Christmas fairy tale: the main attractions of Strasbourg
It's hard to believe, but proud title"The Christmas Capital of Europe" is worn neither by the fairy-tale Prague, nor by the beautiful Vienna, but by the "modest Frenchman" - Strasbourg. Conveniently located on the border with Germany, this small town for more than 400 years (!) Is considered the European center for the celebration of Catholic Christmas holidays. This is due to the unique medieval architecture that gives the city a unique charm and an interesting symbiosis of French and German cultures, adding Strasbourg special color. But the fact remains: every year from the end of November to January 31 Strasbourg becomes the embodiment of this Christmas fairy tale!
Holiday lights of the city
One of the main attractionsStrasbourg during this period is his stunning illumination. Literally every building in the city is decorated with hundreds of garlands, colored lights which turn evening Strasbourg into a huge Christmas installation. Such fairy lighting you will not find anywhere else in the world!
The birthplace of the Christmas tree
For the right to be called the birthplace of the first New Year's Evemany European capitals compete. But in Strasbourg they are sure that the tradition to decorate the main square of the city with a green beauty originated here. Up to now, documentary evidence has been preserved that the residents of Alsace (the region of France, whose capital is Strasbourg) put Christmas trees back in the 12th century! As if to prove this, the townspeople still strive to surprise visitors with one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in the world. Therefore, the main square of Strasbourg is adorned by a natural green beauty of at least 25-30 meters in height. Each year, for its design, a new theme is chosen that surprises tourists with the creativity of local decorators again and again.
Fair mood
But the special festive atmosphere of Strasbourggive numerous fairs. The number of Christmas bazaars is growing from year to year, but varies on average from 10 to 15. For a small city with a population of 280 thousand people, such an amount of Christmas bazaars is truly amazing. But fairs, evenly distributed across Strasbourg, do not create a sense of satiety and overabundance. On the contrary, each bazaar is original in its own way and reflects the culture of a certain region. True, the main products of fairs are traditional for everyone: ginger cookies, hot chocolate, spicy mulled wine and countless Christmas decorations.
