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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

European Christmas Markets

26 replies

JerkintheMerkin · 04/07/2023 16:23

Can anyone recommend some good weekend break Christmas markets in Europe. I am planning on surprising my 10 year old daughter.

OP posts:
Wiennetta · 04/07/2023 16:50

My favourite Christmas market trip was Budapest.

reluctantbrit · 04/07/2023 17:30

I would look for a city you can do more or where it is easy to travel to other cities.

The markets are good a 1 day in my opinion (and I am German and go quite often) so we always look for something else to do.

It really depends how long you want to stay, if you just go over a weekend, look for one with the airport nearby and no long travel by train or car.

bibbityboppityboo · 04/07/2023 17:35

Cologne, Vienna, Hamburg, Berlin are all fab!

cherryassam · 04/07/2023 17:38

Budapest was great.

Other ones we’d recommend:

Prague
Dresden
Salzburg
Vienna
Cologne
Copenhagen
Gdańsk
Essen
Strasbourg
Brussels (Eurostar is perfect for this!)
Bruges (but not as good as Brussels IMO)

Hobbesmanc · 04/07/2023 18:02

I think there's something very traditional about the big German markets. In Nuremberg and Munich there's also fantastic toy museums.

Original poster
JerkintheMerkin · 04/07/2023 18:03

Thanks everyone. Good idea about finding something else to do and I completely forgot about going by train.

OP posts:
ABoxfull0fLetters · 04/07/2023 18:20

I have been to

Riga - huge indoor food Market too & I liked the out doors domestic rabbit town
Prague
Basel - very expensive, visited toy museum too
Manchester
Chester -had lovely Xmas tree competition display in the Cathedral
Brussels - lots of chocolate displays
Amsterdam
Winchester
Buxton - had a light parade too

I have heard that Edinburgh & York are good too

Most required a good deal of walking, so you will need good shoes, because most are spread across several parts of these cities

NBLarsen · 04/07/2023 18:47

Tallinn my absolute top choice.
I've also enjoyed Vienna, Cologne and Copenhagen.

Lordofmyflies · 04/07/2023 19:52

Copenhagen is lovely - Tivoli gardens are magical with Ferris wheels, traditional rides and stalls etc. Loved Vienna too, but it was more 'adult'.

ABoxfull0fLetters · 04/07/2023 21:03

Also Portugal
It was weird sun, sand & Santa !

I think we were the only people who had a glass of hot mulled wine 🍷

Xmas is better in a cold climate

mdh2020 · 04/07/2023 21:10

We lived Prague. Please don’t go to Riga. It’s like going back in time 40 years to another age.

trulyunruly01 · 04/07/2023 22:04

Valkenburg is a really interesting one, the market is held in council-owned caves, which sounds a bit scary but isn't. Very atmospheric with lots of stalls etc and also Xmassy scenes in the smaller caves. There's a traditional market with chalet stalls too. Nice town, lots of restaurants and food options, interesting architecture.

lap90 · 04/07/2023 22:06

Vienna and then train to Salzburg

mrsbyers · 04/07/2023 22:07

I’ve been to Berlin and the markets were good but it was unbelievably cold so be prepared with good coats etc

CC4712 · 04/07/2023 22:12

Watching with interest- especially places with more than just the markets to do.

midsomermurderess · 04/07/2023 22:13

Edinburgh is horrible. Absolutely packed and lots of plastic toot for sale. And the whole place smells of rancid grease.

Saschka · 04/07/2023 23:51

Munich and Vienna are both lovely. Berlin is great, but Berlin great all year round, and generally even better in summer when the weather is better and you can do stuff outside.

onthecoast · 05/07/2023 05:33

Some of the Swiss markets are lovely eg Basel and Zurich.

ThePM · 05/07/2023 05:51

JerkintheMerkin · 04/07/2023 18:03

Thanks everyone. Good idea about finding something else to do and I completely forgot about going by train.

If you went to Strasbourg you could do another day at Europapark- which is great.

Whatineed · 05/07/2023 06:05

Fly into Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport on Easyjet, but head for Colmar in France, not Basel. The town is traditional Alsace, very pretty and the Christmas Market is stunning. There'd also be a possibility of visiting Europa Park which is amazing at Christmas.

Not worth a whole weekend, as its super small, and actually, you're only allowed in for so many hours, but this one in the Black Forest is magical, especially in the evening....

www.hochschwarzwald.de/veranstaltungen-hochschwarzwald/weihnachtsmarkt-ravennaschlucht

MissAmbrosia · 05/07/2023 09:28

The Brussels markets are good - with ice rink, big wheel, roundabouts etc. Strasbourg is very pretty. Prague. Lille had a small market but also a big wheel and the town in beautifully decorated for Xmas. I would avoid Cologne with kids at the weekends as it is RAMMED. I was actually frightened at one point. Budapest is next on my wish list.

MissAmbrosia · 05/07/2023 09:29

Aachen is also nice and could be combined with Maastricht.

ABoxfull0fLetters · 05/07/2023 13:20

Someone said Edinburgh Market was not good

However, I visited last year & there were plenty of other things to do

Ghost & underground tours
Harry Potter tours & shops
Castle
Cinema
Museums
Seaside 5 miles away, plenty of buses

Really enjoyed my visit !

AllLopsided · 06/07/2023 01:02

Also recommend Aachen which could be combined with Düsseldorf and/or Cologne. Used to live in Düsseldorf!

reluctantbrit · 06/07/2023 21:54

MissAmbrosia · 05/07/2023 09:28

The Brussels markets are good - with ice rink, big wheel, roundabouts etc. Strasbourg is very pretty. Prague. Lille had a small market but also a big wheel and the town in beautifully decorated for Xmas. I would avoid Cologne with kids at the weekends as it is RAMMED. I was actually frightened at one point. Budapest is next on my wish list.

Most big markets are rammed. I lived near Nürnberg for years and we avoided December weekends at all.

Hamburg is the same, it is lovely but busy.