Europe's cheapest city for Christmas markets is less than 4 hours from the UK
Brits looking for budget-friendly Christmas markets this festive season may want to consider a trip to France.
While the UK may have the world's most popular market city in the world, Metz is the place to go for a bargain merry excursion. The picturesque city topped the rankings in a new study by Bounce, which looked at factors such as the cost of hotels and the popularity of markets.
On average, it will cost you just £26 per night for a hotel in the north east town. Some of the most recommended hotels in the city include the likes of Best Western Metz Centre Gare, ibis Metz Centre Cathédrale, and Hotel De La Cathedrale, where cheap rooms are easy to find, even during the busy festive period.
The town is filled full of enchanting examples of architecture that come together to give it a beguiling feel, while making it the perfect setting for a Christmas market.
Metz is an enchanting place at night (Getty Images)
The magnificent Saint-etienne de Metz cathedral is worth a visit (Getty Images)Over the past 25 years, the festive fair there has become one of the largest Christmas markets in France in terms of visitors, welcoming up to two million people. In 2015, Metz went the extra mile, hosting a Christmas market spread over five sites, allowing visitors to explore the town while pursuing the local goods on offer.
Snap up £12.99 flights to one of the best Christmas markets in the world
The five sites are:
- the historic Place Saint Louis, which is also the original site of the Metz Christmas Market.
- Place Saint-Jacques, where you'll fine a merry-go-round and a Christmas village.
- The central-located Place d’Armes, which is home to a 60m tall Ferries Wheel takes you well above the city’s roofs
- Place de la Comédie, the site of a gourmet market.
- Place de la République, where there is the iconic Christmas pyramid, the Chalet of the Moselle département and an open-air ice skating rink.
The Christmas pyramids are a German creation that acted as a precursor to the festive tree that adorns many a living room. "Head to Place de la Republique for loads of traditional chalets specialising in local products and gorgeous gifts made by local artisans," advises Janine Marsh, a veteran of the French Christmas market scenes.
"There’s are two German Christmas Pyramid bars. You’ll find the aroma of mulled wine and hot chocolate is alluring and the sight of the lit carousel-like-tops rotating is mesmerising."
It is quite easy to get to Metz. The easiest way is to get the Eurostar or a flight to Paris. You can then get direct trains from Paris Gare de l’Est which take around an hour and a half. Usually the total journey time comes in at just under four hours, if you can time it right when you get the train from Paris.
If you do take the train you will pull into the Gare de Metz-Ville, a historic railway station located in the Imperial Quarter of Metz. After the settlement was annexed to the German Empire, Emperor Wilhelm II sought to transform the city. The train station was his first project and remains as magnificent today as when it was first built.
Metz' geography means it is home to a fascinating mix of cultures. A great example of this is the Temple Neuf, a church surrounded by the lush Jardin d’Amour. It was built in the early 1900s in a Romanesque Revival style of architecture. As unpopular as it was when it was first unveiled, many now consider it to outshine the Cathédrale de Metz - one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
A more modern cultural highlight can be found in the form of the Centre Pompidou-Metz , a modern and contemporary art museum that is part of the renowned Centre Pompidou in Paris. It has become one of the most important art hubs in France, with a gigantic exhibition space.
You can find out more about the study on usebounce.com.
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