Celebrating Christmas in a European country is magical. This holiday commemorates the birth of Jesus and is about being better to each other, offering meaningful gifts and helping those in need. Many Christmas markets are organised to help you pick unique presents to your loved one’s liking to show your appreciation.
It smells like delicious treats and traditional cuisine as you approach the street market and the avenue glows with beautiful decorations. So you better wear comfortable shoes, such as these sandals from Expert World Travel, because you’ll want to visit and walk a lot.
Every country has beautiful traditions, and there’s more to this holiday than Christmas lights, candies and food. It is hard to choose a city to visit when there are so many great options, and all offer fantastic sights to see, special shows and Christmas markets. Grasp what these five incredible capitals have to offer to figure out where you want to spend Christmastime this year.
Prague
The festive Christmas Market in the Old Town Square is a must-visit, and the experience in Prague wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t buy a souvenir or indulge in some Czech delicacies. Food stalls await you to try tasty, mouth-watering street food unique to Czech cuisine. Christmas food in Prague includes Cheick – an open sandwich with a variety of meat; French-style pancakes; Longnose bread with veggies and the famous Czech sausages that resemble the German bratwursts. You can find high-quality handicraft at low prices during Christmas in Prague. Go for some retail therapy on the famous shopping streets in Prague and buy unique souvenirs such as Marionettes and Bohemian glass.
You can attend cultural shows, and it’s advisable to go to a Christmas concert too, as St. Salvator Church hosts concerts of groups from all over the world and are free of cost. Prague River Cruise can be a good choice if you don’t like crowded places and are looking for a relaxing trip. These Cruises have guides that walk you through the history behind Prague’s major attractions along the Vltava River.
You might be wondering how you will travel to such places. Metros, trams, buses and Prague’s public transportation are generally suitable replacements for the cab and your car.
London
London is culturally vibrant and one of the most beautiful European capitals. Many people like to go to London by train to relax, sightsee and get in the Christmas mood. If it suits you too, you should keep in mind that trains don’t run in the UK on Christmas day, so it’s best to book the travel in advance and ensure you are in the UK’s capital a day before the Christmas day. People from all over the world come to visit the city laden in snow, go shopping, see the Christmas lights and go to these fascinating places:
- Trafalgar Square: you can see a giant Christmas tree
- Westminster Abbey: the midnight mass there is breathtaking
- Royal Albert Hall: it holds amazing carol concerts
- Ice skating place: it’s great to watch too if you don’t fancy skating
- Hyde Park: it’s lovely any time of the year.
Though rainy most of the time, the weather in winter is in perfect sync with the conditions required for Christmas celebrations. You should plan your pack list and travel transportation in advance to ensure you get the most out of your trip. You’ll walk a lot because London has staggering Christmas markets you won’t get enough of. You can use public transportation on non-Christmas days, and, unless you want to come by car, you can take a midday train to London to see the UK’s amazing landscapes or book a night train ticket to take in the mystery and uniqueness of the views.
Paris
The multicoloured tree at Galeries Lafayette and the shiny lights along the Champs-Elysees are just a piece of Paris’ magic at Christmastime.
When not enjoying the festivities, you can go to pastry shops, restaurants and tea salons that are big on the Christmas spirit.
Here is a list of the most incredible things that people come to Paris at Noël for:
- Mesmerise by the twinkle lights on Champs-Elysees
- Visit Notre Dame’s Christmas markets
- See stunning holiday displays in places
- Ice-skate in iconic locations
- See le Jardin des Plantes.
If you are a gourmand, then Paris will not disappoint you. French cuisine offers delicious holiday specialities like foie gras, oysters, Buche de noel and many more.
Amsterdam
Many dream to spend Christmas in Amsterdam, because it offers a wide range of interesting activities for every age. You can mesmerise on the glow of the festive holiday lights that bright lanes up and sniff the scent of freshly baked treats on the streets. Almost every neighbourhood is decorated with fairy, eye-catching lights, Christmas trees and you can feel an undeniable sense of cheer throughout the city.
The good part about the Netherlands is that you can take a train to Amsterdam for a weekend trip, and return home, because the country is not so large and the traffic is fluent. If you’re wondering what to put on your Amsterdam check-list, you must do the following things: feast on Dutch food, Visit Amsterdam museums, go to an Amsterdam pub and visit the Christmas markets there.
Vienna
Vienna has magical sights that people from around the world come to visit. One of the top places you must not miss in Vienna is the Baroque Upper Belvedere. The building has a small frontal lake, it lights up in the evening, and you can see the flawless reflection of the palace from one of those astonishing visions you see in Disney films.
“Vienna Magic of Advent” is a famous, traditional Christmas Market and turns the City Hall Square into a gleaming fantasy. Christmas gifts, warming drinks, and tree decorations await you, and if you have kids, they can enjoy a giant carousel. Icicles hang from the roofs of wonderful Habsburg buildings, and you can hear melodies and advent concerts on the streets.
The views gleam with thousands of crystals and chandeliers, from the State Opera House building to Graben und Kärntner street and the Hofburg Palac. You can schedule a sightseeing tram or take “hop on, hop off” buses to visit famous Viennese buildings and places.
Nuremberg
If you visit only one Christmas market in Germany, then the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt should be. It’s one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world, and you can find traditional and often handmade Christmas gifts and sweet treats such as Spekulatius almond cookies in this “little city of wood and cloth”.
An enchanting and festive sight to behold, Berlin offers things like:
- Gold Angels
- Eat bratwurst
- Drink gluhwein
- Cultural shows and performances
- Männleinlaufen at noon
- Brass Rings on the Schoner Brunnen.
It’s hard to dampen the spirit of these cities at Christmastime. Time there flies, and leaving these beauties behind to go home is hard.
Europe has some of the most amazing cities and capitals for holidays, and Christmas is a great choice to visit as many of these places as you can.
Book a flight, gather friends and families and give some of these or other European cities a shot this holiday.
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