European city breaks in December-where?

[Confusedwife84]

Hi all, has anyone been on a city break in December that they can recommend? Open to all ideas!!

Well everywhere is pretty cold and dark in December. We've been to Vienna, Prague, Florence ... all quite atmospheric and chilly. It's not a bad time actually to visit cities that are really busy at other times of the year, because you can visit attractions easily without queuing. Or if you fancy visiting Christmas markets there are loads - particularly in Germanic countries.

Fab @juneau I will look into those

Berlin, there are loads of Christmas markets, very festive!

Vienna

Ansterdam.

I think you need to decide if you want the Christmas market scene or not. We went to Prague just before they started as thought it would be too hectic with them on and prices go up too. Rome a good time to visit; we still booked things but pleasurable to wander without the crowds.

Seville. We went in February and it was 24 degrees some days so it’s probsbly not that cold in December and it’s a beautiful city.

Munich, assuming you don't mind the cold. Really great Christmas market plus lots of great galleries etc. High likelihood it will be snowy, large selection of hot alcoholic drink

Or if you want to avoid crowds and hate Christmas markets - Rome and Venice.

Are Christmas markets generally a rip off aimed at naive tourists like me?! I think we'd probably rather avoid them and go somewhere just lovely and festive, Rome sounds great

Ooh, for Christmassy I’ve always wanted to go to Salzburg. It looks so romantic.

We’ve been to Venice in Feb and it was great, not too crowded and very atmospheric.

Lisbon is a year round destination

In Munich there are a variety of Christmas markets. You can avoid them entirely and go to all the lovely arty stuff you would go to in the summer.

Or you can see them as most people do as a lovely festive way to provide large quantities of food that you don't get at other times of the year. There are several sorts of hot alcohol, not just Gluhwein, lots of regional specialty foods, not just sausages and it took some committed eating and drinking to work our way through the lot

Yes a large quantity of tat is also sold. But also there's a famous market for hand carved wooden Christmas crib figures, stalls selling glass baubles which personally I didn't like but were all high quality and so on.

Most people in Munich will meet up in the market after work every evening for a drink at least once a week if not more so it's highly social and v much not just tourists there. You will hear all languages but that's year round as it's a v international city.

Can't speak for other markets - that's the one I know best. Plus Munich has amazing museums, galleries, the Residenz, the Nymphemburg Palace. Salzburg has a lot less to do I got bored

Why not consider Amsterdam - it's cold but cosy at that time of year and they have the annual light festival which you can see on foot or by boat on the canals

I'm an Amsterdam blogger and you may find this post helpful

amsterdamwonderland.com/2016/10/19/amsterdam-by-season/

Let me know if I can help with any questions x

Another vote for Italy - Rome, Florence, Venice

I am German and we try most years to go back in December for the Christmas markets. The only time I really get homesick is December. Yes, some do cater for tourists and will sell overpriced rubbish but lots do sell beautiful handmade things, expensive but lovely. We always come back with tree ornaments or other gifts. All my German family and friends do regular market trips over the whole months.

We love Hamburg, Muenster Frankfurt is nice but not so much the city, Cologne is supposely nice, Nurnberg, Munich. All these also have lots of other attractions to see and do.

We went to Lisbon in December one year, weather can be a hit and miss, 3 lovely days, one with fog and rain. Prague is also good with Christmas marktet but very cold.

There are always lovely Christmas markets in central and Eastern Europe. You don't have to buy lots of tat, but you can often get a cheap bite of lunch and wash it down with a warming drink of svařák (Prague), glögi (Hesinki), or Glühwein (Berlin).

Vienna is lovely and the cake is superb. Brussels has a good Christmas market, as does Leuven.

Budapest. Nice Christmas market and lots to see and do. Thermal baths.

Can be very cold obviously but still lovely.

Lots of nice restaurants and bars.

We had a great December trip to Rome one year. Venice not so much as it gets absolutely freezing.

We went to Krakow last year, and had a fantastic time. This year we are going to Prague.

Ghent. It’s as pretty as Brugge but much less touristy, and the Christmas market there is atmospheric rather than full of tat. There are also lots of classy homeware and design type shops which are lovely to trundle round. We’ve been back in December several times as it’s such a gem.

There are lots of lovely cities to visit in December....maybe try somewhere like Riga which has a Christmas market on - cheap and such a beautiful city. I love Krakow and Budapest and there are lots of things to do.
Over last new year, we were in Romania and had an amazing time...there is a wonderful Therma in Bucharest which is suitable for everyone and some great restaurants - we stayed in the Novotel and would highly recommend its location.

Kraków, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Valencia ... or how about going to Reykjavik?

Ds went Warsaw in December. Lots of christmas lights, small xmas market and very cheap to eat out.

I’ve been to Bruges, Ghent, Tallinn and Berlin in December. All were nice, Berlin has the most going on, Bruges was the prettiest but I think Tallinn was actually my favourite.