It’s that most wonderful time of year. We’ve barely kissed the lazy, hazy days of summer goodbye and already Santa Claus dolls are shimmying on store shelves and mall Muzak speakers are harking the herald angels.

If the commercialization of Christmas is getting you down and if you long for an old-fashioned joyeux Noël, set your sights on Europe, where cities throughout the continent celebrate Yuletide with a full roster of authentic traditions.

Widely acknowledged as Europe’s oldest, the Strasbourg Christmas Market dates to 1570. Historic Salzburg Cathedral, a Baroque-style colossus, presides over the cobblestone square as shoppers stroll from vendor to vendor perusing their wares. Located in the Alsace region of France near the German border, Strasbourg exudes a decidedly German ambience. The intoxicating scents of mulled wine, warm pretzels and cinnamon-spice confections sweeten the air, lending an almost fairy-tale essence to the season.

Satellite markets of various shapes and sizes take place at locations around the city — Place du Château, Place d’Austerlitz and Place du Cordeaux to name a few — throughout the season, and the calendar of events includes plenty of festive entertainment.

Oft cited as one of Europe’s best Christmas markets, Germany’s Nuremberg Christmas Market traces its roots to the mid-16th century. These days, Christkindlesmarkt is a “must” on the lists of Christmas market aficionados worldwide. Each year during the holiday season, almost 200 vendors set up shop in the Bavarian city’s Old Town. Warm up with a cup of mulled cider and a slice of spiced gingerbread before embracing modern-day relics from a simpler time: handcrafted wooden toys.

Vienna Christmas Market © Viorel Dudau | Dreamstime.com

No list of European Christmas markets would be complete without a mention of Vienna. A capital of classical music — Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert all lived and worked in the city at some point during their careers — Vienna embraces the holiday season. Twinkling lights against a backdrop of Baroque architecture set the tone as shoppers gather unique gifts. Look for stained-glass sculptures, uniquely crafted leather goods and old-time wooden toys.

But this is just the tip of the holiday iceberg. Christmas events throughout the continent kick off in early- to mid-November and continue through December.