European Christmas markets

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Right then - as I've found myself nearing the end of 2006 with more money and time off than I'd expected, it seems like a good idea to use it on a trip somewhere in December. Preferably somewhere with big Christmas markets, bright lights, amazing food on sale and well-dressed European children being bought intricately carved reindeer. Or something.

Where do people recommend?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:17 (nineteen years ago)

The helsinki one was nice, if small, last year. Lots of knitwear and smoked fish and hot spiced wine

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:20 (nineteen years ago)

kolns was quite nice

munchen seems like it would be great for this

― -- (688), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:22 (nineteen years ago)

Barcelona has a big one in front of and around the catherdral, and you can buy a little figure of a man doing a poo, and a log that poos presents:

Here are several:

http://www.colegiojaponesbcn.net/internacional_reunion/santalucia/cagatio.jpg

And here he is in action:

http://ense.gencat.es/trobada/nadal04/sagrado2/cagatio.gif

Yes, I recommend Barcelona.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:28 (nineteen years ago)

I went to the one in Köln a few years ago - it was lovely. Those Christmas Markets have such an exciting festive atmosphere.

This year I'm going to the one in Bath (I didn't realise they had one there, but a friend of mine has heartily recommended it and Bath is always quite nice for shopping anyway). It's on every day for a couple of weeks in December.

We've got a visiting Continental Christmas Market coming to Oxford again for a few days next week - I bought some quite nice things there last year (mostly food).

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

The one in Strassburg is nice.

Nice is a word made for Christmas Markets.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:45 (nineteen years ago)

I was wondering about Vienna and Copenhagen as well. Although I've already been to Copenhagen it seems like it'd be perfect for this - also Tivoli.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:49 (nineteen years ago)

The one in Lincoln is good, but far far too busy to be enjoyable.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:49 (nineteen years ago)

I remember the Hamburg one being amazing as a kid (although it might have been the easter one), also you can travel there by ship.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 09:53 (nineteen years ago)

Vienna has a couple of really good Christmas markets, each with a slightly different vibe -- the ones at Schloss Schönbrunn and the in front of the City Hall are the biggest and have amazing archetictural backdrops, the ones in the Spittelberg part of town and on the Karlsplatz are quieter, more of a pleasantly hippy craftsfolk kind of vibe. Good food and high-octane punch are available at all of them. Go here http://www.wien-vienna.at/index.php?ID=418 and click the links in the article.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 10:39 (nineteen years ago)

I only found out Bath has one very recently, so I am going there.

Trier had a very nice one last year, as did Bernkastel - featuring the biggest nativity display in Germany and some shockingly nice gluhwein made from riesling and featuring egg liquer in there as well. Which I drank far too much of.

Rudesheim was a bit poor though, the Blackpool seafront of Rhine markets.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 12:23 (nineteen years ago)

I've just printed out the info on the Bath one - it runs from next Thursday to Sunday December 10th. They've got a list of the stalls which are going to be there ( www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk) and it looks okay.

I might combine it with a visit to that Clarks Village designer outlet place at Street (that can't be too far from Bath, can it??)

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 12:31 (nineteen years ago)

It might well take you upwards of an hour to get from Bath to Street. If you call that 'not too far' then you can do them both.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

It'll take you an hour to get from Bath to anywhere, bad road system etc.

I don't mean Glasgow, obv nur..

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

I hate traffic :(

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

Glasgow's Christmas Market starts tomorrow!

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

I think Edinburgh's Christmas market opens tomorrow too. They've got all the little sheds and the big wheel ready.

― leigh (leigh), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

Bit of artistic license there:

the bustling Buchanan Street shopping mile

The St. Enoch Centre, Scotland´s largest shopping complex

― ONIMO feels teh NOIZE (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 14:46 (nineteen years ago)

The ones in Austria are fantastic. Lots of amazing Glühwein and friendly old ladies selling crafty things.

― braveclub (braveclub), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 14:57 (nineteen years ago)

the one in prague is great.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 14:59 (nineteen years ago)

Errggh, I never liked the Prague one, although the simple fact that it's on Old Town Square make it impressive. That huge tree is also pretty neat.

The Brussels one is pretty cool, but I think the one that tops them all is the Strasbourg one.

― is anyone anticipating the new Baaderonixx? (baaderonixx), Thursday, 23 November 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

there was one on holloway road last sunday with french and turkish people selling things in little stalls.

― ken c (ken c), Thursday, 23 November 2006 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

Ooh, when is the Oxford one, CJ? Can't find anything on dailyinfo or in last week's Oxford Times (but then the only announcements I can find in there are strictly for this week just ending, so I may be looking in the wrong bit).

Never been to one, but I would like to go to a German one and load up with lebkuchen and marzipan squares and strange cheap pear/cherry spirits. I was in the Ruhr area earlier in the year and eyed the Christmas biscuits that were already in shops but I didn't think I'd get them home unsquashed, especially not since we weren't allowed hand luggage.

― Rebecca (reb), Thursday, 23 November 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

Too wet to go to Glasgow one today :(

― Onimo has bone for the pink overload! (GerryNemo), Thursday, 23 November 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

The Oxford one is in Broad Street tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. They're just putting up the Christmas tree right now!

― C J (C J), Thursday, 23 November 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Oxfordchristmas.htm

― C J (C J), Thursday, 23 November 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

Thank you, C J! The thought of Oxford on a Saturday at this time of year is a little offputting but I'll see if I can wander up there tomorrow or Sunday. Oh, and having just scanned through more of New Answers, happy belatedly birthday.

Hey, maybe I can get myself some chocolate hearts which don't have apricot jam like Sainsbury's ones, and Stollen which doesn't come from a supermarket and have the texture of cardboard. Mmm.

I am coming to the conclusion that Germans really know how to do Christmas. And chocolate, and booze, and electronic music.

― Rebecca (reb), Thursday, 23 November 2006 17:32 (nineteen years ago)

There's a Christmas market in Acton this year. It was in the local paper.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 23 November 2006 18:46 (nineteen years ago)

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European Christmas markets - S/D