Five Nice Things: Swiss Edition
Because you deserve nice things.
The wintertime holiday season is upon us. While a cozy hat and fuzzy mittens protect against a chill from the outside, how nice to discover things that warm our hearts from the inside!
Perhaps it’s sipping hot chocolate with an old friend, baking cookies to share, or holding the door for a stranger, any small kindness that’s free and easy to give, an acknowledgment of our shared destiny—all of us part of the human family, sparkling together on our tiny sapphire floating in a diamond necklace of stars—as if to say, I see you, fellow traveler. Welcome home.
Come then, and let us journey together to Switzerland for this month’s Five Nice Things holiday edition.
1. Christmas Markets
Ah, the European Christmas Market. Initially, they were German creations, but today, you can find them across Europe and, indeed, the world.
Now, because this is nice things only, we are going to footnote the direct connection between the Nazi party and the resurgence of the floundering Christmas market tradition in the 1930s.1 There’s always someone awful who wants us not to have nice things, but not today!
My local market, the Basel Christmas market, is charming and full of open-air huts selling regional arts and crafts, food and mulled wine (so much wine), but there’s one vendor worth seeking out: the folk art (Erzgebirgische Volkskunst) dealers Ruth und Roland Paul.
In a cramped trailer (the things here are too precious to risk the elements) tucked off to the side of Barfüsserplatz. This elderly couple has curated a fabulous collection of traditional carved German Christmas figures. Brightly colored hand-carved angels, nutcrackers, and ornaments, oh my! Perhaps the most famous maker they carry is Wendt & Kühn from Seiffen, Germany.
Everything here is a delight—intricately detailed, full of whimsy and charm, and expensive (not so nice). Bring your credit card and your self-control. You will want one of everything.
2. Christmas Tree Candles
Perhaps the loveliest Christmas tradition throughout the northern climes of the continent is the addition of candles (lit ones) to Christmas trees (live ones).
Let me caveat this by saying that my Swiss house is built almost entirely from cement, not wood, and it should also be noted that many people decorate the tree on Christmas Eve and light the candles one night only on a fresh tree. Although that’s not us, we want to enjoy the magic over as many nights as possible whilst laughing in the face of danger. We don’t need no water!
Want to bring some of old Europe back home? Of course, you do! The dripless candles (white, red, and honey-smelling beeswax) and the little holders that clip to the tree can be found at any Migros or Coop. A box of candles and a bag of clips cost under 50 USD and pack perfectly in a carry-on. Terrifying your friends and family back home with a tree covered in open flames? Priceless!
3. Les Trois Rois Hotel, Basel
My last meal would be a drink at the Les Trois Rois Hotel bar (AKA The Three Kings), the grande dame of Basel hotels and one of the oldest in Europe.
Warm up by the fire after strolling the Christmas markets with a drink and a nibble. This is my A-list of nice, which might tell you something about me and what brings me joy. Cheers to you, friend!
4. Swiss Pharmacy Finds
We hear endlessly about French pharmacies, but the Swiss have their hero products, too.
Because it’s cold outside, let’s focus on winter skin care. Swiss skin and beauty products come in two categories: no-nonsense science (think, La Roche Posay) and natural—based on thermal waters and mountain herbs. Let’s discuss.
La Roche Posay Cicoplast Baume BS 50: I use up tubes of this in winter. It’s a thick protective creme with 50 SPF that goes on white but quickly absorbs into an invisible barrier protecting your skin against the cold, wind and sun.
Weleda Skin Food: a gross name for a great product. This is the OG herbal Swiss creme in the dark green tube. A tacky white paste smelling pleasantly of grandma’s herb garden makes a fab nighttime moisture mask. Perfect after a weekend of skiing or Christmas marketing. Hint: warm it up in your hands before applying it; otherwise, it’s like trying to spread cold molasses across your face. They have a light version if the original is too thick for you. Noice!
Piz Buin Glacier Creme SPF 30: perfect for your alpine adventures. Functional knapsack-friendly packaging with an unbeatable old-school font.
If you find yourself in Zurich, all of these and much more can be found at the temple of Swiss apothecary, Bellevue Apotheke. Be sure to check out their House Specialities. Compounding pharmacies are big here, and they whip up all kinds of magical concoctions; who doesn’t need a brown bottle of Ribwort Plantain Syrup in their lives or a tiny tube of nasal ointment?
5. A nice Substack gem,
More beauty more better.
I’ve visited many places the author writes about, and her photographs make them even more beautiful than I remembered. It’s hard out there, but
takes you slow traveling through the loveliest places in Europe; why not come along? Beauty is good for the soul, and that’s always nice.
Remember, there are still nice things in this world—more than we can count.
The surprisingly sordid history of Germany’s Christmas markets: From their medieval roots and their brush with Nazis, these beloved bazaars are now celebrated around the world.
Aww I love this! I just cannot imagine those open flames on that tree. How does that not go up in flames in 30 seconds flat?! 😱💕 I’m totally putting Les Trois Rois on my bucket list. If I get myself there, I’ll meet you there for a fancy drink 😂
Ahh back in the good old days every single Christmas tree in Scandinavia had live candles. Sometimes more than often the candle holder would tilt a bit and wax from the candle would drop on the floor. Not fun times for mom who had to scrape the wax to get rid of it.
Young me never understood to be a afraid of the three catching fire. It was the dripping of the wax baby.
Beautiful and serene absolutely yes. But no, I would never go back to having live candles in a Christmas tree anymore.