Take a whirl round Vienna
Locals here know how to organise a Christmas market – they’ve been doing it since the 13th century, right outside the Town Hall, or Rathaus. Despite the unlovely name, it’s a place of Christmassy beauty, especially at night when the illuminations of the ancient building’s Gothic facade merge with the fairy lights of 140 festive stalls. Neighbouring Rathaus Park is transformed into a magical forest – with Christmas decorations, lights and fairground attractions.
www.christkindlmarkt.at
Magical Montreux
With the Christmas lights bouncing off Lake Geneva in front of you and the Toblerone Alps behind, the Swiss city of Montreux is a Christmas confection. Advent attractions include a traditional market, an Enchanted Forest and an Elves Village with Santa Workshop, reindeer and puppet shows. There’s a train ride up to see Santy’s mountain cabin and if you’re leaving the kids at home, there’s a Lumberjack Village too, which sounds like a Christmas present in itself.
montreuxnoel.com
Cool in Copenhagen
The Danes are absolute snobs when it comes to their Christmas decorations – and the city looks all the more beautiful for it. Unless it’s white light, green leaf or red berry, chances are it won’t make it into a shop on Stroget, the city’s famously long shopping street. Stop half way to pick up this year’s festive ware at Royal Copenhagen, a Christmas institution. And you haven’t had a Christmas until you’ve lost yourself in the Tivoli Gardens. It’s the kind of amusement park Norman Rockwell would have dreamed up had he been asked.
tivoli.dk
Greet the season in Strasbourg
With its half-timbered houses and medieval streets, Strasbourg is straight off the top of the chocolate box at any time of year but it comes into its own when it’s all lit up like a Christmas tree in December. Its Christmas market is France’s oldest, and takes place in front of the cathedral, surrounded by the higgledy buildings of La Petite France – like somewhere Obelix would sell menhirs. It even smells gorgeous, the air filled with the aniseed scent of bredle biscuits and gingerbread.
noel.strasbourg.eu
Bright lights in Brussels
Brussels’ Winter Wonders has only been up and running for a decade, despite the fact the centre of festive fun here, the Place D’Or, seems purpose-built for the season. The gilded square has more than 200 chalets selling traditional Christmas gifts, but check out the areas around the Bourse, the Place de la Monnaie and Place Sante-Catherine too for ice rinks, a Ferris wheel, carousel and a sledding track and all in the home of hot chocolate.
bruxellestourisme.be
Go nuts in Nuremberg
Christmas isn’t necessarily the first thing you think of when you hear Nuremberg, but Market Square is transformed into the famous “Little Town of Wood and Cloth” with almost 200 festive stalls, two million visitors and a gazillion little prune figurines (fig bodies, prune limbs, walnut faces) that are unbelievably cute. Though the Christmas market dates back to at least the 17th century, a highlight, the school children’s lantern procession, dates only to 1948, when the city lay in ruins.
tourismus.nuernberg.de
Stateside Santa
The Bavarianesque town of Leavenworth, in the US state of Washington, is home to half a million twinkly lights which stay up from Thanksgiving right through to the middle of February. Nothing like getting your money’s worth. Expect carollers, hand bell choirs, Dixie bands, high school choirs and professional choirs all jostling for vocal dominance, plus roasted chestnuts, gluhwein and snow.
leavenworth.org
Wonderland in Waterford
Stay local and head to what the organisers surely hope will be the snowy south east, at least for December, when Waterford is transformed into Winterval. Now in its fifth year, the festive extravaganza promises to be bigger and brighter than ever, with a Christmas market, horse tours, ice rink and the Winterval Express Train.
winterval.ie
Do a lap of Lapland
Finally, what could be more Christmassy than Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and Santa’s official home town. High up in the Arctic circle, it draws more than 300,000 visitors a year – and not all of them at Christmas, Santa Claus Village is actually open all year round. Highlights include husky and reindeer rides, snowmobile tours and an igloo hotel. There’s also an exhibition of Christmas traditions from around the world. Good luck getting the kids around that.
santaclausevillage.info
