Best Europe Christmas Markets

[Frostytiger87]

Hi I’m looking for a couple of days away on the run up to Xmas with my teen in Europe
Any recommendations for a nice festive place to go please ?

Salzburg (you can do some "Sound of Music" stuff too) or Vienna - both are festive. You might even get some snow in Salzburg - or you can take a day trip to the mountains from there.

Bordeaux has a lovely Christmas market

For a teen, I’d suggest Berlin.
The market in Potsdamer Platz has a massive toboggan run and ice rink www.berlin.de/en/christmas-markets/3249647-3230598-christmas-market-at-potsdamer-platz.en.html
There’s a big Ferris wheel and some other fairground rides at the market in front of the town hall www.visitberlin.de/en/christmas-market-berliner-weihnachtszeit-berlin and there are also some rides and entertainment at Alexanderplatz www.berlin.de/en/christmas-markets/3240090-3230598-christmas-market-at-alexanderplatz.en.html
There’s also a more nostalgic market in Spandau old town www.visitberlin.de/en/spandau-christmas-market and if you’re a foodie or you want to watch craft demonstrations then there’s the one at Gendarmenmarkt www.berlin.de/en/christmas-markets/3235772-3230598-christmas-market-at-gendarmenmarkt.en.html

Vienna is lovely, and really easy to travel around.

Budapest is great. I’ve been to quite a few and it’s been my fave.

Take the Eurostar to Lille, then another train to Arras... gorgeous Christmas Market, includes skating rink and toboggan, Ferris wheel etc.

I would do a bit of research. Where I am in Zurich one of the local towns has decided no Christmas lights because of the energy costs etc. Plus any other lights will go off earlier.
So worth including that in your research - if you can find out what will happen.

Arras Christmas Market link

I'm having the same thought. I was wondering about Bucharest or Talinn (because I'd prefer to fly from Liverpool) - has anybody been to either of them?

Thanks for this link! We were going to do Budapest but nervous about flights being cancelled left, right and centre. We decided on Lille as it's a short drive/train journey but have now added Arras to our plans. Easy to do both in one weekend.

This is a very good point. In a normal year I would have suggested Dresden, Nuremberg or Lübeck, but due to the energy crisis, many cities will switch off Christmas lights and street lamps at 10 pm and not illuminate historic buildings and popular sights at night. It might all be a bit sad and bleak this year, so I would probably avoid Germany and definitely also research the situation in other countries.

Germany is already making a number of energy reducing measures- swimming pools at lower temperatures, and no saunas as I found out when there last week.