Europe's 'most beautiful small town' is also an idyllic winter destination

07 November 2023 , 16:22

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Cobh has been named “one of the most beautiful small towns in Europe” (Image: Getty Images)

A picture-perfect place which has been described as "one of the most beautiful small towns in Europe" is the perfect destination for a little break this winter.

If you're looking for a spirit-lifting, mulled-wine-simmering holiday as Christmas approaches, then perhaps gaze further than such stalwarts as Bruges, Cologne and Amsterdam. While they may be famously festive and boasting fine yule tide markets, it can be a little difficult to recreate authentically cosy Christmas cheer in such sized settlements.

Instead why not take a trip to Cobh in County Cork? The town is one of the most picturesque, chocolate box places you're likely to stumble across in Europe, and one which becomes even more enchanting when the nights draw in and the faint whiff of merriment begins to swirl above the cobbles.

Its most famous sight is the Deck of Cards, a row of block coloured houses which run up a hill from St Colman's Cathedral in an almost gravity defying manner. Scaling the hill is no mean feat. Luckily, the beautiful West View Park sits in the middle, allowing exhausted would-be mountaineers to sit and relax while taking in the views.

The Deck of Cards houses are on a fearsomely steep hill (Getty Images)

The neo-gothic cathedral, which dominates the town’s skyline, is another highlight that helps to add to the stunning harbour vista viewable from the top. The town is otherwise best known as the last port of call of the Titanic.

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At Titanic Experience Cobh, visitors can explore the stories of those onboard the ill-fated ship through interactive displays and audio-visual tours, and find out what happened to the 123 passengers who boarded the famous White Star Line liner in Cobh. The maritime influence is everywhere in the town, which technically sits on an island split off from the mainland by the sea on all sides.

When it comes to Christmas specific activities, the angel on the top of Cobh's upcoming activities tree is the market, which begins on November 25 and runs through most of December.

For those who live in or around London, the nearby Cork is a mere hour and 20 minutes away on a Ryanair flight from either Gatwick or Stansted, with some fares currently going for as little as £30. Unfortunately travelling by a mixture or car and ferry, or train and ferry, will take closer to ten hours and cost a lot more.

Cobh is the last place the Titanic stopped off (Getty Images)

Cobh has been highlighted as a place to go this Christmas if you're after somewhere a little smaller and quieter by the travel experts, who scoured through thousands of TripAdvisor ratings to dig out the best.

Lerwick is Shetland’s sole town, with a population of only 7,500. Shetland is also known as an island archipelago, boasting an abundance of seafood including less common fish like ling, lythe and John Dory. As you can imagine Lerwick is cold during the winter, however, if you are looking for a quieter and more authentic winter experience Shetland is a great place to go.

On the turn of the New Year the residents take things back a few hundred years with torch light processions known as Up Helly Aa, in which fire wielding locals tear through the bitterly cold winter nights and set fire to a Viking galley.

Milo Boyd