Various American Christmas songs were simultaneously blaring from every corner of the market— What a bright time, it’s the right time to rock the night away, Jingle bell time it’s a swell time.
The Rathausplatz Christmas market, more widely referred to as the Christkindlmarkt, is known for being one of the largest Christmas markets, with about 70 booths and stands for people to enjoy. For example, vendors sell a variety of items: soup in bread bowls, hand-carved soaps, hand-blown glass ornaments, scarves, gloves, candles, cheese, wine, loaded baked potatoes, gimmicky souvenirs, and all the desserts that you can think of. Most of the stalls are owned by small, local business owners, which makes my consumerism feel a bit more justified. The Rathausplatz market is also equipped with a frosty white Ferris wheel and an ice-skating rink.
At the market, I tried an Austrian winter staple: Glühwein! Glühwein is a hot red or white mulled wine spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and oranges. What’s so special about Glühwein at the Christmas markets is that it's served in a funky-shaped Christmas decorated mug that you can actually take home with you. The way it works is that you put down a 4-euro deposit and if you return the mug to any one of the many hot drinks stands, then you can get your money back. I, however, liked my mug and took it home as a souvenir. In fact, I plan on collecting more mugs from other markets. I also enjoyed a plate of Käsespätzle (Käse is the German word for cheese), which is sort of like mac and cheese, topped with fried garlic. It tasted like a delicious plate of comfort. I also tried a few bites of my friend’s beef goulash bread bowl, which was also incredible!
