Recommendations for Christmas markets in Europe

[harlequin]

Hi

Can anyone recommend any Christmas markets that they have been to in Europe recently?

I have never been to one and am thinking of going with with my daughter. Would you recommend a long weekend or avoiding weekends altogether?

Thanks

Harlequin

[Guest55]

Birmingham had quite a good 'German' Christmas market when I was there for a conference a few years back.

[solimum]

Birmingham's German market is long-established and is apparently the biggest outside Germany itself. There is also an adjacent local craft/food fair which fills neighbouring streets/squares and adds to the variety of goods, food and drink on offer. I used to work right in the centre of the city and it certainly enlivened our days at work hearing the merry sound of the singing reindeer from one of the many gluhwein stalls! It is very popular, and gets crowded especially in the evenings, and after the 20th year most "regulars" feel no need to purchase more salt candles or sheepskin gloves, but it is still well worth a visit (and I have been known to pick up the occasional wooden tree decoration or stollen!)

[mad?]

DD2 and I did Vienna last year, beautiful markets and stunning architecture. Great art galleries and a thoroughly good time had by all, but art and architecture is her thing so that helped. Other than that Prague is wonderful.

[piggys]

DH and I went to a lovely market in York a few years back although it's probably not what you are looking for. Vienna is a beautiful city.

[Tinkers]

DD is going to Cologne with school in early December for the Christmas market.

[Amber]

Go to the UK ones by all means; but they are not the same at all as being in Europe.

For me, the best ones are in Germany and probably Austria too. Köln has several really lovely ones going at once, all within walking distance of each other. We took the kids to Munich a couple of years ago and that was nice too. The best is meant to be Nürnberg I think. I used to live in Southern Germany and they are all very traditional there - unlike in the UK there is not unrestricted tat on sale alongside the traditional stuff, though sadly last time I was there they weren't serving Glühwein in the traditional tankards any more, just plastic cups. I don't think it matters whether you go for a weekend or in the week - Germans go to the markets every night (nice food and music). Some have ice rinks within them or very close by too. For ease from the UK and a genuinely good experience - maybe Cologne like Tinkers' daughter. It is a nice enough place in its own right to spend a couple of days and of course Bonn is pretty much a suburb too. But for the best market - one of the southern towns would probably me most 'authentic' - you could spend a night or two in Germany and then hop over to Salzburg or even Vienna and do an open jaw return flight if you were feeling like getting the maximum out of it.

PS shouldn't this be in Everything Else rather than Herts?

[Tinkers]

PS shouldn't this be in Everything Else rather than Herts?

Whoops! Didn’t notice. Now moved.

[harlequin]

Thanks to all for your recommendations.

Harlequin

[avidskier]

I spent most of my childhood in Germany so I am a bit biased but I would say Austria or Germany have the best markets. Most of the European countries have only been doing them for about 15 To 20 years or so..
The closest one to Calais is in Aachen (we drive there every year) but Nuremberg is nicer I think.
Note that they can get extremely crowded in the evenings (they have crowd control in place for the more popular ones) so it is worth going early in the season or earlier in the day.
Have fun!