Christmas Getaway to the little town of Bethlehem (PA)

We recently got to take a Christmas Getaway to the little town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Bethlehem is known as “The Christmas City,” and for good reason. This town attracts a great deal of tourism around the holidays. 

Celebrating Christmas with Bethlehem’s Moravian Heritage

The town of Bethlehem was founded by Moravians in 1741. Moravians are a Christian religious group from the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. That heritage is evident, especially on the North side of the Lehigh River. Here the Moravian Historic District comes to life with twinkling white lights and lanterns, candles and stars, horse and carriage tours, and stalls where local crafts and treats of all kinds are sold during the Christmas season. This Christmas market is free to enter. It sprawls along Main Street and out from the Historic Hotel, Moravian Museum, and Visitor’s Center. 

If you’re interested in history or religion, the Moravian Museum is a great starting point for your visit to Bethlehem. It is typically open Thursday through Sunday, 11 to 4. Tickets are about $12 for adults and $6 for children. Housed in the oldest building in Bethlehem, the 1741 Gemeinhaus, it is part of the Moravian Church World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark.

The Historic Hotel Bethlehem is another great spot to check out. The lobby is famously decorated with over 35,000 lights, 25 trees, and a giant gingerbread house. The lobby is open to the public so you can stop in to check out the historic architecture and festive decorations without being an overnight guest of the hotel.

Another festive attraction is the Trees of Historic Bethlehem tour. This is a self-guided tour across several history sites. It includes entrance to the sites as well as a handmade putz keepsake. What is a putz? We’ll get to that!

Our Christmas Getaway to Bethlehem

We visited Bethlehem on a Saturday evening after the museum was closed, but there was quite a crowd in the area! Still, we had no trouble finding free parking on the bridge. We headed from the bridge where we parked along Main St. before dark, admiring the unique boutiques and eateries. We got to explore the Moravian Book Shop, which is the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the United States. It was established by the church in 1745!

We also got to view the Moravian “putz” that has been held annually for several decades.  What is a putz?  It’s basically a handmade nativity scene narrated as a kind of show. The one we saw was shown with lights, a little music, and readings that tell the story of Christ’s birth.  It was simple and beautiful. By the time it was over, the sun was setting and everything was beginning to twinkle with those warm, white lights. 

We saw lots of horse-drawn carriages rides happening throughout our trip. Though we didn’t ride in one, they certainly added to the charm of the festive atmosphere. The rides are available from mid-November to early January, every 20 minutes from 3PM to 9PM. Prices vary depending on weather you want a carriage or a row in a sleigh, but start around $35 per person or $99 for 2 to 4 people. Rides must be reserved through the Bethlehem Carriage Company.

Celebrating Christmas at Bethlehem’s Steel Stacks

We explored the southside of the river the next day, where the well known steel stacks are located. The stacks were formerly an industrial factory that produced steel for such renowned entities as the Chrysler Building, Madison Square Garden, the Golden Gate Bridge, and ally ships for World War II. It has now been repurposed by a nonprofit called ArtsQuest as a venue for events and gatherings related to the arts. Films, concerts, sports and cultural festivals all take place at this unique venue at different times during the year.

During the Christmas season, the Steel Stacks open for a well-loved holiday market called .Christkindlmarkt. Here you will find an indoor ice rink and another Christmas market actually inside the Steel stacks. There are heated tents with over 100 artisans and food vendors. This one has an entrance fee, which is around $15. The decorations are very lovely and the market is very popular.

In Conclusion…

On our way out of town we also stopped at the Banana Factory – another factory repurposed into an art studio (free to enter and with ample parking).  There was a craft show going on there as well, where artists were selling their wares and Christmas trees from the various cultural groups who live in Bethlehem were being displayed.  Our kids really enjoyed the sensory room there.

All in all, we were very impressed with this town’s ability to create a thriving city and unique space out of the ruins of the steel industry on which the town grew. The residents’ pride in their history and their creativity in the present were evident and made for a very enjoyable visit to the Christmas City. 

For more family-friendly things to do throughout Pennsylvania, check out this post. Or, visit our page on Seasonal fun in the Mid-Atlantic to find inspiration for other festive getaways in the region.