Strolling through the decked out streets of Warsaw�s Old Town feels magical during the Christmas season.
The city transforms its historically-restored Old Town into a Christmas wonderland complete with an ice skating rink guarded by a mermaid, a decent Christmas market (finally!) and plenty of stalls selling hot chocolate and mulled wine to keep you warm.
Before we traveled for the recent holidays, I grabbed my camera and visited the Old Town a couple of times in Warsaw. Pretty much, any time, after 3 p.m. is a good time as the sun sets and the twinkling lights start to light up the dark skies. It�s a pretty sight to behold, but I�ll let my photos mainly do the talking.
This year�s Christmas Market, located near the Royal Castle, will be open daily through January 6th, which is celebrated as a national, religious holiday here known as Swieto Trzech Kr�lito honor the Three Wise Men. There�s another market being held at the National Stadium, but I haven�t been there because this location seems like an odd choice and lacks the charm that the Old Town has.
I picked up several handmade Christmas decorations, a wooden cheese plate made by a Lithuanian craftsman and some of the infamous Zakopane cheese at the Old Town�s market.
It�s worth stopping by in you�re visiting Warsaw or if you live here and haven�t made it by yet. The Christmas lights seem to stay up well through January which help brighten the long, dark days of the Polish winter.
If you don�t speak Polish, good luck trying to pronounce Wesolych Swiat (Season�s Greetings or Merry Christmas). I still have a difficult time trying to say this!
