Salzburg Austria christmas markets

 Just got back yesterday from my short break to Salzburg in Austria, to see the Christmas markets.  I travelled on Monday and came back yesterday, so had three full days which felt like plenty of time.  The historic city is very walkable and quite pretty in its own right.  A lot of the old town was decorated for Christmas, with lights, wonderful shop displays, trees and greenery, as well as the markets themselves. I was really lucky with the weather: dry every day and two days were brilliantly sunny.  It was cold but not too bad, 2-12C.  The main market by the cathedral was the biggest, not crowded at all earlier in the week but getting very busy by Thursday night.  I also went to the smaller markets in Alter Markt, Mirabelplatz and at the Sternbrau brewery.  And I made the trip out to the Schloss Hellbrunn for their charming christmas market which was quite magical once dark had fallen. On Thursday I took the train to the nearby town of Oberndorf to see the Silent Night chapel (on the site of the church where the carol was performed for the first time) and the local christmas market there.  I also crossed the river to walk into the German town of Laufen for a look around.  So lots of walking and it felt very festive.

Sternbrau brewery market

Historic town from above

Wonderful miniatures at a shop called Candela

Main market

Mirabelplatz market

Silent Night chapel

Market at Schloss Hellbrunn

I didn't buy much.There was a great shop in the New Residence called the Salzburger Heimatwerk which supplies high end traditional costume and the materials to make them, plus other artisan and handcrafted items.  I got some lovely embroidered ribbons, a couple of cross stitch patterns, and a pretty towel with an aida band for stitching.

I hadn't taken any knitting and was really missing it, so I picked up a ball of Christmas sock wool and some needles in a shop and started a sock to keep my hands busy in the evenings.  I did see three fabric shops and a knitting shop but didn't go in any of them because I really don't need any more stuff.   But to see so many stores in a relatively small city shows that handicrafts are popular.  

I got a few christmas ornaments, and some choccies for DH, and the obligatory gluhwein souvenir mug.  It was really fun wandering the medieval streets and exploring the various alleys and arcades, I took loads of photos.  It's such a photogenic city.  I went to the noon organ concert at the cathedral which was very good as well.  I rode the funicular up to explore the somewhat grim fortress; and had fun visiting the toy museum (mainly for kids but some exhibits of dolls and roomboxes).  So a good trip but I was very tired by the time I got home Friday afternoon.

So not much crafting this week apart from I have put together two blocks now for the Gail Pan embroidery BOM, although I still need to sew the EPP hexies onto the second block.  I am struggling with all the arithmetic so there is a certain amount of backwards stitching and re-cutting going on for the modified layout, but I got there in the end.  Luckily I have lots of Tilda fabric pieces.

Now that I'm home, we've started to put up Christmas decorations.  We got the lights onto the tree this morning, did a few windows, and put the garland and lights running up the stairs.  I've also brought up my dollshouse christmas scenes to display them for the season.   And now I'm home, I can get back to work on my Christmas cross stitch sampler.