was cut through wonderfully with the sharp tang from the pickles, with a different texture coming from crispy onions. This isn’t your typical Christmas market fare, but it was pleasant to try some local delicacies.
However, no Christmas is complete without an indulgent portion of cheese. A classic choice at European Christmas markets is bubbling, ooey, gooey raclette.
We chose the traditional choice of raclette and potatoes. What could be more perfect? The humble new potato smothered on smoky melted cheese.
The cheesy spuds were served with some more crispy onions and a fresh coleslaw. Now this is what Christmas is all about. I would eat a bucketful of raclette if they’d served one.
Sausages, glühwein and raclette: the holy grail of Christmas market food.
Even though it was late in the evening and the crowds were dwindling, there was still a buzz among the young ones and families that huddled around the electric heaters trying to keep warm, swigging from steaming cups, ushering in the festive season. In comparison to Vienna, Amsterdam’s markets are a calmer introduction to the Christmas season.
Is this the best Christmas market I’ve ever been to? Probably not, but I’m always intrigued to see how other countries celebrate the festive season.
Amsterdam is one of those cities you can spend hours wandering around, and we certainly did a lot of that. You can wander from place to place with ease, especially if navigating public transport abroad confuses you. Having said that, Amsterdam’s public transport works like clockwork.
From the moment you step out of Amsterdam Centraal, you can feel the Christmas spirit in the air. I returned to the city for the first time in a decade, and up until this point, I hadn’t felt all that festive.
Amsterdam provided a stepping stone into Christmas for me before I head back to Vienna again for round two of Christmas on crack. If there’s anywhere you should escape to in December, it’s Amsterdam. It’s only a train ride away.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
