Nicknamed “The Christmas City,” Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is hands down one of the most charming towns on the East Coast, especially this time of year. It’s located about an hour from Philadelphia, just under 2 hours from New York City, 2.5 hours from Baltimore, and 3.5 hours from Washington, DC. But no matter where you’re based, we think that a trip here is well worth the drive!
Whether you’re a sucker for European Christmas Markets, enjoy beautifully decorated, historic accommodations, or want to wander among millions of lights, Bethlehem is full of activities to awaken your holiday spirit. We visited for the first time this year in partnership with Discover Lehigh Valley and fell in love with the charming area in just over 24 hours. Here are our top five reasons why you should add a visit to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to your holiday travel bucket list!
Bethlehem’s Christkindlmarkt
Located beneath the towering and ionic Steel Stacks, this European-style Christmas market may just be the most unique in the entire country. Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem has been named one of the best by Travel + Leisure twice now, and for good reason. With nearly 200 unique vendors and a 100-year-old steel mill for a backdrop, the views are unmatched, and getting all of your Christmas shopping done while supporting small businesses has never been easier.
The market is open Thursday to Sunday until December 22nd (Thursday and Sunday 10am-6pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-8pm), so you still have a few more weekends to visit. Admission on Thursday and Friday is $11 in advance (online) and $12 at the door. Fridays from 5-8pm admission fees are waived, so visiting the market is FREE thanks to ArtsQuest. Admission on Saturday and Sunday is $14 in advance and $15 at the door, and children under 5 are always free. There are also tons of food vendors, and an ice skating rink, so you can easily make a whole day or date night of your visit!
While you’re there, you can also stop by the National Museum of Industrial History. This interactive, Smithsonian affiliate museum is housed in a 100-year-old former Bethlehem Steel facility and is worth a visit if you’re interested in learning more about the history of industry in the area (and world). We particularly enjoyed checking out an enormous refrigeration compressor, learning about individuals’ personal experiences and stories in their disciplines/trades, and trying our hand at turning a flywheel to test our abilities to generate horsepower.
Illumination’s Million+ Lights
Speaking of festive things to do, Coca-Cola Park has been transformed into a winter wonderland of lights and will remain that way until after the new year. We stopped by on a Friday night, and the place was buzzing with holiday cheer. The IronPigs Stadium is decked out with over one million lights and will be open nightly until January 4th from 6-9pm (only being closed on Christmas day).
Admission is $13 in advance and $15 for same-day purchases during December and January and can be purchased here. (children under 2 are free). Don’t forget to book a train ride or a private igloo experience that can accommodate up to 10 guests and comes with a carafe of Hot Coco and an assortment of cookies. Lastly, be sure to check the calendar to see what festive events they might be putting on when you visit.
Sayre Mansion’s Charming Accommodations
While Bethlehem is home to several iconic properties, we were lucky enough to spend a night at the Sayre Mansion. And we were even luckier to stay in what was once Mr. Sayre’s office (which is also said to be haunted, although we didn’t personally experience any Christmas ghosts). We were however greeted with the warmest welcome by the mansion’s staff and enjoyed free-flowing port wine and snacks in the beautifully decorated common area as well as the most delicious breakfast that was included with our stay.
Built in 1858, the mansion was originally the home of Robert H. Sayre, an industrialist and the chief engineer of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, who is often accredited with the success and development of the area. Today, the mansion stands as a well-preserved example of Gothic Revival style architecture, with intricate woodwork, towering ceilings, and expansive windows that offer stunning views of the surrounding area.
Shopping at Christmas City Village & Historic Downtown Bethlehem
If you didn’t get your fill of Holiday shopping at the Christkindlmarkt, vendors also have set up shop along Main Street and in the Sun Inn Courtyard in Historic Downtown Bethlehem. With 13 vendors situated in wooden huts among the beautifully decorated Moravian District streets, you’re sure to get in a festive mood. The Village is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-8pm and Sundays from 12-6pm through December 22nd. We’ve linked a map here to help you navigate the Christmas City Village shops.
Be sure to mix your visit to the wooden huts with some shopping, dining, and general merriment at the brick-and-mortar stores on Main and Broad Streets as well. The storefronts are currently decked out for the local window decorating competition, and if you scan the QR code on your favorite window, you can cast your vote for it to win! While you’re there, pop into the Moravian Book Shop, which is the oldest bookstore in the US AND the oldest continually operating bookstore in the world!
Brewery Hopping
While this activity is by no means limited to festive-season, we never miss the chance to sample local craft beverages when traveling somewhere new, and Bethlehem had no shortage of beers for us to try. We were able to hit a total of four breweries over the weekend, and we had a tough time choosing a favorite. While we were on Main Street, we stopped by Fegley’s Bethlehem Brew Works and Lost Tavern Brewing. These two are roughly a 5-minute walk from each other and are both worth a visit. After dark, we headed back to the South Side of Bethlehem and paid a visit to Country Club Brewing and then walked over to Bonn Place Brewing Company to close out our night. We’ve been collecting brewery stickers for a couple of years now and these visits were no exception, we got the goods everywhere we went!
*Bonus: Local Dogs
We learned of a great glizzy debate among Lehigh locals just hours before visiting town, and we knew that we had to weigh in. Apparently, there is a disagreement over who prepares a better hot dog, Potts’ or Yocco’s, so (of course) we tried them both. We learned that whether you order a “classic,” “everything,” or “regular,” you’ll receive a sauced (chili more or less) hot dog with onions and mustard on a steamed bun. And if that combo isn’t interesting enough, this meal is not considered complete without a cold bottle of chocolate milk to wash it down. While this doesn’t seem like an obvious combination, I (Seth) love chocolate milk, so I can’t say I was mad when ordering or consuming either meal! That said, after our taste test, the verdict is still out for us… both shops were no-frills (just how we like them) and both dogs were delicious!
Between the dogs, breweries, and the area’s overall Hallmark movie-level charm, we fell in love with The Christmas City in just over 24 hours, and we are already ready to plan a trip back next year! If you too have fallen in love with Bethlehem, let us know what we should add to our itinerary next time we’re in town down below!
