Amanda PhillipsYou can usually choose your Christmas city breaks from the beginning of November right through until December the 24th. The streets are always filled with the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers, all seeking the perfect gifts for their friends and loved ones. The anticipation in the air is infectious: charged by Christmas Spirit, people are laughing, joking and making merry: it really is the most wonderful time of the year.
To add additional sparkle to this Christmas buzz, more and more people are escaping to real life Winter Wonderland’s around the globe, each promising unique and festive Christmas shopping experiences. Whether you’re seeking decorated and discounted designer outlets or picture perfect Christmas markets, there’s something for everyone.
1. York – Perfect for a traditional Christmas experience
During the run up to Christmas, this idyllic city is bustling with Christmas shoppers, determined to soak up the atmosphere and take advantage of the locally sourced goodies on offer.
For those in search of an authentic festive experience, St Nicholas Fair boasts quaint little chalets selling roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, whilst York’s designer outlet provides label seekers with famous names for a slightly lesser budget.
If that wasn’t enough, the streets are lined with authentic thatched houses glittering with a combination of fairy lights and frost, Christmas trees twinkling at their windows: quite literally picture perfect!
2. London – Perfect for shopaholics seeking some festive fun
London is a Mecca for Christmas shoppers! With Oxford Street boasting all of your high street favourites and Harrods and Selfridges on your doorstep, you are quite literally spoilt for choice!
If you’re looking for a gift that is slightly unique, the city is scattered with German Christmas markets, selling authentic native produce and buzzing with crowds of shoppers charged with energy and excitement.
What’s more, once you’ve ticked everything off your shopping list, you’re free to enjoy the breath-taking Christmas lights or visit one of the many ice rinks dotted around the centre; perfect for a whirlwind weekend full of festive fun!
3. Edinburgh – Perfect for a Christmas day out with all the family
Christmas in Scotland isn’t complete without the traditional annual visit to the Edinburgh Christmas market!
Perfect for families and groups of friends, it truly feels like the season to be jolly browsing Princes Street for last minute gifts with the frost covered turrets of Edinburgh Castle silhouetted in the background.
The city’s German market boasts quaint little stalls bursting with unique gift ideas, from hand-made tree ornaments to freshly baked confectionery, all of which can be enjoyed to a background of fairy lights and fairground rides.
4. Bruge in Brussels – Perfect for Christmas foodies and chocolate lovers
This myriad of cobbled streets and canals just oozes Christmas Spirit, and wouldn’t look out of place on the front of a Christmas card!
As the chocolate capital of the world, it is unsurprising that the streets and market squares are peppered with chocolatiers, bursting with Christmas themed surprises for your sweet-toothed friends and family!
The Grote Market is an absolute must, selling traditional confectionery and quirky Christmas ornaments in between the many hot chocolate stalls – the perfect way to warm up on a crisp winter morning!
To top it all off, Bruges Square is dazzled by a breath taking Christmas tree, whose twinkling lights seem to radiate Christmas cheer throughout this quaint little city!
5. Berlin – Perfect for a cultural Christmas getaway
With up to 100 Christmas markets throughout the city and a lake that freezes over in the winter, Berlin resembles a winter fantasyland!
Whilst Christmas markets may have taken off worldwide, Berlin boasts some of the first, and the very best. Enjoy a cup of hot apple strudel to combat the city’s freezing temperatures in front of the lavish Charlottenburg palace, home to one of Berlin’s largest Christmas markets. With around 250 stalls peddling an array of hand-made gifts, it’s the perfect place to shop for quirky stocking fillers.
And, for the thrill-seekers who are still going when the Christmas shopping’s complete, there’s always the option to attend a “Schneeballschlacht”. That’s right – an organised snowball fight in one of Berlin’s many parks – a truly authentic Christmas experience!
6. New York City – Perfect for a glam Christmas getaway
“Oh what fun it is to ride on a one horse open sleigh” – or, to get yourself on a plane to NYC and immerse yourself in the electric atmosphere which precedes a visit from Mr Claus.
New York satisfies a whole host of festive fancies: 5th Avenue is a shopper’s paradise, where the bustling sidewalks are thronged with chattering groups stopping every few feet to gape at the lavish Christmas window displays.
Aside from shopping, absolutely nothing beats Rockefeller centre at Christmas, where a towering Christmas tree dazzles passers-by, and lights up the infamous ice rink where Christmas revelers pass the evenings skating.
There’s also something magical about a walk through Central Park in the winter, especially when it snows, boasting a close resemblance to Narnia with its white tipped pines and frosted lamp posts.
7. Sweden – Perfect for a genuine winter wonderland
When it comes to Christmas, what doesn’t Sweden have to offer? Aside from the Christmas markets offering a plentiful supply of gingerbread men and pear cider, this frosty-fairyland is bursting with seasonal activities!
If you go North, snow is almost a guarantee, and be warned, the temperatures there are not for the faint hearted. Having said that, the weather is another excuse to sample some Glög from one of many idyllic market stalls (that’s mulled wine, in case you were wondering).
If you’re very brave, there’s even the option of venturing into the countryside for some dog-sledding!
The Swedish people take Christmas very seriously, with the result that the celebrations are not only widespread, but extremely authentic and joyful – don’t be surprised if your Christmas shopping is serenaded by a chorus of carol signers. After all, “the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is to sing out loud for all to hear”.