Maastricht Christmas Market

I feel like I didn’t really do justice to the Maastricht Christmas Market as it opened a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t show well in the late November daytime, empty of people and with the booths and the attractions still getting going.

The SkyWheel has been lit and active every night across the river, beckoning a return to the Market this weekend. Friday night was rainy, the Fair largely empty, with only a few skaters sloshing around the ice rink or huddled into the buckets on the Wheel.  Still, it showed promise: the lights and booths were open and the gluhwine was warm and abundant. 

But the following night was dry and pleasant, the Market buzzing and laughing. Skaters were out in force (especially the little learner leaning on her Penguin, below), the sausages were excellent, and the carousel and the weird sinterklaas-themed trains whirred around full of squealing children. It was really a festive evening: the lights, the music, and the decorations for sale really capture the season.

This is how the evenings should be: it’s amazing to me that this hasn’t been adopted in US towns yet. 

I took a couple of minutes of video from the SkyWheel, posted below, which will give some idea of the scope of the seasonal activities in the Market.