Unique European Cities For Extra Christmas Cheer

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There’s no place like Europe for the holiday season. With bustling markets, twinkling lights, towering Christmas trees and mouth-watering cuisine, Europe has some of the best historic Christmas spots in the entire world. If you’re looking to fill your holiday season with extra Christmas cheer, you’re sure to find it at one of these following destinations:

Prague

Photo by Kirk Siang via Flickr

This beautiful city is stunning at any time of year, which makes it all the merrier during December. The market takes place in the historic Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Here you’ll find hearty food and hot mulled wine to keep your bones warm while you browse the shopping stalls, Christmas carols being sung in the background all the while.

Foods to try include ham roasted on spits and Trdelnik, a hot sugar-coated pastry. At Old Town Square, you’ll even find an animal stable and full Bethlehem scene. Of course, the massive Christmas tree is not to be missed, either.

Venice

Photo by Mike Desisto via Flickr

Give the summer rush a miss and take a trip to Venice during the Christmas season. This is when the music, art and food of the floating city go on full display.  Throughout the city there are free concerts, featuring both traditional Italian Christmas songs as well as more contemporary melodies.

Fanciful lights are only found in the most popular areas of Merceria, Rialto and San Marco. For a real treat, catch a glimpse of one the many churches’ nativity displays which boast elaborate presentations of local and international artists.

It would be a sin to be in Italy and not take part in the local cuisine. Traditional seafood on Christmas Eve includes Venetian clams risotto, oven-cooked sea bass, and eel. If seafood isn’t your style and you’ve got a sweet tooth, then you might favor candied oranges coated in chocolate or glazed chestnuts.

Budapest

Photo by Brandon Price via Flickr

Every year, Vorosmarty Square is transformed into the Budapest Christmas Market. Here you’ll also find numerous stalls selling arts, crafts, food and mulled wine. The star of the show is the magnificent Gerbeaud building that hangs a giant Advent calendar on its façade.

Between Dec. 1 and 23, a window is opened for each day in the advent calendar, accompanied by light and music shows.

For an experience you won’t forget, take a dip in the Szechenyi Bath, the largest thermal bath in Budapest. This outdoor pool is open year-round but is best enjoyed when the bath is nice and steamy against the cold winter air.

London

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There is never a lack of things to do in London, and this is especially true at Christmas time. You’ll need to act fast to pack in all the festivities. The Natural History Museum Ice Rink is a classic way to enjoy the cold weather while being surrounded by beautiful lights and circling around the 40-foot Christmas tree.

Harry Potter fans will want to head to the Warner Bros Studio, which goes all out for Hogwarts in the Snow. Hyde Park transforms into a Winter Wonderland with a full circus, ice kingdom and Bar Ice where you can have your cocktails in an arctic environment. You may even see the massive Santacon Parade when hundreds of Santas roam the streets bearing gifts.

Paris

Photo by David Forster via Flickr

There’s no better time to visit the classic city of love than during the Christmas season. Grab your special someone and spend some time wandering the Champs-Elysees. The boulevard is lined with twinkling trees. Time the walk so that you can end at the Eiffel Tower on the hour. For five minutes every night until midnight the Tower lights up in a spectacular display. Boulevard Haussmann also has an impressive light display at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.

Grab a snack and window shop. Paris has always been a shopping hub, and the holidays are no different. Pick up a tasty pastry from any shop with a decent line and wander past the elaborate window displays of the Parisian department stores of Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, and Bon Marche.

Bruges

Photo by Ricardo Samaniego via Flickr

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better backdrop for a beautiful Christmas getaway than medieval Bruges. Historic buildings, horse-drawn carriages, and cobblestone streets all add to the charm that makes Bruges such a magical destination. The vividly decorated shops and buildings of Grote Markt surround the ice rink and Christmas tree. Warm your bones with some Belgian fries or a mug of hot chocolate and watch the day turn to night. While you’re in town, be sure you catch a glimpse of the Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival.

Europe is full of wonderful places to spend the holidays. Where is your favorite place to celebrate Christmas?