Has anyone on Mumsnet ever been to a UK town or city Christmas Market and thought "that was great, so glad I went"?

[LindorDoubleChoc]

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I like Chatsworth

Totnes. Nice street food, fab local shops and no wooden huts selling tat

That thread's great! 😂🎄😂

Chester and Shrewsbury are my go-to places at Christmas, they're soooo Charles Dickens like/Christmassy! 🎄 (And Chester Christmas market is nice.)

I used to enjoy Birmingham Christmas market, but it became super busy and crowded, and crazy expensive.

Manchester around 10 years ago!
We went to Leeds last year and it wasn't too crowded, it was fine and we had a nice time and we will probably go again this year. We will book a table at a restaurant and not try and buy food from the stalls though

The York one is the same tat (mostly!) every year
Two paper star lanterns stalls ( £2/3 to buy on eBay)
Log reindeers ( shite)
Several independent alcohol stalls gn gun gin gin....oooh look rum
Butchers/pie stands I think three this year
Uninspiring to say the least.
I wouldn't walk to it let alone go by coach or drive to it.

Bath is usually very good, plenty of local crafts people.. Did Chatsworth's Christmas market last week, best I've been to...loads of interesting, high quality stalls, plenty of decent food/ drink options and seasonal music, would defo recommend!

Came on to say Leeds Xmas market when it was German. We had a works Xmas do there once, what a night!

Friends of mine went to Birmingham German market last week and said it was basically 4 stalls. Or rather it was many stalls, all selling either sausages, beer, handmade Xmassy crap and mulled wine.

Oh good. I'm going soon.

The Chatsworth one does look lovely, agree Leeds German market was good

We’re going to York in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to looking round the Christmas market, it will be lovely and festive but I doubt I’ll be buying any of the tat. Will probably buy a lot of food though. And I love the Shambles. Dh wants to go to the railway museum again and I’d like to go to York museum. Can’t wait.

We enjoyed Bath last year and I've heard good reports of Stratford-upon-Avon.

@MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig the shambles is a virtual no go , as the stupid ghost shop queue fills it. It's like treading water trying to get through

we used to go to Hyde park winter wonderland back when it first started, I was pregnant the first year they opened in 2007. We just looked at stalls etc, back when it wasn’t that popular and jam packed, also free to get in. I used to love walking around, even when DS was born. I stopped properly going about 5 years ago as it’s got too popular for my liking. DP still takes the dc every few years as it’s mega expensive nowadays.

Don’t bother with Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (London), it’s awful and strictly for tourists.

Bath and Winchester.

Fowey Christmas Market is fab! I'm going tomorrow, it seems about 10 minutes since the last one.

It was great, DH is German and even he liked it!!!

I’ve been to Bath , Birmingham and Edinburgh. Both Edinburgh and Bath massively disappointing but Bath was much better than Edinburgh. Birmingham had
some interesting stuff but not much.

@Letmegohome we were there recently and it was a huge queue. My family like to go for the Christmas market but it’s so overcrowded it puts me off. Plus we like to use the park and ride at the designer outlet but with their Winter Wonderland getting near the place is a complete lottery.

No crowded, expensive and cold

Birmingham last year was awful, beer stall after beer stall .

I think you need to approach them as an atmospheric outing rather than a place to get your Christmas shopping.

If you do that then choose a pretty city as a backdrop ( Bath, Winchester, York) they can’t be too disappointing surely?

And you don’t need to buy food right there. They are all a hop, skip and a jump away from local cafes and restaurants.

Actually Cheltenham was nice years ago.