Europe's best Christmas markets from Prague to Berlin for 2023
As the glühwein is warmed, the glögg bottles dusted off and the cinnamon lattes recipes perfected, now is the time to consider tackling a Christmas market.
The UK is now home to dozens of festive fares that run for most of November and December. Many of them - such as the famed German themed market in Birmingham - do a good job of transporting punters to the more Christmassy parts of the continent.
If you are not satisfied with imitation and want an authentic slice of stollen this Christmas, then there are lots of great markets on mainland Europe that are not too far away. Below we have highlighted five of the best ones and including some tips on how to visit them without breaking the bank.
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Berlin
Copenhagen Christmas Market is one to catch (Getty Images)Germany is arguably the Christmas market capital of the world, and its capital city of Berlin the beating heart of the scene. It is home to some incredible architecture and a vibrant nightlife scene, as well as more than 100 festive markets that take place every year.
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From November until January, the best Christmas markets to visit in Berlin include the Gendarmenmarkt (Bebelplatz) with its gorgeous decorations, food and entertainment, the traditional market and funfair at Alexanderplatz and the world-famous Spandau Market complete with its market stalls and renaissance fair.
If it all begins to feel a little too continental for you, Berlin is also home to a 'British' market in St George’s Episcopal Church, where visitors will feel right at home with mince pies and bagpipes.
How to get there: Easyjet offers flights from Manchester to Berlin for as little as £16.99 in November. A night train now goes from London to the German capital, with tickets occasionally available for less than £100. Berlin has a good hostel scene, with it quite possible to stay for around £25 a night per person, at places such as St Christopher's Inn.
Prague
Prague is a city that must be visited at least once in a life time. Its centre is filled full of beautiful architecture, cobbled streets and a sense of history that come together to make it a truly enchanting place come the festive season.
Home to one of Europe’s best-loved Christmas markets, visitors come to explore the toy town beauty of Old Town Square complete with a real-life nativity scene, carol-singing choirs and a huge bedazzled Christmas tree. The Wenceslas Square market is another big attraction for visitors to the city in December, with its craft stalls, food and one-of-a-kind discoveries.
While you're there it is certainly worth visiting the city's castle, which is the largest coherent castle complex in the world with an area of almost 70,000 m², and taking a walking tour. Prague played a fascinating part in WWII and played host to the Velvet Revolution against the Soviets three and a half decades ago.
How to get there:Ryanair offers the cheapest flights with prices starting from £54 in November. The train takes 13 hours and three changes from London, but goes through some particularly beautiful parts of central Europe. If you fancy extending your trip, an Interrail pass could get you there and then onto several other European countries for around £180. There are also plenty of cheap Airbnbs and hostels in Prague, such as the £17 a night Bar Fontana.
Brussels
Brussels may not have the most vibrant reputation - possibly because its known as the home of European administrative politics - but that is far from fair. Especially during the winter months, when the centre of the old city gets lit up by the warming hubbub of Christmas markets.
With over 200 chalets to browse during your visit, you can buy everything from Christmas gifts to food and decorations at the annual Brussels Winter Wonders event, a 2 km-long stretch of snow-dusted market bars, stalls and entertainment that takes place on and around the Grand-Place, Bourse, Place Sainte-Catherine and Marché ux Poissons.
While you're there the city's world-leading reputation for chips and waffles stacked in ice cream and chocolate is well worth indulging in. A cone of frites is best chowed down while following the Rene Magritte art trail, in which the experimental painter's works have been slapped up big into the buildings.
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How to get there: Ryanair offers the cheapest flights with prices starting from £21 in November. Incredibly the Eurostar from London to Brussels takes less than two hours. Cheap beds for less than £50 are available at the Urban City Centre Hostel.
Vienna
Vienna Christmas market (iStockphoto)If you're looking for a chocolate box beautiful city with plenty to see, the Austrian capital is the place to go.
During the festive season, the capital of Austria is transformed into a world-famous winter wonderland with traditional Viennese Christmas markets being held at City Hall and the Schönbrunn Palace, as well as the Christmas villages at Belvedere Palace, Maria-Theresien Platz and the former general hospital.
Austrian food tends to be incredibly hearty, so your cockles are sure to be warmed however chilly the winter weather. Wiener schnitzel and boiled beef are too classics designed to leave a deep warm in your belly.
How to get there: Jet2 offers the cheapest flights with prices starting from £77 in November. The train takes around 13 hours and can occasionally be boarded for around £100. The Hostel Ruthensteiner will provide you a basic bed for just £40 a night.
Copenhagen
The Danes do a very good trade in Christmas markets, having been the founders and chief exporters of hygge - a concept of consoling, hugging, warming and bonding that seems particularly apt when the days get short and cold.
Soak up the Christmas spirit in Copenhagen and browse the many different markets that sell decorations, wooden toys, decorations, chunky jumpers and incredible food. But it's the Christmas market at Tivoli Gardens that many visitors come to see, with its Ferris wheel and ice skating rink.
If you are very brave you can check out the Freetown Christiania, a slightly anarchic community that has attempted to break away from the city and is now home to plenty of pan-handlers selling slightly dodgy wares.
How to get there:easyJet offers the cheapest flights with prices starting from £26.99 in November. The train takes around 16 hours and costs about £150. A small but very reasonable capsule hotel in the city centre sells beds for £25 a night.
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