Best Christmas markets in the UK!

[sopeas]

Hi all 🤶🏻

Does anyone have fab suggestions for a Christmassy long weekend (Christmas markets, lovely little towns etc- not London, that’s where we live and Winter Wonderland is so commercial- we are looking for something as genuinely christmassy as possible) getaway within the uk? Was hoping to take DP and myself away to Germany for a Christmas market getaway this year but we are unable to due to his job commitments and my passport needing renewed and apparently that can take up to ten weeks 😬 so I think it’s on the cards for next year instead!

ideas and recommendations and any tips very very welcome please ❤️

rookiemere it’s the crowds that make the market atmosphere in Edinburgh! I live in a small Perthshire village and love the buzz of Edinburgh’s Christmas. The amazingly ott lights and decorations at the Dome, the views from the top of the ferris wheel, wandering round the market with a cup of mulled wine and a plate of poffertjes, the miniature train at Santaland, it’s just lovely.

I like Edinburg but I always go on a Monday Tuesday or Wednesday, the weekend s are just to busy for me.

More recently they have changed the layout so it's a lot less crowded. Fewer stalls so fewer repeats. I found it more pleasant. A weekday during the day is a good plan if you don't like crowds.

Seconding this one - I go every year. It's brilliant and I always come away with lovely, unusual and quirky stuff.

I am of course biased with it being my city 😉

I went through Manchester yesterday and it was absolutely rammed already, mid-November.

Used to enjoy it but now the idea of spending a tenner on a sausage to eat stood up next to a bin while jostling with thousands of people just makes my blood run cold.

Cirencester markets are every weekend for a month and we loved it. Added plus that you’re in the Cotswolds which adds instant Christmas cheer, IMO.

cirencester.gov.uk/christmas-in-cirencester

Birmingham's nothing like it used to be. Everything's doubled in price this year and most the stalls are alcohol.

There is the big wheel and ice rink and both are wheelchair accessible this year which is nice, and there's the penguin trail if you've got kids

We went to the Exeter Market last Christmas and it was wonderful. So many beautiful locally made things, plenty of good food and drink, and Exeter is such a nice city that you could easily spend a weekend there. This year we are going to the Bath Market although just for the day. I've not been to the market before but I love Bath as a city so can happily waft around the shops if the market is rubbish.

Chatsworth is absolutely gorgeous and the house is dressed with an 'Alice in Wonderland' theme this year I think. We missed the market last year but heard good things about it.

For those mentioning Chester, it's a lovely city for a weekend break but I wouldn't specifically go for the Christmas Market. The last few years it's been nothing special sadly.

Would anyone recommend Bath market? I am thinking about going this year.

Just got back from Birmingham and do not recommend. Lots of cheap sausage stalls and beer/gluhwein and about four/five stalls with crafty bits. Plus shops are not great in Birmingham (in terms of quality and variety, unless you're interested in The Works, Greggs, et al) so there aren't really other options around the market itself. Also very grubby.

I would avoid York Christmas market on a weekend. Absolutely heaving. Can’t get near the stalls and they all sell the same overpriced tat.
Having said that York is a beautiful city to have a wander around.

If you're looking for a weekend away and pulling in something Christmassy as well, then I'd look first for the town.
Bath is so beautiful anyway that anything added with twinkly lights is just going to add to it. Plus the train from Paddington is a great service.
Chatsworth is utterly gorgeous at any time- I haven't been at Christmas (into the house) but my Mum used to take my aunt every year.
I'd pick a lovely smallish city I think. That said I do love WW as well. Love London at Christmas, you're lucky OP 💗

The Worcester one is great. You could do the market one day and then do the Severn Valley Railway on the other, they have Christmas trains.

@Tereseta I was going to suggest Liverpool too (that's where I'm from too) if this year's market is as good as last year's then I doubt anyone will be too disappointed!

We're going to York Christmas market this year as well! I went a few years ago and it's such a beautiful city! I can't wait to go back

I agree. It was rammed with people and the stalls were over priced food or plastic tat.

The best thing is the setting in Princes Street gardens below the castle.

So last year we went to Poland and this year we are going to Hungary . Super cheap flights and staying in an Air Bnb. In your situation I would apply for a new passport @sopeas , it usually doesn’t take 10 weeks at quiet times of year.

Lincoln is utter shite, too busy, crap stalls with the usual mass produced Christmas market fodder. Don’t bother.

Chatsworth theme this year is Nordic, it looks gorgeous can't wait to go!!!!

I went to the one in Bath pre covid. It was very busy - absolutely rammed. it had some nice things though. I bought a hat, some vegan steamed puddings (DD1 allergic to eggs) and some other bits and there was some interesting alcohol to taste,
Bath is a lovely city though so if the market gets too much there are plenty of other things to do. There is a free guided walk that leaves each day at ?2pm? from outside the Roman baths for a different take on the city

Agree with Cardiff. Lots of hotels, easy to navigate the town centre, castle, museum on foot. You can even walk over/get a quick bus to Cardiff Bay who have food/craft stalls on some weekends.

As PP said the stalls are all local sellers. We’ve been this year and they have a really cool outdoor German bar with Wassail, special hot chocolates (Forerro Rocher/Baileys/Chocolate orange) and beer. It’s completely wooden and has upstairs seating.

There is a Winter Wonderland set up in another part of the city but you can easily avoid it if you want.

Also Bath and Bristol are only an hour away and you can hop on a train to either easily if you want to do a Christmas Market crawl!

What about a countryside break and going to Chatsworth Christmas Market and then Bakewell for the other day?

Isn't chstsworth christmas market fully booked?

Agree with this. It is a really horrible, claustrophobic experience especially at the weekend, and you need to keep a really close eye on your kids so they don't wander off and get lost in the crowds. Weekdays are a lot better. Although having said all that, it does seem to have been scaled back a bit since covid.