international
1 . Belgian Christmas markets
Bruges is the obvious choice when it comes to attending a Belgian Christmas market . This year the markets in the Belgian capital run from 25 November until 8 January . If you happen to be visiting family in the UK , Belgium is hop and a skip on the Eurostar from St Pancras International . If you choose to go by train early in the morning , you could be eating tartiflette ( a dish made with potatoes , reblochon cheese , lardons and onions ) by lunchtime as it takes just three hours and 30 minutes to get there , after a quick change in Brussels . But don ’ t just go to the capital – Christmas cheer can be celebrated in Brussels , Louvain-La- Neuve , Ostend and Leuven .
2 . Austrian Christmas markets
If you ’ re after a romantic Christmas market experience , then Austria should be your destination . Their markets run from the middle of November until the end of the year . You can enjoy a gluhwein and Linzer Torte in Salzburg , Graz , Styria , Vienna or Klagenfurt . If you want to couple your trip with a skiing holiday , there are Christmas markets and cheer in popular resorts like Innsbruck and Tyrol .
3 . German Christmas markets
Germany is renowned for its fairy-tale Christmas markets . Enjoy your hot chestnuts , grilled sausages and gluhwein in cities like Nuremberg , Dresden , Munich , Frankfurt , Stuttgart , Cologne and the capital – Berlin .
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As these markets are so popular , they can get crowded . If you ’ re after some quiet celebrations , consider smaller Christmas markets like Stadtgarten in Cologne , or some of the more intimate ones in and around Frankfurt .
4 . British Christmas markets
You don ’ t have to go to mainland Europe to enjoy a Christmas market . If you don ’ t want to learn a foreign language and are fluent