Monschau, A Christmas Market Destination

It is quite probable that you have never heard about Monschau. I mean, many people who live in Liège, which is the neighboring province in Belgium, don't know that this town exist. Monschau is a small village (less than 15,000 inhabitants), next to the Belgium-German border in an area called Eifel. If you don't own a car, it is very difficult to reach this village; you need a bus/train combination that is risky. However, Monschau has one of the most charming Christmas markets in Germany that is totally worth the effort. 

In my opinion, the best time to visit Monschau is obviously during Christmas. Nevertheless, the town has a castle (on a mountain), that apparently offers concerts of classical music in summer. There are a few attractions in the city. The main one is the Red House, which was a mansion that belonged to a rich merchant and it was built in the eighteen century. It is the most impressive building in the town; you can see how was the life of the wealthy people more than two centuries ago It has all the original furniture. Unfortunately you could only visit it between April and November. The best moment to visit Monschau is the last weekend of November when you can enjoy the Christmas market and visit the Red House. 

In addition to the Red house, there are several nice but small churches that are good to visit. The most interesting one is the protestant church that is connected by a small bridge. It is very small but I will say, it has a very warm feeling. In my opinion, the timber houses is what makes Monschau special. Monschau was spared for the destruction that took place during the World War II. I recommend to take some time to wonder and see the beauty of the town.

If you go for the Christmas market, there are several things that you should keep in mind. The markets are spread all around the town, You can find stands even inside some buildings. In addition to the traditional Christmas ornaments, you could find gourmet food and other specialty goods. The best souvenirs are Monschau Mustard (several varieties, the most delicious are the one with honey and poppy-seeds or the one with Riesling), bread (go to Hensch, people go there to buy bread made in stone oven), Printen, Elder-flower syrop (homemade) and several kinds of pastries with apple.  Try the mulled wine, the chocolate with alcohol, the kartoffelpuffer mit apfelmus (pankakes made of potatoes with apple sauce), champignons, and a large diversity of sausages.

If you do not own a car and your departure point is Belgium I will explain you how to get there. This only works on weekends and it is risky. If there is a delay in the train you might have to take a cab. Take a train to Eupen (you should arrive at least 5 minutes before 10 a.m.). In front of the train station there is street with a bus stop. The stop is in the same street but not exactly in front of the train station, you can see it from the window of the train if you are seated in the first wagons.  You need to take the 385 towards Monschau.  To go back, you need to take the same bus. The last departure is at 15:33. If you miss that bus, you can always go to Aachen and take the train there to Belgium (if you departure point is Belgium). However, I think the last bus to Aachen is at 19:25 (check Deutsche Bahn for details). It would be safer to go by car o with an organized excursion. Since I do not own a car, I took the risk every year, without problem. 

Pamplona, beyond San Fermin

Monumento al Encierro

I have been traveling a lot lately, gathering new material for this blog. This post is about Pamplona, the capital of Navarra, Spain. This small town is well known worldwide due to the festivities of San Fermin. For those of you who have never heard of San Fermin I am including this link.

Tourists visit the city  during the festivities (6 to 14 of July), most of them get so drunk that probably don't even remember that they were in Pamplona. It is well known fact that many locals leave the city in July to avoid the crowds. I have been in Pamplona three times but never during San Fermin, so I do not know how crazy it could be. Nevertheless, I can assure you that Pamplona is a pleasant small city to visit outside the touristic season.

Navarra is part of the basque region that includes the Basque country in Spain and part of France (Bayonne, Biarritz and other towns). You could hear people speaking Euskera although less frequent than in Donostia (San Sebastian). Euskera is a very difficult language that does not come from Latin or any Germanic language.  Apparently it is a native language of the Iberian peninsula. Navarra was an independent country for many years and in one period of history the Kings of France were also crowned Kings of Navarra. This is probably one of the reasons that explain why the people of Navarra and the Basque country have a different status (Fueros) within the Spanish autonomic system. Pamplona in Euskera is Iruña.

Most of the city's medieval walls are still in place today. In my opinion it is one of its most important attractions. You can walk along the walls and admire these military structures and the parks that are next to them. Pamplona has several churches that are worth visiting. Of course the principal is Pamplona's Cathedral. In my opinion, I found the interior much more interesting than the exterior.The interior is Gothic while the exterior seems Neoclassic, they do not match at all. The main square, la Plaza del Castillo, is the best place to sit, relax, grab a coffee and eat pintxos while you watch the world go by  (I enjoyed Cafe Iruña, despite some of the bad reviews in Tripadvisor, apparently Hemingway also liked this place).

Plaza del Castillo

Tomb of the King of Navarra Charles III and his Wife inside Pamplona's Cathedral

Pamplona has a small and eclectic Art museum. Most or the Art correspond to the Romanesque and Gothic styles (there is also a  beautiful Goya inside). As you can imagine, in medieval times, artists were focused in expressing religious sentiments, sometimes with  very sadistic overtones, consider yourself warned. Pamplona has a close connection with the Catholic church. For example, Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of the Opus Dei movement, was also the founder of the Universidad de Navarra, one of the best private universities in Spain.

Another important venue that deserves a visit is the Gayarre Theater.  If you know Spanish (or Euskera) it is a good place to watch a play or an spectacle. Finally, I have always eaten very well in Pamplona (A good restaurant is Otano). The pinxos (tapas) are as delicious as in San Sebastian but cheaper. You could always  find good wine that marry well with the food, probably due to the proximity of La Rioja. My recommendation is to visit Pamplona for maximum two nights. You could easily spend in the area four to five nights, if you visit other cities. For instance, the bus between San Sebastian and Pamplona takes one hour and San Sebastian is a great choice. One final suggestion: avoid talking about politics, it is better to remain neutral.