All the fun of the fair

A bit of shopping, a little holiday, a whole lot of Christmas. What's not to love about Christmas markets? SANDRA O'CONNELLrounds up some of Europe's best

Germany

Berlin

Germany is the home of the Christmas market and visitors to Berlin are suitably spoiled for choice, with dozens to chose from. Among the most magical is Gendarmenmarkt square. Specialising in handmade goods, visitors to the craftsmen’s tent here can get a first hand view of their Christmas gifts and baubles being crafted.

All sorts of entertainment is laid on, from jugglers, acrobats and fire swallowers to choirs, classical musicians and gospel ensembles, all providing light relief from the slog involved in making your way round 250 stalls. Among the other must-sees, or rather dos, is the mobile toboggan run at Potsdamer Platz and the ice rink on Alexanderplatz.

* visitberlin.de

Cologne

There are seven main markets to choose from here, with one of the biggest, at more than 160 wooden stalls, taking place in the shadow of the city’s famous cathedral.

Other options include the half-timbered stalls of the Heinzel Christmas Market in front of City Hall, the Angel’s Market on Neumarkt – the city’s oldest Christmas market – and, on the Rudolfplatz, the Fairytale Christmas Market.

The Medieval Christmas Market outside the city’s Chocolate Museum is straight off the top of the chocolate box while other festive options include the Floating Christmas Market and the ice rink on Heumarkt, with a tiny train to ferry you between them all.

* koeln.de

Dresden

Among the highlights here is the grand parade of a four ton Christstollen – the city’s famous stollen cake – making its way to the city’s Striezelmarkt, where it is cut up and divvied out on December 4th.

The market is also famous for carved wooden handcrafts, pottery, lace and gingerbread.

* dresden.de/striezelmarkt

Frankfurt

This one dates back to 1393 and is one of the most atmospheric in Germany, attracting over three million visitors each year.

More than 200 stalls are centred around Romerberg Square, Paulsplatz and Mainkai Quay providing the requisite fare of handicrafts and glühwein, with carols round a 30-metre tree and trumpet fanfares from the balcony of St Nicholas’ Church.

* frankfurt-tourismus.de

Hamburg

Check out the market outside the festively illuminated Rathaus, the town hall, which is hosted by Roncalli’s Circus. It has beautifully decorated stalls selling crafts and confectionaries, interspersed with jugglers and acrobats. Santa arrives, like a deus ex machina, on an overhead cable.

As well as the children’s carousels, there are Christmas exhibitions in the city’s museums and a Christmas parade through the city centre every Saturday in Advent, a fairytale ship anchored along Jungfernstieg boulevard and the ubiquitous public ice rink.

* hamburg-tourism.de

Lubeck

Hanseatic Lübeck is another Yuletide gem, with the beautiful churches of its old quarter, itself a Unesco World Heritage site, providing the perfect backdrop for Christmas carols, concerts and markets.

There are seven here, the most famous situated outside St Mary’s Church.

It’s famous for its fairytale forest, complete with Hansel and Gretel, made up of 500 illuminated fir trees, plus special stalls recreating stories from the Brothers Grimm.

There is also a family market along the Obertrave riverbank with special kids’ punch, plus two great arts and crafts markets in the Hospital of the Holy Ghost and St Peter’s Church.

* luebeck-tourismus.de

Nuremburg

More than two million visitors a year visit the “Little Town from Wood and Cloth” that Nuremburg’s main market square becomes each Advent.

Staunchly traditional, inspectors ensure there are neither plastic garlands nor piped Christmas muzak.

Instead, it’s a wondrous pot-pourri of spicy gingerbread, fruit cakes, tree decorations, candles, toys and arts and crafts. Look out too for its famous “plum people”, figurines made from prunes.

Highlights include a lantern procession to Nuremburg Castle, taking place on December 9th, and its Sister Cities Market, showcasing crafts from China to Sri Lanka, Nicaragua to Macedonia.

There’s a Children’s Christmas Market too, where kids can do everything from bake cookies to learn how glass is made.

* tourismus.nuernberg.de

* christkindlesmarkt.de

Austria

Graz

Graz’s beautiful Old Town is home to a number of markets – at Franziskanerviertel, Faerberplatz, Mariahilferplatz, Mehlplatz and Glockenspielplatz – all within an easy meander of each other.

The market at Franziskanerviertel, the city’s oldest, specialises in Styrian handcrafts and locally produced foods, while that at Faerberplatz is run by a local arts and crafts group and has top quality textiles, ceramics and glass.

Stop by the stands at the Eiserne Tor, in the centre of the city’s pedestrian zone, and any schillings you spend will go to a good cause – all the stalls here are run by charities.

For an international flavour, check out Tummelplatz, which has crafts from around the world, with stall holders changing daily, so it’s always worth a repeat visit.

Look out too for the giant Advent calendar projected on to the town hall each evening.

* graztourismus.at

Vienna

The Austrian capital’s main market takes place in front of the town hall (Rathaus) just as it has since 1298.

Despite the building’s unfortunate name, its square is transformed into a thing of beauty at night, when the fairy-lit Gothic facade competes with the twinkly lights of the 140 stall holders.

Rathaus Parkn beside it, is meanwhile transformed into an enchanted forest with all sorts of Christmas illuminations and decorations, as well as pony rides and an electric train to ply kids to the fairground rides nearby.

christkindlmarkt.at

Schoenbrunn

Even more beautiful is the small but perfectly formed Culture Christmas Market that takes place in front of the impossibly romantic Schoenbrunn Palace, just outside Vienna and easily reached by underground, tram or bus.

Visitors can sample wines from all over Austria here, as well as a variety of punches plus top-notch handcrafts and hand-carved mangers.

Take your browsing to another level with a guided tour of the market, with stories of Christmas traditions from the Hapsburgs to today.

Little ones are catered for with cake and biscuit decorating, Christmas story time and treasure hunts.

* weihnachtsmarkt.co.at

Innsbruck

For Tyrolean handcrafts the two Christmas markets here, that at Old Town and Maria Theresien, the main shopping street, are the places to head for. In terms of Christmas card cute, little can beat the market in the narrow square in front of the city’s best known landmark, the Golden Roof, surrounded by beautifully preserved medieval buildings. Wander down side streets and figures from fairytales will look out at you from various windows.

There’s a living Advent calendar as well as traditional music and dance performances to see, and plenty of traditional dishes, such as kiachln and spatzln (doughnuts and noodles) to enjoy.

* christkindlmarkt.cc

Salzburg

It would be hard to find a more picturesque option than a snowy Salzburg. The big market takes place in front of the cathedral, with stalls jostling for position with Christmas tree sellers.

The main festive draw is the choral Advent plays which take place in the Grand Festival Hall throughout December.

A mixture of professional actors and musicians with local school children, they combine acting with folk music, classical music and lots of Christmas carols, attracting around 40,000 spectators in a season.

If you can’t get a ticket for the main event, check out the traditional Salzburg Adventsingen in the churches of surrounding towns. Expect to hear lots of Silent Night, too, as the town is the birthplace of its composer, Josef Mohr.

* christkindlmarkt.co.at

Switzerland

Montreux

Set between the shores of Lake Geneva and the Alps, one of the best reasons to visit the Christmas market here is the chance to take the train up to see Santa at his temporary home amid the snow-capped peaks of Rochers-de-Naye – snow guaranteed.

Also worth visiting is the Christmas Village at Caux, with an enchanted forest full of trolls and elves for kids to enjoy.

Back down in the town the Christmas market features the handiwork of 150 craftspeople in festively decorated chalets.

* montreuxnoel.com

Zurich

The indoor Christkindli Markt at the main railway station is the largest of its kind in Europe, with a fairytale tram, with Santa on board, bringing kids up and down the Bahnhofstrasse. The street is certainly a sight to see, being lit by more than 20,000 Christmas lights, while the tree at the centre of the market has 5,000 crystal ornaments. No gaudy tinsel here either.

At other locations around the city there’s a floating candle display, the Lichterschwimmen, to take in, an ice rink to enjoy and the city’s wonderful “Singing Christmas Tree”, from which local school children belt their carols. Look out, too, for the Christmas circuses that are such a big part of the festive season here and, if you’re planning on staying till New Year, there’s a fantastic fireworks display put on by the local hoteliers too.

* zuerich.com

Basel

Promoted by local tourist authorities as the “Christmas city at the heart of Europe”, Basel hosts the largest and most traditional Christmas market in Switzerland.

Also, given its location near France and Germany, it makes a great base for a Christmas market tour of each – being only an hour from markets in Strasbourg, Colmar and Freiburg.

Or just stay put in its beautifully preserved Old Town, set off by 100 tall pine trees, the longest illuminated Christmas street in Europe.

There are Christmas concerts to take in and festive shops to explore, including the Johann Wanner Christmas House – the world’s largest maker of handmade Christmas decorations.

* basel.com

France

Lille

Traditionally one of the biggest Christmas markets in France, the Eurostar connection has helped put Lille on the overseas tourist map, too, particularly for UK visitors.

The main activity here is centred on Place Rihour, 50m from the Grand Place. As well as traditional Christmas chalets, and a Gallic take on festive fare, there’s a big wheel from which to enjoy a bird’s eye view of proceedings.

If you’re there on December 18th you’ll see Santa make his spectacular arrival by “falling” from an 80-metre belfry, before dusting himself off and handing out sweets.

* lilletourism.com

* noel-a-lille.com

Strasbourg

Proximity to the border gives the Alsace city its particularly Germanic tone, which is another way of saying it takes its Christmas market seriously.

Taking place in front of the city’s magnificent Gothic cathedral, the market here is, in fact, the oldest one in France and the atmospheric half-timbered streets of its La Petite France quarter certainly do their best to transport visitors back to the ghost of a medieval Christmas past.

Foodie highlights include the local bredle biscuits and spiced breads, and be sure to visit the gingerbread bakery.

* noel.strasbourg.eu

Belgium

Brussels

It’s only six years since Brussels got in on the act with the launch of its Christmas market “Winter Wonders”, but already it provides reason enough to venture out in the dark days of December.

For a start, the bulk of the activity takes place in the gilded Grand Place, a setting few cities can rival.

With 240 chalets, it’s big too and, as well as the obligatory tree, there’s an ice rink to enjoy with, this year, a separate rink for small children.

Alongside it is the Winter Cafe for the obligatory hot chocolate, plus fairground attractions such as a big wheel, carousels and a sledding track.

* bruxellestourisme.be