Gamla Stan's Christmas Market

I’ve been trying to take some time off from renovating. It’s difficult because once I start I just go, go, go but last weekend I took some time and I had three neighbors over for Glögg and this Saturday I met up with my friend Sanna to go to a couple of Christmas markets in the city.

 

The first stop was the Christmas Market in the Old Town (=Gamla Stan). Despite Gamla Stan being quite touristy it’s still a lovely place. Sanna and I were both saying that it’s a place where we could see ourselves living.

 

The Old Town Christmas market is definitely worth visiting if you’re in Stockholm in December. It’s crowded on the weekend but it’s open on weekdays 11 am to 6 pm too.

 

After a stroll through the Gamla Stan Christmas market we continued on to the one in Kungsträdgården but that one wasn’t worth the visit and after it started raining we went on to Sanna’s place for some glögg and then I went from there to dinner with Anne who lives just around the corner. A lovely evening and a nice break.

Comments

[Lisa Johnson]

I love the glimpse of Stockholm and I'm glad you gave yourself a little break and enjoyed some time with friends!

[Lorna]

I remember that "walking only" street. Lovely memory. No snow yet?

[wienerdoglove]

LOVE Gamla Stan! I'm with you on living there, but I have half a dozen places I think would be great to live in Sweden - My bestie lives in Vaxholm, lovely, Peter's morfar lives in Trosa, also nice, etc. It looks exactly the same as it did a year ago though. Is it -5C now like it was then? Most people leave Minnesota to get away from the freezing cold. Not me, I go to Sweden and freeze my baguettes off in the dark on vacation... lol

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

Haha.
This morning it's 0 degrees and snowing!

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

It's snowing now!!!

[Sharon]

What a gorgeous place to take a break. It would certainly motivate me to walk more, but I think my wallet would take a hit with all those beautiful things! Thanks for sharing :)

[Hxx]

Yay for the snow (well, better than rain!). Wish we had markets like that here - our village has a man selling trees and wreaths off the back of a van - no way near as romantic.
Glad you are getting some well-earned time out x

[Maja]

Oh how I LOVE Gamla Stan when I lived in Stockholm!

[elisa]

finally snowing in sweden! oh, you should definitely take more breaks, and take us with you. i was in stockholm as a child, and in midsummer, so it is delightful to see a little of it in winter. i think the old european markets are wonderful, i think i'll see about getting up to london to the winter markets there. x!

[Susan]

Thanks for these lovely photos which have made me feel so Christmassy (the wreath yesterday too!)

[Judith]

What a nice way to spend the weekend! We've been crazy busy too but I've promised myself to make it to the Farmers' Christmas market at Uppsala station one of the Fridays it's being held. Seems like it should be a fun one.

p.s. I could SO live in Gamla Stan :)

[Jo]

Love the decorations on that Red and White stall.. I'd want one of all of them... I'm a terror for red and white.
Looks gorgeous, I must say. Don't get me wrong I love Canada, but come Christmas it's very commercial...
Plus here on the West Coast especially, they think anything more than 50 years old is an antique bless 'em... so there's little in the way of character in the shopping.
So at least I can have a characterful Christmas vicariously through you.
So thanks for that. ;o)
Jo xx
p.s. I think the wreath looks gorgeous.. I really like the mix of foliage and the green on green looks great. The ribbon and reindeer add enough contrast to make it pop. xx

[Gail]

Oh, thank you so much for sharing this outing! Nothing is more Christmasy than the European Christmas markets and you really captured the mood. I always appreciate it when you slip in some imaginative glimpses of life in Sweden.

[celia]

Another reader who likes getting a glimpse of Sweden!

[monica]

Glogg ! You have mentioned it a few times and it has peaked my interest - do you ever make your own and if so would you share the recipe????

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

I don't, I buy it :)

[un arc-en-ciel dans le lavabo]

we were in Stockholm twice, both in December (in 2009 with a white blanket of snow : idyllic !) it is a wonderful place to be. Hopefully there will be a third time ! This brings such good memories back to us, thank you for sharing :)
And btw I was pleasantly surprised by the Ikea acohol free Glögg which actually tastes like real... Glögg !!!

[Erin]

Stockholm is now on my list to visit! So beautiful, I can imagine living there too! What a wonderful weekend.

[Zosia]

The streets look a lot like in the Warsaw Old town. Looks like you had fun. I like the white and red display of decorations.

[Lia]

A tip for you living abroad wanting glögg: the IKEA alcohol free one is really good like un arc-en-ciel dans le lavabo says, but to make it sting you should add some brandy. Really nice :)

Lovely pictures! Hope the market is still open on the 23rd when I'm back in Stockholm for Christmas.

[Samma]

Lovely! As a 3rd generation Swedish American, I agree, the local glimpses you provide are surely as fun for me as they are for you. I'm curious, what is the greenery used for the wreathes at the lovely "Under the Misletoe" shop?

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

They're still open! http://www.stortorgetsjulmarknad.com/subdet7.htm

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

There were all kinds like lingonberry, juniper and spruce!

[Valeria]

The cobblestone streets are lovely! They remind me of the streets in Naples, Italy where I was born and lived before coming to the States.

[Lisa Flaherty]

Good for you to make it a point to take a break from your renovations, and even better to spend that time with your besties! Looks like it was a perfect day!

[jja]

I LOVE Gamla Stan. And love posts like this, please more of Stockholm :-). And I adore those christmas decor. Pitty I can not buy that style here.

[Ania]

Wow, Bwnita we might have rubbed our shoulders on Saturday as I was in Stockholm than for a weekend visiting my friend! Just when I read that rain interupted your stroll on Gamla I double checked if you ment Saturday as I remember that my walk on Gamla was interupted by a rain as well! Yes, you ment Saturday, I was there also! Yay, I like thinking we have crossed our paths that day! Chrismtas display was great, ust as your postings are.

[Nancy]

Oh to be in Europe over Christmas. For those of us who live in Southern Ontario, Canada, you can check out the Toronto Christmas Market. It is located in the historic Distillery District which is the largest and oldest collection of Victorian Industrial buildings in North America, dating back to 1832. Just as Toronto is a multicultural city, this market borrows from many European market traditions. I'll have to take my kids down to the city before it's over. http://torontochristmasmarket.com/

For those of you want to try making your own Glogg, a Danish friend of mine serves this every Christmas. Mmm...
1/4 litre water 3/4 litre red wine
3/4 tbsp sugar 75 grams raisins
1 whole cinnamon stick 50 grams almonds, chopped
3 whole cloves 1/2 demi-litre rum or port
1 orange
1 lemon
Boil water, spices, orange and lemon peel for 10 minutes. Remove spices and add juice from the orange and lemon, red wine, raisins and almonds. Warm up the glogg, but do not boil. Add rum or port just before serving. Mette would serve it with a spoon so that you can get all of the yummy raisins and almonds at the bottom.

Can't wait for this year's get together. Wishing everyone in the blogshere all the best for the holidays, where ever you are!

[Michelle in Htown]

Glogg ... sigh. My mother makes it each year for Christmas Eve. I do so love it. The spoon is a requirement. The best part are the raisins and almonds at the bottom. That reminds me of a great story of Uncle Nels and the glogg ... but we'll keep that in the family *smile* Thanks for the beautiful post.

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

:)

[Rose]

Thanks, Benita, that was fun. The red and white decorations stall and the greenery stall are like a book come to life for me. So different and lovely.

[Karen]

Thanks for the little tour. It was nice to see Stockholm.

[Anna Cassia Passarelli]

Oh... what a nice city!
You should show us more from Stockholm... charmed!

[christine e-e]

love the red & white ornaments... thanks for taking us on your adventure!
a break is an excellent idea! time to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

[Annika]

Don't know how I found your blog (maybe saw your comment someone else's blog) and I am stuck! It is so inspirational I have started a few projects on my own! Believe it or not, I have read thru your entire blog (from the beginning to the last post) - it took me a few days! I am Swedish, living in the US for the last decade. I will be back!

[Kate]

Sorry I'm a day late on this... but I'd like to know what time of day it was you took your photos? I live in Oregon, and it gets dark early here, but you of course are much farther north.

[Gemma]

My husband and I say that when we are retired, it is an etta in Gamla Stan for us ;)
I am rather fond of the Skansen Christmas market, even though it is touristy and you
have to pay to enter. In the U.S. we have many holiday fairs and bazaars, but they are
generally not atmospheric...and are generally indoors, which just isn't very cheery.

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

This was at about 3.30 pm. It does get dark early over here!

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

So maybe we'll be neighbors in our old age :)

[Bridget]

Oh Gamla Stan, what a wonderful place. :)