Christmas in Europe
Festive Destinations — and the Traditions Behind Them
There is a moment, usually in late November, when Europe's old squares change character. Lights are strung between gables, wooden chalets appear beneath cathedral towers, and the air fills with cinnamon, roasting almonds and warm spiced wine. Christmas in Europe is not a single celebration but a patchwork of customs — some solemn, some delightfully eccentric — and each city keeps the season in its own way. Here are five places close to home in the United Kingdom and seven across the Continent to meet Christmas at its most enchanting, each with a little story you can share by the fire.
London, England
London does Christmas on a grand scale. Covent Garden's piazza is crowned with a giant tree and festooned with lights, Regent Street and Carnaby Street compete for the most dazzling displays, and the windows of Fortnum & Mason, Liberty and Harrods become works of art in their own right. For something more traditional, an Advent carol service at Westminster Abbey or St Paul's Cathedral is unforgettable, followed by tea somewhere suitably festive.
Did you know? Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo have sent a Norwegian spruce to stand in Trafalgar Square, a thank-you for Britain's support of Norway during the Second World War.
Where to Stay: Claridge's, in Mayfair, is a London Christmas institution — its lobby tree is designed each year by a different celebrated designer or artist.
Bath, England
With its honey-coloured Georgian streets and the great Abbey as a backdrop, Bath is made for a winter weekend. The Christmas market spreads its wooden chalets around the Abbey and through the surrounding streets, with a strong emphasis on local makers. Combine it with a warming soak at the Thermae Bath Spa, whose rooftop pool is especially magical on a frosty evening.
Did you know? "Stir-up Sunday," the last Sunday before Advent, is the traditional day for making the Christmas pudding. Its name comes from the Book of Common Prayer — "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord" — and each member of the family takes a turn to stir the mixture and make a wish.
Where to Stay: The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, in the middle of Bath's most famous Georgian crescent, combines period grandeur with a peaceful hidden garden.
York, England
York's St Nicholas Fair brings festive chalets to the streets around Parliament Street, just a few steps from the medieval Shambles and the soaring Gothic Minster. Evensong or a carol concert in the Minster, its stained glass glowing in candlelight, is a highlight of the season, and the city's ancient walls make for a bracing walk between mince pies.
Did you know? Kissing under the mistletoe became popular in Georgian and Victorian England. By tradition, a berry was plucked for each kiss, and once all the berries had gone, there were no more kisses to be had.
Where to Stay: The Grand, York, is a five-star Edwardian landmark within strolling distance of the Minster, the city walls and the Shambles.
Winchester, England
Winchester's Christmas market sits in the shadow of its magnificent cathedral, with an ice rink in the Inner Close and Nordic-style chalets selling gifts, crafts and festive food. The ancient city, once the capital of England, has a wonderfully intimate scale, and an afternoon at the cathedral, followed by tea in a cosy inn, captures English Christmas at its most traditional.
Did you know? The first royal Christmas broadcast was made by King George V on the radio in 1932. Rudyard Kipling wrote the words, and the tradition continues to this day.
Where to Stay: Hotel du Vin Winchester, a handsome Georgian townhouse moments from the cathedral, offers comfortable rooms and a welcoming bistro.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh's Christmas market fills East Princes Street Gardens, where a big wheel turns beneath the castle and stalls sell Scottish crafts, tablet and warming drams. Stroll the Old Town's lantern-lit closes and the Georgian crescents of the New Town, and if your timing allows, stay on: the city's Hogmanay celebrations are among the most famous New Year festivities in the world.
Did you know? Christmas Day did not become a public holiday in Scotland until 1958. For centuries, Hogmanay was the great winter celebration, and many Scots worked through Christmas Day itself.
Where to Stay: The Balmoral, Edinburgh's grande dame beside Waverley station, sits right at the heart of the festivities.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna takes Christmas as seriously as it takes music. The market before the neo-Gothic City Hall glows with lights draped through the trees, while smaller markets at Schönbrunn Palace, Spittelberg and Am Hof offer a more intimate, artisanal mood. Spend an afternoon among baroque churches and coffee houses, then dress for a Christmas concert or an evening at the State Opera.
Did you know? In Austria, it is traditionally the Christkind — a golden-haired, angelic figure — rather than Father Christmas who brings presents on Christmas Eve, the evening when the family tree is revealed by candlelight.
Where to Stay: Hotel Sacher Wien, opposite the State Opera, is a Viennese legend of red velvet and old-world charm — and the home of the original Sachertorte.
Salzburg, Austria
With snow on the fortress and the Alps close at hand, Salzburg is a storybook in winter. The Christkindlmarkt beside the cathedral is among the most atmospheric in the Alps, and Advent concerts fill the city's churches and halls. A short drive away lies Oberndorf, birthplace of the world's most beloved carol.
Did you know? "Silent Night" was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, with words by the priest Joseph Mohr and music by the schoolteacher Franz Xaver Gruber. It has since been translated into hundreds of languages.
Where to Stay: Hotel Goldener Hirsch, on Getreidegasse, is a centuries-old Salzburg institution with warm Alpine character and a superb location.
Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg calls itself the Capitale de Noël, and with good reason. Its Christkindelsmärik dates back to 1570, making it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, and the whole city — from the cathedral square to the half-timbered lanes of La Petite France — becomes a glittering, illuminated stage.
Did you know? Alsace claims one of the earliest written references to a Christmas tree: a 1521 account in nearby Sélestat records payment for guards to protect the town's trees in the forest at Christmastime.
Where to Stay: Régent Petite France & Spa, set on the water in the old tanners' quarter, combines riverside charm with contemporary comfort.
Nuremberg, Germany
Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt is one of Germany's most famous, a red-and-white sea of stalls in the medieval main market square. Sample Lebkuchen gingerbread and the city's small, fragrant grilled sausages, and look out for the "plum people" — charming figures made of dried fruit.
Did you know? The market is opened each year by the Nuremberg Christkind, a young woman elected every two years who reads the festive prologue from the balcony of the Frauenkirche.
Where to Stay: Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nürnberg, a classic Belle Époque building, is ideally placed for both the station and the Old Town.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen embodies hygge in December: candlelit cafés, harbourside markets and Tivoli Gardens transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, pine trees and festive pavilions. Warm up with gløgg and æbleskiver, little round pancakes dusted with sugar.
Did you know? Danish Christmas Eve ends with risalamande, a creamy rice pudding with a single whole almond hidden inside. Whoever finds it wins a prize — and the fun lies in keeping it secret until everyone else has finished.
Where to Stay: Hotel d'Angleterre, on Kongens Nytorv, is Copenhagen's grande dame, with a famous Christmas display and an exceptional spa.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague's Old Town Square, overlooked by the Týn Church and the Astronomical Clock, hosts one of Europe's most romantic Christmas markets. Add a private walk across Charles Bridge, a festive concert in a baroque church and a view of the city's spires dusted in frost.
Did you know? In many Czech households the Christmas Eve feast centres on carp — traditionally bought live and sometimes kept in the family bathtub for a day or two beforehand.
Where to Stay: Four Seasons Hotel Prague, on the banks of the Vltava, offers gracious rooms with views across to Prague Castle.
Rome, Italy
Rome at Christmas is less about markets and more about majesty: the nativity and great tree in St Peter's Square, candlelit churches, and the Piazza Navona market with its toys and sweets. Nativity scenes — presepi — appear in churches across the city, some of them remarkable works of art.
Did you know? In Italy, many children wait until 6 January for La Befana, a kindly old witch who arrives on her broomstick on the eve of Epiphany, leaving sweets for good children and a lump of "coal" for the mischievous.
Where to Stay: Hotel Hassler Roma, at the top of the Spanish Steps, is a family-owned classic with sweeping views across the city.
A Few More Festive Curiosities
Iceland has thirteen mischievous Yule Lads who visit one by one in the days before Christmas.
The Netherlands welcomes Sinterklaas in mid-November, when he traditionally arrives by steamboat "from Spain."
Catalonia has the Caga Tió, a smiling log that children "feed" and then tap with sticks on Christmas Eve to coax out sweets.
Britain gave the world the first commercial Christmas card in 1843 and the Christmas cracker, invented by London confectioner Tom Smith in the 1840s. The Christmas tree, meanwhile, became a British craze after an 1848 illustration showed Queen Victoria and Prince Albert gathered around theirs.
Your Christmas, Beautifully Arranged
Most markets open in mid to late November and close on or shortly before Christmas Eve, so early to mid-December is often the loveliest time to go. Whether you would like a festive weekend in a single city, a British Christmas break, or a leisurely journey linking several markets by rail, Henrietta will shape every detail around you.
Market dates, opening hours and seasonal events vary each year and are confirmed at the time of booking.
HAPPY TRAVELS
