Yesterday evening, as our train glided yet closer to the village on a plateau in Canton Schwyz, the snow cover thickened and the scene looked as if taken straight from a Christmas card. Einsiedeln itself isn't too pretty - for the most part, the buildings are boring and purpose-built - but it really proved worth a visit when we entered the square beneath Einsiedeln Abbey.
The two-turreted abbey presided above us, the moonlight gilding its turrets and motifs; the twinkling Christmas tree lit up the centre of the market. The stalls were generic, but some of the more interesting ones were selling local crafts, meats and cheeses. The atmosphere was warming and cheerful, with chatter in the air, despite the pop music blaring out of loud speakers that somehow didn't mirror the beauty of the scene.
There is, however, no better way to get in the mood for Christmas than to sip warm mulled wine and munch roasted chestnuts as you gaze up at summits etched in snow and feel a chill biting your toes. Which is why next weekend is to be filled with Christmas markets too. We'll be heading to Rapperswil, a Medieval town clinging to the banks of Lake Zurich that has never failed to impress in the past with its range of stalls and its quaint atmosphere after dark. Then we'll be journeying to Basel - to visit Switzerland's largest Christmas market. Let's just hope we're not Christmassed-out by 25th December!
