Christmas markets are crap !

[KittyCatsby]

There I've said it . Over the years I've been to a few ( Bath , Chester , York , Lincoln , Edinburgh , Manchester , Harrogate )
Never found one that have lived up to expectation. Mostly selling over priced rubbish , atmosphere almost zero , can hardly get to see the stalls as over crowded , kids miserable etc etc .
Anyone else feel the same ?

I went to one at Chatsworth House a few years ago. It was lovely.

Birmingham was the worst. The same shit on every stall

Couldn’t agree more.

Complete tat on sale.

Over priced food and drink.

It’s cold and you never ‘get into the festive spirit’ like you imagine you will.

Complete waste of time,

Utter crap

sheds of shit pretty much covers it. I used to go to the Edinburgh one when I lived there and it was rubbish and mobbed.

Winchester is local for me so I have a wander most years. It’s exactly the same every year, overpriced stuff you don’t want or need. The shit shed I can never understand is one selling paella pans, nothing says Christmas like a paella!

"I also don't understand people who go abroad just to visit a Christmas market. How long do you spend there - like an hour or two at the very most?"

All day! In fact, in Nuremberg we walked the town and Christmas markets for 3 whole days. Wrapped up well, spending time with friends over lots of wine. They have various markets so we'd do a few hours in one then move to another up the road. I also bought gifts from there.

But yes, Edinburgh and Manchester are rubbish

Because the main reason for going is the Christmas market and the associated festivities. Doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you’re going to do there, but it’s the motivation for going at that time.
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my favourite ones have been in Oslo, Zagreb, and Basel. Lots of handcraft items by local producers, and a great atmosphere.

Completely agree. The one thing in favour of it here is that it looks quite picturesque in the winter twilight with the fairylights and stalls in the cathedral grounds. I'll walk through it but never stop to buy anything, it seems to be an uninspiring selection of overpriced tat.

Wow thanks for all the feedback on Winchester everyone! You've saved me a disappointing trip, looks like.

I'm glad I'm not alone with not feeling the love.

Last year someone did a thread on here about setting up a xmas market in their garden and what it would consist of
It was really funny

The Birmingham one is very samey. same stuff every year repeated every 5 or so stalls.

I hand make stuff to sell but there is no way I could ever afford to take a stall at one of those Xmas markets. I do local church style ones instead.

I have definitely fallen out of love with them over the years. Last year we decided to go to London for a day at the Xmas markets and did two or three of the central ones. Crap food with massive queues and nowhere to eat it as so crowded, ended up standing outside on the rain with DH and kids eating overpriced pizza. So busy you can barely get near the stalls which all sell the same rubbish - carved wood, hot chocolate and churros, earrings and babygros with Xmas messages. It felt so un Christmassy and we all agreed that was the last time. We all love Xmas but will find something more festive to do this year.

The German ones are amazing. Been to quite a few on weekend trips pre kids. The best one I went to was to a town on the edge of the Black Forest. It was so picturesque and christmassy snow everywhere and clear blue skies! The stalls sold really good food and the stalls had lovely things to buy but we went for the atmosphere.

I have definitely fallen out of love with them over the years

I remember first encounter in them in my 20s and they seemed different and while pricy a good few hours entertainment.

Haven't been to one in last decade that wasn't a massive disappointment. Last one we tried was a historical themed one - seemed to be same stalls again and again - had a look did something else haven't been back.

DH and IL have been to ones in Germany which they say are much much better - might try those once kids leave home.

I've only been to ones in London on the South Bank. Too crowded. Overpriced mulled wine as weak as water. £10 for a bag of fake snow.

I accidentally went to the York one several years ago (as in, I was coming out of Marks and Spencer’s where I had been buying knickers and Percy Pigs and got swept into the river of people). I had hold of a small child’s hand and after a few minutes became irrationally convinced that when we got out of the crush I would look down and be holding onto someone else’s kid.

We drove two hours to the Birmingham one last year. Absolute dog shite. Overpriced crap, disgusting toilets, and full of day drinkers.

I went to the one at the Southbank which was selling wooden ties - who the hell would want one of those, even as a gift? It was crap. Full of overpriced tat. Never again.

The Birmingham one used to be quite good but now it's more drinking and eating then anything else - most of the "original" gift stalls haven't been there in years

Yes! Freezing, noisy, expensive.

"50 Sheds of Shite" are what they are known as in our family.

We live within 20 minutes of both the Bristol and the Bath ones.

I've found my people! They are awful.