European travel during the Christmas season is defined by its festive atmosphere and traditional markets. While visiting Munich and Salzburg in December of 2024, I encountered this tasty treat that is a common fixture at these winter events: the Kürtőskalács, also commonly known as the Chimney Cake. Soft Christmas Cheer wrapped in a crispy exterior, the dough is wrapped around a rotating spit and cooked overheat, causing the exterior sugar-coating to caramelise. The resulting steam from the freshly baked, hollow cylinder gives the pastry its ‘chimney’ name. The warm aroma of caramelised sugar and spices is a key component of the Christmas market experience. A Brief History The history of the Chimney Cake is traced back to the Hungarian-speaking regions of Transylvania. The earliest known recipe appears in a 17th-century Transylvanian cookbook.
Category: Germany
Christmas Markets in Germany: Dream Realised. Magic & Mugs of Mulled Joy
In Germany, Christmas isn’t just a holiday. It’s practically a seasonal personality trait. The scent of cinnamon, the soft glow of fairy lights, the sound of carollers crooning in front of 14th-century cathedrals. This stuff runs in the blood. So it’s no surprise that I’d been dreaming about the German Christmas markets for years. And in December 2024, I finally made the glühwein-soaked pilgrimage. Christmas Markets in Germany are absolutely worth it. The Ambiance: Where Fairytales Come to Life (with Bratwurst) Munich’s Marienplatz at Christmas is like someone sprinkled holiday spirit from a snow globe onto a Gothic postcard. The massive Christmas tree sits in front of the Neues Rathaus, twinkling with lights as choirs sing from the balcony. It’s grand, it’s cosy, and it smells like roasted almonds and nostalgia. The Food: Calories Don’t Count at Christmas Markets Let’s be real. No one comes to Christmas markets for salad.
Snowflakes and Castles: Capturing the Magic of Neuschwanstein in Winter
Some places live in your imagination long before you ever see them in real life. Neuschwanstein Castle was one of those for me. My earliest memory of it is not a photograph or a documentary but Disneyland. Growing up in San Diego, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle felt iconic, almost real in its own right. It was only much later that I learnt Walt Disney had drawn inspiration from an actual castle tucked into the Bavarian Alps. That detail never really left me. So when we were travelling through Europe in December 2024 with the kids, I knew this was one stop I did not want to miss. We were based in Munich, with the Alps visible in the distance on clear days, and Neuschwanstein was just under two hours away by train. On paper, it was an easy day trip.