European Christmas Market – Enjoying European Christmas in Korea

Festival name	European Christmas Market
period	December 9, 2023 ~ December 10, 2023
time	12pm – 7pm
location	Seongbukcheon Fountain
fee	free
home page	global.seoul.go.kr

The 2023 European Christmas Market Festival was held at Seongbukcheon Fountain from December 9th to 10th. I had high expectations of being able to taste European Christmas food, and since the festival lasted only two days, I made sure not to miss the date.

Parking was done at the Samseon-dong public parking lot. When we arrived at around 2:30 PM on Saturday (the 9th), there were only one or two parking spaces left, so we were barely able to park. It was a short 5-minute walk to the festival site, but there was a slight downhill slope.

The parking fee was 150 won for 5 minutes and 1,800 won for 1 hour, so it wasn’t too expensive. We were able to get a 50% discount because we were driving a compact car.

As we came down to the Seongbukcheon Fountain where the festival was held, a festival banner and a large tree welcomed the visitors. Bagpipe music reverberating from the base added to the excitement of the festival.

There was also a photo zone on one side, but there were so many people that it seemed difficult to take pictures.

The main events of the European Christmas Market Festival are the sale of traditional European Christmas food, specialty products, and performances. It was held with the participation of 11 embassies in Korea, including Germany, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Spain, Austria, Georgia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, France, and Hungary.

The performances included folk songs, Czech traditional dances, European traditional & Christmas dances, jazz, and opera, and a variety of stages were prepared.

Another thing that caught my eye was that, in line with the goal of a ‘Zero Waste Festival’, most of the food sales were made using reusable containers.

The festival grounds were crowded with people. Perhaps because there were so many people, the festival grounds felt too small. There were also many foreigners who came to taste their hometown.

Visitors stood in long lines to buy the food they wanted to try. We also stood in line for 30 minutes to try German food.

From the left, the Munich set (Laugen Brezel, German sausage Weisswurst, cabbage) and potato soup from Germany, Maultaschen from Austria, and meatball steak from Bulgaria.

The prices were 8,500 won, 7,000 won, 6,000 won, and 10,000 won respectively, and some felt reasonable, while others felt a bit expensive. Personally, I liked the taste of the German sausage and Maultaschen.

There is a space where you can eat along the Seongbukcheon Trail, so you can escape the crowded crowds. After you finish eating, you can return the reusable containers right in front.

It was a unique and enjoyable festival with various European foods and specialties sold at each booth.

The large tree created an even more romantic atmosphere as the lights came on from sunset.

Except for the fact that the venue was too small for the number of visitors, it was a festival where you could enjoy a variety of European foods and fully enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.