Christmas markets at home and abroad

One of the joys of the festive season is a visit to a Christmas market. Whether you go abroad or stick nearer to home, it always feels like being in a Richard Curtis film with some hot chocolate or a local delicacy in hand and expecting Hugh Grant to pop up in a flurry of snowflakes at any moment.

Here’s our pick of the best Christmas markets if you fancy a trip…

ABERDEEN

Let’s start with Aberdeen’s Christmas Village on Broad Street. It’s open from November 17th through to December 31st and features a selection of funfair rides, an outdoor skating rink and street food vendors. Head into the quad at Marischal College and you’ll find Curated at the Quad, which features lots of local makers and craftspeople with a changing line up each weekend. Last year the market raised over £15,000 for Charlie House, the local charity that improves the quality of life for babies, children and young people who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

© VisitScotland/Kenny Lamb

EDINBURGH

Edinburgh may be better known for its Hogmanay celebrations, but the capital also does Christmas in a big way. Head to Multrees Walk for a luxury shopping experience against the backdrop of trees sparkling with thousands of fairy lights.

This year sees a new operator taking over the city’s market, which will open from November 19th to January 3rd. They’re promising an artisan market in Castle Street and further activities at Parliament Square in the Old Town. West Princes Street Gardens will be host to Santa Land, featuring carnival rides, games and entertainment, with market stalls selling festive food and drinks and arts and crafts over in the eastern section of the gardens.

© VisitScotland/Kenny Lamb

COLOGNE

The Germans originated Christmas markets back in the medieval period and there are few towns that don’t feature a festive market. Given its Old Town, Roman ruins, cathedral, shopping and restaurants, Cologne is a great choice for a city break at any time of the year, but the city is also regarded as having one of Germany’s best selection of Christmas Markets. This year, they run from November 21 to December 23. The Old Town has the Market of Heinzel, or you could head for the Market of Angels on the Neumarkt. There are markets at the harbour and in many of the outlying neighbourhoods too. The market on Rudolfplatz features half-timbered houses, a life-sized Nativity scene and lots of sticky, sweet treats like candy floss. The Stadgarten market is less touristy and features around 80 local artisans and makers. There are also charity markets and a gay Christmas Market at Heavenue, which has a great entertainment programme and over the top decorations.

© VisitScotland/Kenny Lamb COPENHAGEN

As you might expect from the culture that gave us Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen’s Christmas markets have a fairy-tale quality. The Tivoli Gardens’ Market is one of very few that charges an entry fee, but it’s worth it for the magical atmosphere. Tivoli combines a fun fair with thousands of lights strung from the trees and music from the Tivoli Youth Guard. It could even get the Grinch in a good mood. It’s a very child-friendly place, with lots of stalls and treats like cinnamon popcorn, heart-shaped honey cakes, warm doughnuts and cocoa or mulled wine. There are almost 70 places to eat and drink at Tivoli, the more ruinously expensive of which need to be booked well in advance. It’s open late in to the evenings, from November 18th to the end of the year.

If you tire of Tivoli, you can browse through stalls along the Nyhavn waterfront or visit the markets in several of the city’s squares. Try the market at Freetown, Christiania for a less traditional approach.