Stall I want for Christmas...
EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKET TRIPS HAVE GOT THE FESTIVE SEASON ALL WRAPPED UP, SAYS VICKY LISSAMAN
Do Christmas on the Danube
What better time to cruise one of Europe’s most iconic rivers than when Christmas markets are in full swing on atmospheric shore stops?
This five-night, full-board cruise with Jules Verne sails from Vienna to Budapest on board MS Vivaldi, visiting both cities, for escorted sightseeing, plus ample time soaking up the festivities in each location.
As well as the skating rinks and seasonal stalls, in Vienna, on this musical-themed trip you will enjoy a lunchtime private piano recital including Mozart’s most famous pieces, plus an evening Strauss & Mozart concert.
Sightseeing in Budapest includes a morning tour of Pest to view the Great Market, followed by a lunchtime performance of The Nutcracker ballet at the Hungarian State Opera House.
Don’t miss the Christmas markets of Vorosmarty Square and Basilica, where lasers are projected onto the church.
Get there: A Musical Christmas on the Danube from £2,295pp (two sharing), including flights from Gatwick on December 22, five nights’ full board and drinks with meals, excursions, UK tour manager, expert guides. vjv.com
Jingle bells in Germany
Contiki, the social travel brand for 18 to 35-year-olds, offers a fun-filled German Christmas market tour featuring six cities and three quaint towns and villages starting in Frankfurt, then on to Koblenz, Cologne, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Rothenberg and Munich.
Highlights include LGBTQ+ friendly Frankfurt Christmas market with pink sparkling Christmas trees, Wilhelma – Stuttgart’s twinkling Christmas Garden lights trail – and ice-skating at Cologne. You’ll sample local delicacies and join in a gingerbread-making class.
Get there: From £1,007pp sharing, five nights’ B&B accommodation (plus further two meals), transport in destination, sightseeing, experiences as per itinerary and trip manager. Departs December 10. contiki.com
Seasons greetings – Scandi-style
Add Scandi chic to your shopping with a festive short break in Sweden’s third largest city, Malmo.
Browse for handicrafts at the stalls in Gustav Adolf Square, take a ride on the carousel and spin around on the ice rink, before feasting on local delicacies such as smoked sausage, gingerbread biscuits and glögg (mulled wine).
If you’re still peckish try a julbord, a traditional buffet served in Swedish restaurants at Christmas featuring pickled herring, gravlax, paté, knäckebröd (crisp bread), meatballs and beetroot salad.
Get there: Three-night tailor-made Malmö Christmas break from £517pp (two sharing), including B&B at the Elite Plaza Hotel on Gustav Adolf Square, flights with 23kg hold luggage (Heathrow) to Copenhagen, and return train transfers to Malmö. sunvil.co.uk
Revel in Riga
Riga is said to have started the tradition of decorating Christmas trees more than 500 years ago, and the charming Latvian capital still puts a brightly dressed tree at the centre of its celebrations.
The festive market in the Old Town Square is more intimate than many of Europe’s best-known events, with stalls selling traditional gifts including handmade clothes, Latvian hats and colourful mittens, with sausages, sauerkraut and karstvins (mulled wine) warm visitors and you can send your letter to Santa at the special post house.
A Newmarket Holidays group trip includes a guided tour of the capital, including the House of the Blackheads, the Freedom Monument and two cathedrals. There’s also the option to visit Gauja National Park, a refuge for elk, European bison and brown bears.
Get there: Three nights’ B&B from £352pp (was £453), including flights from Leeds Bradford on December 15, a tour manager and city tour. newmarketholidays.co.uk
A merry Lille Christmas
One of Europe’s best-loved Christmas markets is less than 90 minutes from London direct by Eurostar or 75 minutes’ drive from Calais.
It’s a shopper’s delight with independent stores on cobbled streets of Old Lille, luxury French brands and the traditional market with 80 chalets. Ride the big wheel and marvel at the view over La Grand Place, or listen to carols while browsing wooden huts in Place Rihour.
Get there: Vieux-Lille is home to the 19-room Clarance Hotel, a moden fivestar gem set in an 18th-century townhouse, with Michelin-star restaurant, La Table, and free bikes available to explore the city. Rooms from £183pn, clarancehotel.com. Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille from £39 one way. eurostar.com
Yule love this
A guaranteed Christmas cracker, TUI’s Winter Wonderlands fivenight, festive cruise on board TUI Maya calls in at some of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets.
Starting and finishing in Mainz, it visits Frankfurt, famous for its elaborate decorations and backdrops of Romerberg and Paulsplatz.
Other stops include Aschaffenburg, where the Johannisburg Castle towers above the historic town and its Christmas market takes place on the castle square. Festive lights lead the way to a
nativity scene that includes life-sized wooden figures.
You will also get the chance to weave your way around the festive stalls in Mannheim and Rudesheim.
Get there: From £945pp when booked online, based on two adults sharing a Superior French Balcony Cabin on a full board plus basis, departing December 13 from Birmingham. Price includes return flights, transfers, port taxes, tips and service charges. tui.co.uk/cruise/ or call 0871 230 2800.
Ancient traditions in Austria
Head to Austria’s lake district where the handsome villages on the shores of Lake Wolfgangsee hold traditional markets each in a distinctive style.
In St Gilgen, the theme is Baroque art, in St Wolfgang it is lanterns, while Strobl prides itself on its authentic stalls and dozens of nativity scenes.
For the complete Christmas market experience, take an hour’s bus ride to Salzburg, hometown of Mozart, where you can listen to renditions of Silent Night, the carol that was written nearby, at free daily concerts in front of the cathedral at 5pm.
Get there: Base yourself in the village of Fuschl am See where there is snowshoeing, tobogganing and horsedrawn sleigh rides. Three nights halfboard at Hotel Seerose with views across Lake Fuschl, return BA flights from Gatwick/Heathrow to Salzburg and transfers from £585pp. inntravel.co.uk
Cruise into Christmas
Croisi-Europe has launched a brand new hotel barge cruise taking in the enchanting Christmas markets along France’s Alsatian canals.
The three-night jaunt, on board the 22-guest MS Madeleine, is a roundtrip from Colmar, known as Little Venice, which has six Christmas markets, each with its own theme.
Other highlights include Kaysersberg with its little chalets overlooked by the castle ruins, and the medieval village of Riquewihr with its brightlycoloured homes and markets.
Festive activities on board include gingerbread-tasting and an evening of Christmas tales and songs.
Get there: From £788pp for a four-day, full-board cruise including excursions. Departures December 4, 8, 12 and 16. Flights extra. croisieurope.co.uk
Tinsel in Transylvania
Combine gifts and ghouls on a Christmas trip to Transylvania. Home of Vlad the Impaler, the main inspiration for the character Dracula, those looking to explore the legend can visit Bran Castle (aka Dracula’s Castle) as well as other castles and fortresses.
But amid all the dark culture, Transylvania has a rich Christmas spirit with markets in some of Romania’s most picturesque medieval towns.
Untravelled Paths offers a threenight tour beginning with a night in the capital city of Bucharest, before travelling to the heart of rural Romania through the plains of the Transylvanian countryside, visiting Peles Castle on the way.
In Brasov, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Christmas market.
Alternatively, join a walking tour taking in the grandeur of the Black Church and find the narrowest street in Europe.
Then journey through the foothills of the Carpathian mountains to the fairytale town of Sibiu for the Christmas market, or skate around the ice rink in the central square. Finally, travel back to Bucharest via spooky Bran Castle. Get there: From £270.20pp including transfers, transportation, B&B accommodation, and entry to Peles Castle and Bran Castle. Flights extra. untravelledpaths.com
Festivities and football
Love Christmas, but can’t bear to miss the live action of the FIFA 2022 World Cup Final from Qatar?
Combine the two on this threenight, no-fly winter cruise to Belgium on the ship Ambience, where the footy will be shown on board.
On arrival you’ll get the chance to visit beautiful Bruges for the annual Winter Glow. The Flemish city hosts two markets, one in the main Markt Square and the other in Simon Stevinplein.
You can then take a spin on the outdoor skating rink, or watch from the warmth of Winterbar Vorst, and follow the mesmerising Light Trail.
Get there: Three-night, adults-only sailing from Tilbury, Essex, on December 18 from £349pp. Ambassador Fares, which include Expedition Drinks Package, from £492. bassadorcruiseline.com