In 2002 I first heard about the mysterious Christmas market in the caves somewhere in Limburg. Previous years brought various attempts to organise a visit, but inevitably something else came up and this market dropped down our to-do list.

This year … we got lucky! On 6th of December we drove 250 km’s from Lelystad to Valkenburg to visit the Dutch Christmas Caves.

The Valkenburg Grotto website gives you a rough impression of where you can park, so we found the first parking lot that mentioned the “Gemeentegrotte” [the caves] and found ourselves on top of the caves next to the casino. After walking down a couple of steep hills, we discovered a quaint little street with festively dressed buildings. Then we were dumbstruck by the queue heading around the corner. At least you instantly know that you’ve found the Christmas Grotto!

We were meeting other family at the caves too, who’d kindly organised us some tickets. We found them tucked in a cafe snugly drinking coco and tea. After the 3-hour drive, we happily joined them for a cappucino! A good call … ‘cos as we were finished, there was a lull in the queue, so we could join with very little waiting.

I still get blown away at the amount of people in Europe, especially at any Dutch tourist attraction. The queues are so long, and people normally so serious. Make sure you don’t (accidententally) jump the queue! We saw some foreigners being crisply reprimanded to stand in line, in spite of their tickets in hand … that was apparently a different queue.

The market was founded 23 years ago (1985). It’s such a funky idea having a market in a cave, especially one that has been built (or mined) over the last 2000 years. Considering the market is more commercial than sociable, I felt they made a good effort to get people into the Christmas mood with all sorts of decorations and lighting.

The Christmas goodies on sale varied a bit, some were great and others downright kitch. Would you be able to do all your Christmas shopping there? Probably not. We also heard a few complaints about inflated prices. The most sociable part was in the middle where you could partake in a beverage or enjoy something more substantial.

The stalls outside offered typical Dutch fare, including “kibbeling” (freshly fried fish chunks in a batter) and waffles. Not necessarily eaten together. After visiting the caves, we headed down the street and found a little cafe to spend time together over a beer. The streets, lighting and decorations certainly gave you a cosy Christmas feeling. There’s a lovely Dutch word to describe it, “gezellig”.

On the whole, we found the experience unique and enjoyed it. But it doesn’t have the joviality or charm of a German Christmas Market. So next time, we’re heading back across the border (see The Festive Season, As It Should Be). Gluhwein and bockwurst anyone?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!