THE BEST FESTIVE MARKETS

Yes, I realise that these are all European Christmas markets...but when I think of a traditional and quintessential Christmas market, I think Europe. I imagine snow, mulled wine, roast meats and twinkling lights- not to say other continents don't have these things, I just have a certain nostalgia for Euro-style festive markets. In fact, I believe these few examples demonstrate that no one does Christmas better than Europe. 

TIVOLI IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: 

Copenhagen's well known Christmas market is located in Tivoli Gardens amusement park. The market is split into sections; where the theme transitions from Nordic village into Russian fairytale. There are over 50 stalls complemented by a number of rides and amusements, stereotypical of a Christmas market. Tivoli's Russian theme is strongly presented, accentuated by the presence of a Russian Father Christmas and a mock St-Basil's Cathedral. Tivoli is a must for anyone willing to brave the cold of Denmark, but not yet brave enough for the real Moscow.  

LISEBERG, GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN:

Again located in an amusement park (a common Scandinavian theme), Liseberg in Gothenburg is Scandinavia’s largest Christmas market. The market is studded with over 5 million sparkling lights and decorated with hundreds of Christmas trees. Wooden huts sell a variety of Christmas treats, from marzipan pigs to roast reindeer! The market's scale means that there is even room for a special exhibition currently being held on the 1930's. Liseberg is a much more traditional Christmas market, offering delicious local food and a stunning setting to bring in the doe-eyed Christmas fanatics. 

STRIEZELMARKT, DRESDEN, GERMANY:

The U.K is littered with pseudo-German Christmas markets at the moment, there seems to be a rising fever for German style food and hospitality. The Christmas market in Leeds already has a 2-3 hour queue at rush hours just to enter the famous and jolly sounding 'beer tent'. Striezelmarkt in Dresden offers the real thing. This is one of the world's oldest Christmas markets dating back to the 15th century. Offering countless stalls of German arts and crafts from the Ore Mountains and beyond, there is a certain sense of mysticism and fantasy here. To top it all off, they parade a 3 tonne stollen around the streets- is anyone else sold on this place?!