What: Continental Christmas Market
Where: Galway
When: November 21st – December 22nd
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It’s only been going five years and yet it is Ireland’s longest-running Christmas market, so they must be doing something right. This year more than 50 retailers will be laying out their festive stalls in traditional wooden chalets, with an emphasis on hand-crafted gifts from local artisanal makers. With a Santa’s Grotto, carollers and storytelling and a somewhat anachronistic, but nonetheless welcome Octoberfest Bier Keller too.
Stay at freshly refurbished The House Hotel, a five-minute walk away, in a Christmas market special including overnight accommodation, breakfast, plus mulled wine and mince pies, from €49 per person sharing.
thehousehotel.ie, galwaychristmasmarket.ie
What: Vanocni Trhy
Where: Prague
When: November 29th – January 1st
Where better to do your Christmas shopping than on Wenceslas Square, one of the many Christmas markets that take over the capital of the Czech Republic. You'll find them at Old Town Square – with spectacular tree and live nativity; Republic Square, Peace Square and the permanent one at Havel's Market too, offering all sorts of nifty giftware including Bohemian crystal, amber jewellery and Christmas ornaments that won't cost you a fortune in luggage fees. There's plenty of festive fare that you get to carry home on your hips too, including traditional hog roasts, barbecued sausage and trdelniks – sweet Czech pastries.
Clickandgo.com has Prague Christmas market city breaks from €315 per person including Aer Lingus flights from Dublin and three nights’ accommodation.
czechtourism.com, clickandgo.com
What: Christkindlesmarkt
Where: Nuremberg
When: November 28th – December 24th
The “Little Town of Wood and Cloth” in Nuremberg’s main market square attracts more than two million visitors each year, with inspectors on hand to ensure it stays true to tradition – and neither garish nor gaudy, but laid out in reds and greens. Climb the stairs at the Church of our Lady for a panoramic view of more than 180 stalls packed with arts, crafts and “plum people” – figurines made from prunes. Shop to the scent of mulled wine, roasted almonds and baking gingerbread, stopping off at the Children’s Christmas market and to the Sister Cities market offering crafts from all around the world.
Stay at the four-star Movenpick Hotel Nuremberg Airport on a Christmas market package that includes mulled wine welcome, breakfast, daily public transportation ticket and a Nuremberg Christmas card for each adult. This will bag you gingerbread, Nuremberg sausage and free mulled wine while you shop. From €109 per room, per night, with return flights from Lufthansa, one-stop, online from €217 in December.
christkindlesmarkt.de, moevenpick-hotels.com, lufthansa.com
What: Winterval
Where: Waterford
When: November 1st – December 23rd
Not just a Christmas market but a full-blown festival, with more than 25 festive events taking place daily over 30 days – loads of them free to attend. Check out the gorgeous Winterval Illuminates, savour the Christmas Trail of food stalls selling hot chocolate and warm crepes.
Take a horse-drawn sleigh trip, ride the Ferris wheel or get your skates on at the ice rink. The Christmas market takes place at weekends throughout December, showcasing the local craft talent.
Don’t miss the Polish Christmas market on Michael Street for all sorts of European yuletide fare, including gingerbread workshops.
The Tower Hotel, right in the city centre, has double rooms available from €75 per night – with children sharing for just a €10 more.
winterval.ie, towerhotelwaterford.com
What: Christkindlmarkt
Where: Vienna
When: November 15th – December 24th
Can’t get that Christmas feeling fast enough? This is the one for you. From mid-November, the Austrian capital’s main square, in front of the Town Hall, is transformed into a twinkly paradise of fairy lights and 140 stalls. There’s been a market here since the 13th century, though presumably not shining quite so brightly as now – at night you could see it from space.
Next door in Rathaus Park is an enchanted forest with even more illuminations, with a Christmas train to bring you to the fairgrounds rides nearby. Don’t miss the Culture & Christmas Market at Schoenbrunn Palace (November 22nd-December 26th) just outside the city, for hand-crafted items such as soaps, candles and ceramics.
Cassidy Travel has three-night Christmas market tours to Vienna, departing December 4th, from €619, including flights.
christkindlmarkt.at, weihnachtsmarkt.co.at, cassidytravel.ie
What: Glow – A Cork Christmas Celebration
Where: Cork city
When: November 28th – December 21st
It’s all about the food here, so stock up your Christmas larder at the Glow Festive Food Market which takes place on Grand Parade Fridays through Sundays for four weekends, starting November 28th. The food-themed market offers all sorts of Christmassy culinary delights, from gourmet sausages to locally produced spiced beef and hand-crafted confectionary. Sample as you shop, before taking a break for such non-edible Christmas treats as the giant Christmas Ferris wheel and the magical transformation of Bishop Lucey Park into a winter wonderland.
Bring the children and stay over at the Garryvoe Hotel overlooking Ballycotton Bay, a 40-minute drive from the city centre, for hot chocolate and mince pies on arrival, plus a trip to see Santa at Leahy’s Open Farm nearby, from €83 per room.
corkchristmascelebration.ie, garryvoehotel.com
What: Weihnachtsstadt Köln
Where: Cologne
When: November 24th – December 23rd
With not just one but half a dozen markets, in Advent Cologne is transformed into Christmas city, with the main action taking place under a starlit canopy in front of the city’s famous cathedral. Visit the Village of St Nicholas, on the aptly named Rudolfplatz, 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 – the ice rink on Heumark and the gay and lesbian Christmas market, all in the city centre, with the Christmas Market Express mini-train to ferry you about.
Ryanair has one-way flights from Dublin to Cologne for €23 in December, if you’re happy to travel on a Tuesday. Doubles at the Holiday Inn in Nuremberg city centre, close to the Old Town, from €126 a night.
koeln.de, holidayinn.com, ryanair.com
What: Tivoli Gardens
Where: Copenhagen
When: November 15th – January 4th
With 27 funfair rides, performances of The Nutcracker in the concert hall and 50 stalls selling all sorts of Nordic Christmas fare, Tivoli Gardens is a magical place to look for stocking fillers. It's also home to more fairy lights than you thought it possible to power. Fuel your own energy with freshly cooked klejners – giant Christmas cookies – hot apple dumplings and warm, spicy glogg – the traditional mulled wine. You'll find loads of cool crafts, almost all in the official Christmas colours of green and red, including handmade Nisse, the local elf.
Gohop.ie has four-night Christmas market breaks to Copenhagen, including SAS flights, departing December 4th and staying B&B at the First Hotel Copenhagen, from €408 per person.
What: Winter Wonderland Hyde Park
Where: London
When: November 21st – January 4th
You’ll find a little bit of Bavaria just across the water in London this year, with more than 200 fairylight-lit wooden chalets stocked with jewellery, accessories, clothing, handmade crafts and traditional Christmas decorations. Just don’t shop till you drop because you’ll need a little oomph left over for ice skating around the magical Victorian bandstand, illuminated with more than 100,000 lights. There’s also a Magical Ice Kingdom to walk through, a circus, giant Ferris wheel and all sorts of fairground attractions.The Bavarian theme continues with bratwurst, beer and oompah bands aplenty at the Bavarian Village.
Corus Hotel Hyde Park has Winter Wonderland packages including breakfast, a two-course dinner and mince pies and hot chocolate on arrival, based on two sharing – from £149/€190 per room.
