Of Switzerland’s myriad attractions, its Christmas markets enjoy a premium position. The centuries-old tradition welcomes visitors to partake in the festivities replete with local noshes, carols and glasses of warm glühwein.

It is barely 5 pm and the sun has already disappeared under the horizon. The temperature plunges towards sub-zero and more snow is forecast for later that night. I shove my hands deeper inside my pockets to shield myself from the biting cold and begin to walk the stretch of the road lined with charming homes and souvenir stores decked in holiday extraordinaire: a wreath hangs on the door, the Nativity scene greets passersby from glass windows, and fairy lights illuminate the neighbourhood. Somewhere in the distance, carols echo inside church walls. It is Christmas time in Switzerland.

It is my second visit to the country, and first in the winter. My agenda is clear. I am here to hit the Christmas markets, a European dream that I have cherished since childhood. I am told that Christmas markets mainly have German origins and they spread to other parts of Europe and became a popular Advent custom during the Reformation era.

Like elsewhere in the world, the coronavirus pandemic had robbed people of much of the celebrations over the last two years; 2020 was a blank slate and 2021 came with its fair share of restrictions. So, inevitably the turnout for 2022 is huge as locals and tourists throng the markets even on weekdays.

Basking in Basel’s glow

An SBB train whisks me from Zurich to my first stop in Basel, an artistically stylish city in the country’s northwest bordering France and Germany. The rains greet me on arrival, but I do not mind the drenched streets. The gloom of the weather evaporates in front of the Advent lights and a hundred-odd Christmas trees. I follow the length of a fog-coated Rhine and admire the 13th-century Middle Bridge that connects Lake Constance and the North Sea before making my way to Münsterplatz—one of the oldest squares in the city peppered with myriad former Canons’ houses neatly preserved in medieval style. The plaza also hosts an annual Christmas market, where a towering Christmas tree, created by the well-known decorator Johann Wanner, is erected in front of the Basel Minster—a Reformed Protestant church decorated with red sandstone facade and colourful roof tiles.

Just next to it, snowflake-resembling fairy lights stringing from chestnut trees shade rows of timber wood chalets, where “merchants” display their fineries. At the entrance, I notice the Pisoni Fountain, which dates back to 1784 and is apparently used for bathing in the warmer months. With its fairy-tale setting, it comes as little surprise that Basel was voted Best Christmas Market in Europe in 2021.

I sift through hordes of shops that entice visitors with a sea of trinkets, knitwear, jewelleries, souvenirs, and local delicacies of which Änis-Paradies’ special Christmas anise cookies, famous for using many different moulds with motifs since the 14th century, are selling like hot cakes.

There’s also the Basel leckerli, a Swiss gingerbread specific to the city that was originally a spice merchants’ creation, and the Basler mehlsuppe, a hearty soup made with browned flour, beef stock, onions, and sometimes red wine. Nearby, a vendor is roasting chestnuts on an open flame.

One look at the market and it becomes evident that food is a salient feature. I walk past rows of stalls dishing up all kinds of fares and its heady aromas permeate the entire premise. I let my nose guide me to a crepe shop, where the menu displays at least 15 combinations of the dish, with toppings ranging between sugar, applesauce, mushrooms, cheese and ham. I settle for piping hotsugar and cinnamon and the mushroom and cheese crepes, which help me deal with the mercury that now reads 2°C.

Next, I turn to schoggi (chocolate) sauce churros at the neighbouring stall, but its doughy texture disappoints me. I decide to save room for dinner at Barfüsserplatz, a bustling square named after the barefoot Franciscan friars, who founded the eponymous, 14th-century Barfüsserkircheor Barefooted Ones Church, my second Christmas market stop for the evening.

Even from a distance, the 13-metre tall Christmas tree with a Nativity scene on a carousel and a swinging Santa is clearly visible. As my bones are frozen, I pick a glass of piping hot white wine that brings me instant relief from the cold. Here, a neon-lit Ferris wheel acts as a huge draw for crowds that seem to swell by the minute. I snag a table at the Swiss chalet setup by Schausteller U&M Wolf, a catering venture in Basel, for dinner, where I polish off a plate of pan-fried shrimp spätzli, a distant cousin of mac and cheese, with a side of mixed salad and red wine. I have had my fill of the meal and pass on the apple strudel for dessert before retiring for the night.

City Lights of Lucerne

Though Lucerne has not changed much during my second visit within a year, yet the City of Lights wears a different look in December. Perhaps it is the weather or perhaps it is Christmas. Whatever the reason, I count my blessings as I tour the Lion Monument, the Chapel Bridge, and Jesuit Church before arriving in Old Town, the city’s charming ancient quarter whose centuries-old facades are splashed with frescoes.

The Lozärner Wiehnachtsmärt on the Franziskanerplatz is in its 13th edition. The setting is relatively traditional: metrehigh candle installations, the largest Advent wreath in central Switzerland, a carousel, and a dancing Santa Clause fixture are hard to miss. The area, a favourite, post-work hangout among office goers, also holds broad musical programmes, but I am pressed for time. Instead, I turn my attention to the multitude of chalets selling a variety of stuff. Semi-precious stone earrings, scented candles, vegan soaps, toys, sheepskin hats and gloves, gingerbread, amaretti (Italian macaroon almond cookies) and grill houses dishing out French fries, bratwurst (fried or grilled German pork sausage), grilled meat skewers, and risotto.

There is no dearth of Swiss bites either: Grittibanz (sweetened bread man), Christstollen (fruit bread containing nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar), raclette (melted cheese on boiled potatoes sometimes served with pickled fruit and onions), and rösti (a cross between hash browns and a potato pancake). I skip the nibbles and go straight for the glühwein (German for mulled wine) served in a blue mug with the Jesuit Church and the year 2021/2022 embossed on it, which can be bought as a souvenir. Important to note that most shops here accept only cash and no card payments.

The Winterthurer Wintermarkt, a short distance away, is open only briefly, but is every bit inviting with an array of international cuisines from Brazil, Mongolia, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam, Sweden, and India, amongst others. I don’t linger for long and head to the trendy Rudolf ’s Christmas Spectacle, whose first edition was held as recently as 2019. The lakeside setting inside Inseli Park is popular amongst youngsters and I can fathom why. Friends and families rent booths, where they relish Christmas noshes and chat in privacy. I walk past a life-size dollhouse for kids, seafoam blue food trucks, fondue chalets, barbecue joints, a reindeer cut out, and long wooden benches occupied by diners. The vivacious energy is a harbinger of the party about to get started.

At Zurich’s zenith

Switzerland’s largest city is arguably also one of its most cosmopolitan. Yet, its urban flair sits perfectly in sync with its medieval past. Zurich, the last leg of my journey, is a wonder of epic proportions. A special Christmas tram with Santa Claus at the driver’s seat zips past the street running in tandem with Limmat River in District 1. I follow the bend in the road that leads me to Christmas Market Dörfli, the city’s oldest, in Altstadt’s (Old Town) Niederdorfstrasse quarter.

Surrounded by heritage buildings, the avenue is speckled with stalls that spill onto Hirschenplatz. For what feels like hours, I stand transfixed by the music pouring out of buskers’ guitars and saxophones. Glühwein can wait until I reach Münsterhof Christmas Market, where Fraumünster, famed for bearing five Marc Chagall windows, frames the backdrop. Visitors swarm stalls of enterprising local Zurich brands, be it Bäckerei St Jakob’s traditional Triggel cookies, Teuscher’s premium chocolates, Tsüri sauces or quirky dilly socks. Christmas songs erupt on speakers and a “culture tent” hosts concerts, readings, and workshops.

But nothing prepares me for the chock-a-block, carnivalesqueconvivial at Sechseläutenplatz’s “Wienachtsdorf ” or Christmas village in front of the Opera House. Around 100 huts are huddled in close quarters and vendors are mostly craftspeople, designers, and food entrepreneurs. There is plenty of music, dancing, singing, eating and merrymaking. Besides the classic cheese fondue, fondue chinoise catches my fancy. The hotpot Swiss delicacy combines meats, sauces, and veggies cooked in scalding broth or oil. Later, I wolf down zürchergeschnetzeltes, a Zurich-style ragout of sliced veal in mushroom, cream sauce, and white wine served with rösti in what turns out to be my best meal of the trip. I wonder how the locals celebrate Christmas at home and I am told it involves Filet Im Teig—a roasted pork fillet with potato salad that is seasoned with yellow curry powder, salt, and pepper or sometimes stuffed turkey paired with walnut mayonnaise and bread.

Enroute to Zurich Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main station that houses one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe and a spectacular 10m tall Christmas tree, I make a quick stop at Bahnhofstrasse. A huge crowd gathers at the Christmas market in Werdmühleplatz for its unique offering: the Singing Christmas Tree. As I reach, Johnny Marks’ classic Holly Jolly Christmas is being performed by a children’s choir rowed up on a vertical podium in the shape of an enormous Christmas tree. Families, friends, and strangers join in. I sing along too. It is -5°C and I don’t know a soul, yet it is hard to feel out of place when I am surrounded by so much warmth.