Christmas Market with niece - where to go

[TheSecretPlace]

We're off to a Christmas market this year and I'd love any recommendations you have.
We want somewhere by train or plane, whichever's easiest. I would need to do it within a day so not too far. Somewhere that has lots of stalls, places to eat, etc.
Is there anywhere you'd recommend?
TIA

If you’re going for just a day, I’d consider Lille even though it’s not the biggest. You can get there in less than 1 hour 30 mins (from St Pancras). The market itself is only a 15 min walk from the station. When we went, it felt really festive and it was pretty good value compared to other markets we’ve been to. It’s not part of the markets, but Meert is well worth a visit. One side of the shop is a bakery selling the most beautiful little cakes and pastries, the other side sells anything and everything chocolate.

Lille is lovely at Xmas. As mentioned, the market isn't huge but there's a big wheel and the shops are beautifully decorated.

Does it go on during the week between Christmas and new year, please?

No, most will shut on the 23rd (at least in Germany)

For a day I would look at Lille or Brussels (maybe take another train then to Bruges)

We normally fly for a weekend, Friday out and Sunday back. We did Hamburg and Berlin this way and plan Munich as well for next year maybe.

Thanks

Lille is lovely although I've never need in December

Budapest and Berlin markets are good.

DD and I went to Bath a couple of Christmases ago and had a lovely time. Christmas stalls around town, ice skating, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf... Crazy busy, but really fab.

I would highly recommend going to germany, Austria, France rather than the UK for real magic.

Madrid or Valladolid
Both stunning at Christmas

Salzburg is stunning and magical at Christmas.

Are you going at a weekend or weekday?

Cologne is lovely and not that far. However it is massively popular, on a Saturday you are all shuffling like sardines. Weekdays are better.

We went to too many a lot of Christmas markets on that holiday and ended up preferring the smaller ones as you could more easily wander about, see stuff and didn't need to elbow your way to the sausages.

Aachen is a lovely city, the cathedral is right by the market so you aren't just doing the market either.