這集跟著Miss Y 來一趟冬日聖誕市集世界巡禮！我們會走訪2025年特選五大熱門市集，聊聊必看亮點、必吃美食與旅行小提醒。還有我住巴黎時每年必逛的杜樂麗花園聖誕市集、我市集必吃的的療癒回憶！

Join Miss Y for a cozy “travel by imagination” episode about the best Christmas markets in 2025! I'll be sharing highlights, foods to try, and simple travel tips. Plus, I’ll tell you my sweet Paris memory at the Christmas market in Tuileries Garden.

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Transcript:

Hey guys, I’m your English teacher, Miss Y!
Welcome to the podcast made for intermediate English learners who want to listen to English, and learn about different topics in a fun and easy way.
So today, we’re talking about something super cozy, super December, and honestly… it just makes people smile.
We’re going to chat about the best Christmas markets around the world in 2025, according to an CNN news report.
You know in December, even if you’re super busy, you still see Christmas lights everywhere—shopping malls, cafes, streets… and suddenly you feel like, “Oh… it’s the end of the year.” And for me, I don’t know why, but I really love the holiday atmosphere. atmosphere 氣氛. I love the holiday atmosphere. I love the lights, the music, the warm drinks, family and friends gather together, and that feeling like… life slows down just a little.
So I have to be honest: I couldn’t help it. 我忍不住. Because it’s December, I just had to make one more Christmas-related episode. And here’s the best part: Christmas markets are not only about Christmas. They’re about beautiful lights, cute gifts, festive decoration, amazing snacks, warm drinks, and that cozy feeling of being outside in the cold… but your hands are warm because you’re holding something hot. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, Christmas markets are still really fun. In Taiwan, we do have Christmas market. Y’all are probably thinking about the notorious 板橋耶誕城. But in Europe, the Christmas vibe is another level. vibe 也是像氣氛, like atmosphere. Christmas markets in Europe feel like a big tradition—like the whole city joins in.

Here’s A tiny bit of history (don’t worry, it’s simple)

Christmas markets are not new. A long time ago in Europe, cities held winter markets in December. One of the earliest recorded ones was in Vienna, 維也納, all the way back in 1298. 
Over time, the tradition spread. Now, you can find Christmas markets in many places—Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, even Singapore and New York.
In this episode, I’ll take you on a little “travel by imagination” tour. I’ll share five famous Christmas markets—what you can see there, what you can eat, what makes each place special, and the dates for 2025. So even if you can’t travel this year, you can still feel like you’re walking through the market with me.
Alright, let’s start our winter world tour.

1) Vienna, Austria
Okay, first stop: Vienna.
Vienna is like… elegant. Beautiful buildings, classical music, and during Christmas season, it becomes a fairy tale. 一個童話故事, fairy tale.
Vienna has many Christmas markets—around 20. But the most classic one is Wiener Christkindlmarkt — forgive my German, I’ll try my best to pronounce it — also called Rathausplatz, because it’s in front of the City Hall. 
Here’s what makes it special: There’s a reindeer train (it’s very cute, especially for kids). There’s a giant Ferris wheel, Ferris wheel 就是摩天輪, so you can see the city lights from the Ferris wheel. There’s a huge Advent wreath. (Advent is the weeks before Christmas. People count down the days. wreath 就是那種聖誕裝飾的花圈) There’s even a children’s ice rink 溜冰場—and it’s pretty big.
And there’s something called the Tree of Hearts: a large tree decorated with many shiny heart lights. It’s basically a “photo must-do.” a must-do, 就是必做的事情. So a “photo must-do” is like how in Taiwan we love taking photos with seasonal decorations? Same here.
Now let’s talk about food. Because Christmas markets do not just “look cute.” They also “eat a lot.”
You can find: Austrian sausages, 香腸, oh they do have good sausages, gingerbread cookies 薑餅餅乾, and warm drinks like Christmas punch, 有水果的調酒會叫punch. The Christmas punch is usually fruity, warm, sometimes with spices.
This market runs from November 14 to December 26, 2025. If you ever go, the tip is to go at night. The lights make everything feel magical.

2) Basel, Switzerland
Next stop: Switzerland. 瑞士
Switzerland is already famous for being clean, safe, and beautiful. And during Christmas season? It becomes a postcard.
Many Swiss towns have Christmas markets, but Basel has one of the biggest—and many people say it’s the best.
Basel Christmas Market is in two main areas, they are called Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz
Together, there are around 150 decorated stalls.
When I say “stalls,” I mean small booth shops. In Chinese, you can think of it like a Christmas version of 市集攤位.
So what do they sell? They sell Christmas spices, decorations, candles and lots of handmade items. It’s very “warm and handmade,” not just big brands.
Now for families, there’s a really cute area called a Christmas fairytale forest at Münsterplatz. Kids can do activities like: decorating gingerbread and candles, making stars in a workshop, like the stars to decorate your Christmas tree, and watching a puppet show.
And for adults (and honestly, also for kids), there are beautiful views. You can climb up St. Martin’s tower and look down at the old town lights.
And of course… you can drink mulled wine. Mulled wine is warm red wine with spices. If you don’t drink alcohol, don’t worry—many markets also sell warm non-alcohol drinks, like hot chocolate.
If you like a calm, classy Christmas feeling, Basel is a great choice.

3) Strasbourg, France
Now let’s go to France—specifically Strasbourg. 中文是史特拉斯堡
Strasbourg is famous because it has one of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets. It started in 1570. That is… seriously old. 
The market is spread across more than 10 locations in the city. So it’s not just one square, square 在這裡不是正方形, square 也可以指廣場. It’s not just one square, it is in many locations. It’s like the whole city becomes a Christmas zone.
Imagine walking around and seeing thousands of tiny lights, ornaments everywhere and wooden stalls that look like little cabins. cabin 就是小木屋, their stalls look like little cabins, so cute.
Strasbourg’s market is very popular. It brings in over 2 million visitors every year. So yes, it can be crowded. If you want to go there during Christmas time, you have to plan early. Otherwise, the hotel rooms will be sold out!
The stalls sell decorations, gifts, and local treats. And there’s local wine from the Alsace region. Alsace is one of the regions in France that is known for producing wine, specially white wine.
One famous spot is Place Kléber, because that’s where you’ll see the Great Christmas Tree—a huge tree that becomes the center of attention.
But honestly, the best part is just wandering, “wander” is like “walk around” — walking slowly through the narrow streets, small squares, and old buildings. It feels like you’re inside a Christmas movie.
Here is the tip: if you don’t like crowds, try weekday afternoons. Nighttime is beautiful but very busy.

4) Brussels, Belgium
Next: Brussels, in Belgium. 比利時的布魯塞爾
Brussels has something called Winter Wonders. And it’s not only a market—it’s more like a festival.
So if you want more activities, more “event feeling,” Brussels is a great pick.
Winter Wonders spreads across different areas. Basically, the city center becomes one big holiday route.
What can you do there? You can watch a light and sound show, or go ice skating. You can also ride fairground rides (like a mini amusement park). amusement park, 遊樂園. 遊樂設施就叫 ride. And there are about 200 chalets. “Chalets” are those wooden cabins-style stalls.
You can eat and drink things like glühwein (that’s mulled wine—this is the German word, and many Christmas markets use it), and you can buy some Belgian beers, you know how Belgium is famous for it’s flavorful beer. And of course… Belgian waffles, something you have to try if you go to Belgium!
And Brussels has a huge Christmas tree in Grand Place, which is already a beautiful square even without Christmas. With Christmas lights? Amazing.
Brussels Winter Wonders runs from November 28, 2025 to January 5, 2026. So if you’re traveling during New Year’s time, this one is perfect.

5) Prague, Czech Republic
Okay, now let’s go to our last pick, Prague. 布拉格
Prague at Christmas is the definition of a winter wonderland. The buildings are old and beautiful, and the streets look magical with lights.
Prague has many markets, but the two main ones are: Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square.
The best part? They’re only a few minutes’ walk apart. So you can easily visit both in one day, no problem.
Old Town Square is great for live shows, dance performances and creative workshops. So it’s more about entertainment and atmosphere.
Wenceslas Square is great for handmade gifts and local snacks. And one snack you might see is klobasa, a Czech sausage. Czech 捷克, Prague is the capital of Czech Republic. If you like sausages, you will be very happy in Central Europe. Trust me. Christmas markets = sausage kingdom.
And of course, you’ll also find mulled wine again. It’s like the “official drink” of European winter markets.
These Prague markets run from mid November till the beginning of January. Again—perfect for year-end travel.

My Christmas market memory
When I lived in Paris, France, I went to the Christmas market in Paris every year.
The Christmas market took place in Tuileries Garden—it’s a really famous garden in Paris, it is beautiful by itself, and you can even see Eiffel Tower, 巴黎鐵塔, you can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance when you enjoy a nice walk in the France garden. Around this time of year, the Christmas market would pop up there. And let me tell you… it was such a vibe. 
They had hot food and hot drinks, handmade crafts, little rides and fun attractions like a Ferris wheel. It felt like a winter festival right in the middle of the city. And okay… now we need to talk about the best part: the food. Every year, my favorite thing to eat was a raclette sandwich. So what is raclette? Raclette is a kind of cheese; it’s perfect for winter. Here’s what I loved: the vendors would have this huge block of raclette cheese—I’m not joking, it was like… bigger than someone’s head. They put it on a stand and heat it up. Then, when they make the sandwich, they use a scraper—like a knife—and they scrape the melted cheese, melted 融化的, they took down the melted cheese from the hot side of the block. And that hot, melted cheese falls onto a piece of French baguette that is crispy outside and soft inside. Then you can choose to add ham in your sandwich too. That’s it. Simple. But… oh my goodness, it was so comforting. Like instant happiness for me. And I always buy a vin chaud— that’s mulled wine in French. And the smell is so “Christmas.” I remember standing near the little fire heaters somewhere in the market—those warm areas where people gather—and just eating my raclette sandwich and drinking mulled wine. Warm food in cold weather just hits different. It’s like… your whole body relaxes. It’s healing. Truly.

Final friendly thoughts
So, would you like to visit a Christmas market in Europe? If you could choose one, which Christmas market would you want to visit?
Would it be Vienna: classic, elegant, and full of “traditional Christmas”. Or Basel: cozy, beautiful, and super Swiss. Maybe some people prefer Strasbourg: historic, famous, and huge. Would it be Brussels which has festival-style with lots of activities, or Prague: romantic winter wonderland vibes?
Even if you don’t travel this year, it’s still fun to learn about these places. And who knows—maybe one day you’ll go. And when you do, you’ll be like, “Ohhh I learned this in podcast!”

Alright guys, that’s it for today.
I’m Miss Y, and I hope you enjoyed learning English with me.
If you liked this episode, come back next time for another fun 15 to 20 minutes of simple, clear English and a brand-new topic to explore.
Stay curious, learn the World in simple English with Miss Y, I’ll talk to you again soon. Have a merry merry Christmas!