Here is Christmas related travel tip for people interested in Switzerland.

If you happen to spend your Christmas holidays in Switzerland, you really should check the Swiss Christmas Markets. I am not sure how long they keep markets open, but if you miss the Swiss Christmas Markets this year, remember to try next year. There are Christmas Markets at least in Basel, Luzern, Montreux and Zürich. If you are staying in one of Swiss ski resorts such as Zermatt or Andermatt, check if one of these markets are close to your resort. Take a break and head to Swiss Christmas Markets.

Basel Christmas Market

I lived two years in Basel, and if you ask me, one of the highlights of living in Basel is the yearly Christmas market. I’m not into shopping at all, but I really enjoy the Christmas feeling I get when visiting the market. There are lots of stuff for sale, mostly hand-crafted, but I prefer Mulled Wine and various food they offer. If you are interested in Mulled Wine (Glühwine), check www.gluhwein.net.

Basel is a thrilling city unlike any other in Switzerland, where Swiss quality meets a multicultural population in the border region close to France and Germany. About 33% of inhabitants are from other countries. Basel is the third biggest city of Switzerland.

Luzern Christmas Market

I haven’t visited the Christmas market of Luzern, but I have been riding my mountain bike in the surrounding mountains few times. Luzern is a really nice city located by the lake and surrounded by mountains. You could say that Luzern is the essence of Switzerland. Luzern is very close to the Mount Pilatus & Rigi along with the famous ski resort of Engelberg so if you are staying in Engelberg right now, check the Luzern Christmas market today.

Luzern offers a beautiful Christmas Markets set inside the impressive hall of the railway station with 50 wooden chalets and a large Christmas Tree. One of the city’s famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century.

Montreux Christmas Market

Montreux is a beautiful city on the shores on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). Famous for the annual Jazz festival, the Montreux Christmas Market also places this interesting city high on the list for anyone looking for a something different during a ski trip in Switzerland.

Montreux boasts one of the most beautiful walks along the lake, stretching from Villeneuve all the way towards Vevey. The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury facing Lake Geneva. Some of the numerous small villages around Montreux include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon provides a marvelous view of the entire Lake of Geneva and can be easily accessed via bus, walk or boat.

Zürich Christmas Market

Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland’s main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. Zürich is also ranked the sixth most expensive city in the world.

Zurich offers a number of Christmas Markets. The largest being the indoor market inside the railway station with 160 wooden chalets and a 50ft high Christmas Tree.

So those people traveling in Switzerland right now, check out the Christmas Markets Swiss cities offer. It might be a good idea to spend one day in a small Swiss city instead of mountains. If you don’t like the idea, I guess it’s better to stick to your earlier plan of skiing all days of your vacation

Merry Christmas!