In the market for MAGIC!
Twinkling lights, mulled wine, home-spun stalls ... Christmas markets will restore your faith in the festive season — and here are the best of the lot
They’re taking off like never before. So popular are Christmas Markets that one small German town — Velen, near Germany’s Dutch border — had to beg people to stop coming last year as so many were visiting
to soak up the festive cheer.
Low-cost airlines make it easier than ever, while Jet2. com is now offering cutprice packages to market cities throughout europe with Strasbourg, Vienna and Prague among the best sellers. Christmas markets normally run from late November until the New year. The first such market was known as a ‘ December Market,’ which began in Vienna in 1298, with the concept taking off in Munich in 1310, and spreading across Germanic- speaking countries during the Middle Ages. There have, however, been markets during Advent as far back as the 11th century. Germany has been at the forefront of the modern festive phenomenon. Last year, the country hosted more than 1,400 Christmas markets, attracting no fewer than 85 million visitors.
But other countries are fast catching up. here in the UK, there are now more than 100 markets, proving a huge draw for both locals and tourists, with some of the most popular in cities such as Bath and Manchester.
Last December, I tried out one of the european biggies — Prague — to revel in the glittering winter cheer and pick up a present or two.
The Czech republic’s medieval capital is transformed into the epitome of yuletide fun and frivolity in the run-up to Christmas, with festive songs played on a loop and every shop festooned
with baubles and lights. The whole city seems to get in the mood, with no fewer than three Christmas markets, the largest in the Old Town Square. Wandering the streets at night is a joy, as you are plied with Svarak — a special spicy hot wine — and stalls at every corner offer hog roasts, sausages and chestnuts roasted on an open fire. The highlight is the food and drink. Prague has lovely cafes with outdoor tables and chairs, where you sit warmed by sheepskin rugs, blankets and patio heaters. It was heaving during our three-day visit — crossing Charles Bridge called for sharp elbows — but it was possible to wander off the beaten track and breathe in the romanticism of this beautifully preserved city. We had a wonderful time sipping hot chocolate and coffee laced with rum (costing us about £4.50) while swathed in furs in a pavement cafe. Meanwhile, cocktails at Hemingway’s Bar, which is very atmospheric with dark wood panelling, were a delicious treat, and cost around £8 each. When
not indulging, we explored the labyrinthine lanes, ancient churches, the historic castle on the hill and the Old Town Square with its incredible clock (the world’s oldest working medieval clock). Prague is a Unesco World Heritage Site and full of Gothic grandeur. My favourite building was the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, which looks like a fairytale castle with its twin asymmetrical towers. There is a slew of new ‘artisan’ restaurants, although the majority in the centre still serve traditional Czech cuisine. The markets in Prague run from November 30 to January 6. As we discovered, they’re a very atmospheric — and romantic — way to kick-start the Christmas season.
TRAVEL FACTS
DIANA travelled with Jet2.com from Glasgow to Prague. Three nights in two ‘deluxe’ rooms at the Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa cost £2,440 B&B for four, including flights and transfers, or £610pp.