Why don’t you start the Christmas season with a short break to a traditional European market? Some have been held since the Middle Ages and are still popular today during the Christmas season.
If you are not sure which city to visit , here are a few suggestions. You could pick up a car hire in your destination to travel between some cities.
Berlin – 22 Nov – 31Dec
There are quite a few markets around the city but the biggest and most popular, receiving around four million visitors, is the one that is held around the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche. The setting itself is interesting, with stalls clustered around the Gedächtniskirche (or Memorial Church). Discover more attractions with a car hire in Berlin.
Vienna – 15 Nov – 31 Dec
The ‘Christkindlmarkt’ on the square in front of the Town Hall is one of the oldest markets, dating back over seven hundred years. It attracts thousands of visitors to its rows of wooden huts leading up to the hall.
Nuremberg – 26 Nov -24 Dec
This market dates back to 1628, and is famous for selling handmade wood figurines. Among the favourite souvenirs are “Nuremberg Plum People”, little figures made from prunes. There are rolls with Nuremberg roast sausages and mugs of mulled wine.
Brussels – 26 Nov – 24 Dec
The market is held by the Grand-Place, Brussels’ commercial centre, well known for the extravagantly carved facades on its guildhouses. Lines of lights cascade down from the centre, over the little chalet-style wooden shelters which cluster around the square, each symbolizing a different European country.
Munich – 24 Nov – 31 Dec
The meeting point of Munich in December is famous Marienplatz, the heart of the old centre, located by the grand neo-gothic town hall and filled with hundreds of stalls in the run-up to Christmas. Over 140 stalls are found in the square, selling hand-carved wooden Christmas decorations, glass baubles, jewellery, arts and crafts. Arrange a car hire in Munich to see the attractions in the Bavaria region.