Christmas Markets. A place to explore and really get into the festive spirit. Taste amazing traditional delicacies. Browse handmade gifts. Go ice skating. Visit Santa. Explore a new city. We’ve put together this short guide on 2019 Christmas Markets, there are some amazing places to see, and don’t forget when you make your booking to get cashback on your travel and hotel bookings.
Edinburgh Christmas Market
Explore the winter festivals in Edinburgh. Bringing you Edinburgh Christmas and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay on 31st December. There’s lots of fun and laughter to be had in the fairytale city, with twinkling lights, enchanting sounds and mouth-watering flavours.
Edinburgh’s Christmas - Enjoy panoramic views on top of the Big Wheel or the thrills of the rides in East Princes Street Gardens. There’s also Santa Land for the young ones including a Christmas Tree Maze, where they try to find the hidden elves and of course meeting Santa himself! The Christmas Markets in the city centre, behold the delicious food and drink and traditional crafts of a Scottish Market.
Budapest Christmas Market
Feel festive in the Hungarian capital with steaming street food, fine crafts and live music under a canopy of lights. Teeming with tinkling market stalls and majestic architecture, enjoy a bite of sweet chimney cake with a cup of mulled wine, after a cruise along the Danube spell bound by the wintry scenes. There’s also an ice rink in Budapest City Park, what a romantic way to spend your evening.
Good to know:
Language: Hungarian
Currency: Forint
Time Difference: +1hr
Cost of a Beer: £1.40/509 FT
Vörösmarty Square - If you’re looking for the perfect place for handmade gifts head to Vörösmarty Square. Underneath the twinkling lights of the stalls you can browse the handmade gifts local Hungarians make, keeping the old trade and traditions alive. Yu can also sample their street food of cinnamon pastries, mulled wine, sausages and oak-smoked salmon cooked by the fire. In the evenings sample the free concerts of folk, jazz, crossover, indie, blues and soul or the festive light painting shows on Cafe Gerbeaud.
St. Stephen’s Basilica - Standing proudly in the centre of this market is a sparkling Christmas tree, surrounded by an ice rink. The market is on St. Stephen’s Square which is right in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica, one of the tallest buildings in Budapest, and the biggest churches in Hungary. Set up in 2011 the market is run by the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists who sell their unique and high quality traditional crafts. Stalls here are stacked with sweet marzipan, strudel and steaming hot pálinka, a fruit-based brandy.
Berlin Christmas Market
Visit the place that becomes a real-life Christmas fairytale. Germany’s capital holds bragging rights to around 80 markets in November and December, from Mitte to the heart of City West.
Good to know:
Language: German
Currency: Euro
Time Difference: +1hr
Cost of a Beer: £3.10/3.50 EURO
Charlottenburg Palace Christmas Market - Found in City West the Charlottenburg Palace Christmas Market is a festive array of wood huts and marquees, bathed in an elaborate light installation. The stalls offer a wide range of handcrafted items and culinary delights from the traditional hot chestnuts, crepes to Hungarian langos. If you’re looking to entertain the kids the Winterwald offers a carousel, air swing and railway. In the Märchenzelt, they can have a go at arts and crafts.
Gendarmenmarkt - Located at one of Berlin’s most beautiful squares Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most atmospheric Christmas Markets in the city. In the craft tents you can shop wood carvers, dressmakers, comb makers, belt makers and other crafts people, as well as having a browser at the talented photographers, stonemasons and painters. You can also sample traditional Christmas delicacies to gourmet menus. There’s something for everyone.
Copenhagen Christmas Market
Copenhagen’s a destination on the rise, pairing abundant gift options with the wonderful aromas of cinnamon-infused mulled wine, you can source the perfect stocking fillers in these markets and there are plenty to choose from.
Good to know:
Language: Danish
Currency: Krone
Time Difference: +1hr
Cost of a Beer: £5.30/44 kr
Hans Christian Andersen Market - Get immersed in all things Hans Christian Andersen as you roam around the market dedicated to the Danish storyteller himself. In the oldest part of Odense you can browse Christmas Decorations, gifts, jewellery, a vegetable market and lots of entertainment. There’s also a carousel for the kids, a Christmas caravan and Santa!
Tivoli Gardens - Explore the many Christmas stalls, illuminated by beautiful decorations everywhere and watch the Tivoli Youth Guard’s parade. The children can also visit Santa in the Christmas bazaar, or get a thrill from the Christmas rides. You can also get a taste of Christmas with succulent, homemade roast pork or try out one of the many restaurants Tivoli has to offer for a more exotic dish.
Amsterdam Christmas Market
Past the iconic canals that twinkle with fairy lights, this pretty Dutch city champions everything jolly during the Christmas period. Throughout December there’s plenty of Christmas spirit in Amsterdam, warm up with glühwein and oliebollen and spend time with those you love.
Good to know:
Language: Dutch
Currency: Euro
Time Difference: +1hr
Cost of a Beer: £4/4.50 Euro
Amsterdam Light Festival - More than 35 installations and artworks make up the brightly-coloured Amsterdam Light Festival. Creating spectacular light sculptures around the historic Canal Ring, the River Amstel and other locations. You can view these on foot, boat or by the famous bike.
Winter Parade - There’s nothing quite like this parade! We’re talking one 120-metre table that’s all decked out with candles and place settings, so that you can enjoy a tip-top feast of local food and wine, while dancers and musicians perform around you.
