Forget your local high street, make your way to one of Europe's Chritmas market and mingle with the locals and meander through the festive stalls, tippling on mulled wine while being serenaded to by christmas carols singers.

So squeeze in a mini festive break and come home with some unusual goodies and pressies.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS

What: BOULOGNE Christmas Market, France
Where: Veille Ville (within the walls of the old town), France
When: Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December
Time: 10am-6pm

Boulogne is magical when the Christmas market is in full swing. Shop to the serenade of Carol singers and breathe in the whiff of mulled wine as it sweetens the frosty air. There is also pleny of entertainment including music, fireworks and the illumination of the Belfry.

On sale is a sumptuous choice of local produce, gifts and crafts. A must-buy is a Christmas Pudding. You can find one in most parisseries from late November to January and of course in the market. The recipe is similar to the English version but with added prunes and dry fruits laced (heavily!) with rum. It is then steam cooked in a muslin and served flambed. For a taste of this spirited pudding don't miss the traditional Christmas pudding give-away at the Enclos de l’Eveche next to the Cathedral. These look innocent enough, but they are full of rum.

Hotels in Boulogne

Ferry from Dover to Boulogne

 

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What: LILLE Christmas Market, France
Where: Place Rihour
When: 18th November to 30th December
Time: Sunday to Thursday 11am to 8p, Fridays and Saturdays 11am to 9pm

In the run-up to Christmas Lille dazzles with colours and lights. Eighty Wooden chalet shaped stalls grace Place Rihour, roasting chestnuts and selling jewellery, toys and gifts. Don't go home without trying the waffles and gingerbread.

Just a short walk away is the Grand'Place, offering all the fun of the fare. A big ferris wheel offers a birds eye view over the city and there's always a merry-go-round dancing to the sounds of Noel.

Hotels in Lille

Flights to Lille

Short breaks with Eurostar to Lille from £115

P&O Ferry Dover to Calais

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What: CHAMPAGNE, Christmas Markets, France
Where: Palais du Tau, Reims & Epernay
When: Reims 20 November - 30 December & Epernay 10-12 December

Reims holds one of the largest Christmas markets in Europe with from  with more than 125 wooden chalet stalls, as well as an open air
skating rink. The market is held in the tree-lined pedestrianised streets
of the city centre, all beautiful illuminated with thousands of lights.
There's also a varied programme of choral concerts, special events and
exhibitions throughout the festive season including "A thousand and one  Christmases"  ( 27 Nov - 17 Jan 2010): an exhibition of beautiful cribs exhibited in the historic setting of the.

Epernay's 10th annual Christmas extravaganza runs from 10 - 12 December with  the lighting up of its elegant Champagne houses, street show and orchestras, champagne bars of course, fireworks, chef demonstrations and a spectacular  vintage car parade.   Father Christmas will be on hand from 4 December to 3  January as well as street entertainment and an open-air skating rink.

The historic town of Fismes too is beautifully decorated for the Christmas period with a fine display of cribs in the superb setting of Sainte-Macre church and hosts the traditional centuries-old Saint Eloi fair on 6th December.

More information from the champagne tourist board website

It's easy to reach Reims with Eurostar; simply change at Paris and travel on to Reims with on the TGV.

Hotels in Champagne

P&O Ferry from Dover to Calais

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What: BERLIN Christmas Market, Germany
Where: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church - Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche
When: 26th November to 31st December
Time: Sunday to Tuesday 11am-10pm, Friday to Saturday 11am-11pm, Christmas Eve 11am-6pm, New Year's Eve 11am-1am

The streets of Berlin are transformed for a whole month as Christmas markets spring up arounds Brandenburg gate and other of the city's squares. But follow the aromas of cinnamon Glühwein wine and roasted almonds to Berlin's best Christmas market at Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche the centre of western Berlin on Breitscheidplatz. On offer are handicraft stalls, amusements and a variety of cultural events. When you are done shopping, enjoy more retail therapy at Berlin's best shopping street at the Kurfürstendamm.

Incidentally if you have kids in two visit  the Christmas market on Alexanderplatz, where kids can enjoy  merry-go-rounds and fair rides while you enjoy picking the their presents to the traditional Christmas stalls.

Hotels in Berlin

Flights to Berlin

 

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What: BREMEN Christmas Market, Germany
Where: Market Square
When: 29 November to 23rd December
Time: Monday to Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 11am-8pm

This atmospheric market, hailed as one of Germany's most picturesque takes place in the picturesque Market Square of Bremen. The elegant town hall acts as the back drop to 170 lavishly decorated stalls, and beautiful Christmas lights. Then theres the amazing atmosphere of the seasonal Christmas bazaars that are held in the lower hall of the Town Hall and in Böttcherstrasse.

What makes this even more special is the Schlachte Magic. This is an amalgamation of riverboats, antique and flea markets along with restaurants an beer gardens. These make this a very vibrant place all year round and especially so in the run up to Christmas.

There are concerts too at the time of year including nativity plays and exhibitions.

Hotels to Bremen

Flights to Bremen

 

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What: DRESDEN Christmas Market - Striezelmarkt, Germany
Where: Münzgasse Street
When: 27th November to 24th December
Time: Sunday to Tuesday 10am-8pm, Friday to Saturday 10am-9pm and Christmas Eve until 2pm.

Probably the oldest Christmas Market in Germany, the Striezelmarkt is famous for its Stollenfest (a Stollen is the German version of Christmas cake made with fruit and marzipan). Bakers set about baking the world's biggest Christmas cake, which ends up weighing 4 tonnes and which is served to the public on December 5th but not before hundreds of pastry chefs carry the cake through the old town.

Things to buy include nutcrackers, glass art from Thuringia (you may catch glass blowers and woodcarvers doing their thing) and ceramic from Upper Lusatia.

Hotels in Dresden

Flights to Dresden

 

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What: BRUSSELS Christmas Market, Belgium
Where: Belgium. Around the Bourse, Marche aux Poissons and Place St-Catherine, Belgium
When: 27th November to 3rd January
Time: Monday-Friday, 11am - 8pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am - 10pm

If you love Belgian chocolate and are up for trying regional goodies such as as 'klaasjes' - flat hard cakes - and 'speculoos', a hard gingerbread moulded in the form of St Nicholas then nip over to Brussels for your festive shopping.

Plates of moules or steam snails are everywhere in case you get peckish. Also, you can get your skates on enjoy gliding around what is usually the fish market.

Hotels in Brussels

Flights to Brussels

Short breaks with Eurostar to Brussels by Eurostar £103

 

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What: COPENHAGEN Christmas Market, Denmark
Where: Tivoli Gardens
When: 16th November to 31st December
Time: Sunday to Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday to Saturday 11am to 11pm, 23 December 11am-8pm

Where else can you skate on the Tivoli lake to the walkts underneath thousands of lights but in Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens is turned into a Christmas wonderland full of Christmas trees, gorgeous lighting, Christmas shows and colourful stalls. Treat yourself or someone else to some Copenhagen procelain or wooden dolls. But don't go home without trying the traditional glögg, Danish mulled wine mixed with liquor and spices.

There's also various amusements like a skating rink, pony rides and if you head for the Leprechaun tent, you'll find a smiley Father Christmas.

Hotels in Copenhagen

Flights to Copenhagen

 

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What: LONDON Christmas Market - Winter Wonderland, England
Where: Hyde Park
When: 21st November to 3rd January 2010
Time: 10am to 10pm daily

London's Winter Wonderland comes to the city's most famous green space, Hyde Park and brings with it a German flavour. Forty wooden chalets are spread around the bandstand on Serpentine Road offering Christmas fare and gastronomic delights such as warming Glühwein (German Mulled Wine) and “Bratwurst (German sausage). Don't go home without gingerbread hearts as stocking fillers.

As well as Europe's largest outdook ice rink (400 skaters can glide over it as a time) there's also a funfare with a big wheel, a carousel, helter skelter and 'kiddies' ride and even a haunted house.

Hotels in London

Flights to London

 

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What: BIRMINGHAM's Frankfurt Christmas Market and Craft Fair, England
Where: Victoria Square and New Street
When: 12th  November to 23rd December
Time: 10am to 9pm daily

For the past seven years, Birmingham has joined it's twinned city, Frankfurt, Germany, to fill the city centre with a huge Frankfurt Christmas Market.

Buzzing from finding those perfect presents, shoppers can follow the scent of German gingerbread into the world’s largest authentic German market to be staged outside Germany and Austria.  Hundreds of stalls line the city streets and squares selling handmade toys, marzipan sweets and traditional food. For locals and visitors alike, the market is the pinnacle of the city’s festive calendar, providing the opportunity to catch up over gluhwein (German mulled wine) or a tankard of German weiss beer. 

Other outdoor joys to be experienced include the Reindeer and Lantern parade (15 November) and the Christmas lights switch-on supported by national music acts (14 November, Millennium Point).  For something a little more outlandish, families should head to the Thomas Vale Pantomime Horse Grand National (22 November, city centre).

Hotels in Birmingham

Flights to Birmingham

 

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What: PRAGUE Christmas Market (Vanocni trh), Czech Republic 
Where: Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square
When: 1st to 31st December
Time: 9am to 7pm daily

Prague is a gorgeous city and a top notch city break, but at this time of year the city centre is ablace with light. Wooden huts sell handicraft such as wood-carved puppets, jewellry, toys, candles and Bohemian crystal.

Carol singers sing out from the central stage while musicians add to the festivity with seasonal music.

There's also a small zoo with ponies, goats and sheep.

Hotels in Prague

Flights to Prague

 

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What: TALLINN Christmas Market, Estonia
Where: Old Town,
When: 29th November to 7th January
Time: 10am to 6pm daily

A lovely market that only came on the scene in 2001. The historic Old Town tranforms into a shopping haven where you can buy traditional Estonian food and handicrafts, toys and hand makde jumpers, sheepskins and felt hats. Choirs and musicians fill the air with music and carol singers entertain throughout the duration.

Amid this amazing festive scene, with temperatures barely hitting zero and the city's spires and tall, colourful medieval houses creating a  frosty, white-tinged setting, stallholders sell felt hats and slippers, buckwheat pillows, wooden bowls and artefacts, wickerwork, beautiful hand-sewn quilts, ceramics and glassware, sea-grass animals, home-made candles, Christmas wreaths, knitted hats, scarves and traditional cardigans. The scent of hot mulled wine fills the air, along with the appetising aromas of Estonian holiday foods that include pork, sauerkraut, blood sausages, hot soups, gingerbread, marzipan, honey, cookies, nuts and sweets. More information: www.tourism.tallinn.ee

Hotels in Tallinn

Flights to Tallinn

 

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What: VIENNA Christmas Market - Christkindlmarket, Austria
Where: Town Hall Square
When: 21st  November to 26th December
Time: Daily 9am-9pm. Christmas Eve 9am-5pm

With over a million visitors a year, this is probably the most popular Christmas market in Europe. More than100 stalls make up a motly mix of gift ideas from candied fruit, arts and crafts, scented beeswax candles. In Austria, its all about baked apples, and roasted chestnuts which must be washed down the Gluhwein, to really get into the mood.

There are amusements too like Christmas cookie-baking workshops, choirs and exhibitions.

Hotels in Vienna

Flights to Vienna

14 October 2009

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