5 December 2024 02:48 pm Views - 14
Christmas is a magical time of year, and if you’re dreaming of spending it in a picture-postcard-perfect town that looks like it’s right out of the pages of a children’s storybook, these destinations offer the chance for one of the most unforgettable holidays of a lifetime.
Vienna offers the chance for a delightful old-fashioned Christmas with the smell of gluhwein in the air, twinkling holiday decorations covering imperial architecture, and three outdoor Christkindlmarkts. Visitors can have their pick of a wide variety of artisan wares and ornaments, as well as tasty finger foods and that wonderful spiced mulled wine. Of course, the Vienna Boys’ Choir concerts are a must during the holidays, too, and it’s a delightful time to explore the city’s other top attractions.
Prague is well-known for its magnificent Gothic architecture and unique folkloric traditions, and at Christmas, it’s truly unlike any other city on earth. From its famed Christmas markets with beautifully decorated wooden huts filled with festive treats, including everything from craft gift items and ornaments to fantastic delicacies like spit-roasted hams and trdelnik, a traditional hot sugar-coated pastry. In Old Town Square, you’ll find a stable, complete with goats, donkeys, and sheep, set around a traditional nativity, as well as lots of holiday lights and music.
A top destination in Europe at Christmas, Strasbourg offers a series of themed Christmas villages that transform the city into a fantastic wonderland of holiday sights and gastronomic delights. At the Village of Alsace Farmhouse, visitors can taste prune, apricot, and other holiday-inspired variations of farm-fresh foie gras. While in the nearby Village of Bredle, you’ll find its namesake traditional Christmas biscuits and a practically endless flow of mulled Alsatian wine.
The city’s Christmas program is filled with concerts and all types of cultural events.
Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland, may be the best place on earth to celebrate Christmas. Located just north of the Arctic Circle, Finns argue that it makes a much likelier home for Santa than even the North Pole. What better place to meet the jolly ol’ fellow than in a frozen winter wonderland of deep snow and pine forests? Here, children can make cookies with Mrs. Claus and even enroll in Elf School. Other highlights during this time of year include husky-dog rides, tobogganing in the deep, pristine snow, and viewing the Northern Lights. If you want an especially frosty experience, stay at the Arctic SnowHotel, constructed entirely of snow and ice, though it does come with hot tubs and saunas to offset the frozen temperatures.
Vermont is one of the best places in the U.S. to celebrate Christmas and one of the most picturesque New England towns, with the ground typically covered with at least a light dusting of snow and the scent of pine needles wafting through the air. In the historic town of Woodstock, the city really does the holiday right with its Wassail Weekend, a pre-Christmas festival with 19th-century Norse culture traditions. It includes a parade featuring over 50 horses and riders donning holiday costumes and period dress, along with wagon and sleigh rides, as well as a 19th-century Christmas celebration at the Billings Farm & Museum. Visitors also enjoy a wassail feast, and all the local shops, with beautiful holiday window displays, stay open late throughout the festival.
One of the best places in Germany to celebrate Christmas, the Nuremberg Christmas market draws over two million visitors each year, with its 200 vendors putting up incredible displays. And, you won’t find any fake, mass-produced plastic decorations and other items – here, the market council is said to be very serious about making sure that only traditional handmade toys and holiday goods are sold. As you wander through, you’ll enjoy the tempting aromas of mulled wine along with gingerbread, sausage, and sweet roasted almonds, all in an unforgettable holiday atmosphere in the Old Town, decorated in all its Christmas glory. Kids and the kids-at-heart will love the Toy Museum as well as the magnificent two-tiered carousel based on old originals – complete with reindeer and Father Christmas sleighs.
The Estonian capital is known for its wonderful Christmas spirit, with its medieval old town dusted in snow and lanterns lit after dark, providing a glow to the cobblestone streets. The world’s first Christmas tree was erected here in 1441 – and today, Tallin’s holiday traditions still include the legendary tree on Town Hall Square.
The famous tree is surrounded by little huts selling their wares, and you’ll also find a number of handicraft specialists hard at work, along with snow sculptures, Estonian food and drink, and a mini-zoo. An international Christmas market, an outdoor ice rink, and the Estonian Open Air Museum‘s elaborate Christmas Village are all mainstays of the holiday season, too.