Christmas markets: a stroll among fairy lights, mulled wine and marzipan

Beautiful things, as we know, always call for a small effort of imagination. And that is what we ask of you before reading this article. In little more than a month, in fact, streets and squares will be dressed for the festive season and will host the Christmas markets: wooden stalls where you can buy souvenirs, taste the local dishes and feel yourself wrapped in the fragrances of mulled wine, ginger and cinnamon. In short, get ready for a journey full of wonder, where the only risk you run is that of coming home as happy and carefree as a child.

Prague

Magic among the lanes and squares of the Old Town

The capital of the Czech Republic certainly needs no introduction: its charm is so well known that the city draws vast numbers of travellers at any time of year. It is undeniable, though, that at Christmas Prague becomes even more enchanting!

Many areas around the city host the famous markets. The two largest, and perhaps the most celebrated, are held in the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Others follow one another in the castle district or inside the Havel Market.

The city of stone, magic and the esoteric lends itself particularly well to the Christmas atmosphere. The chances of finding the lovely rooftops of the houses cloaked in a layer of pure white snow are very high.

The days are shorter, it is true, but what could beat strolling across Charles Bridge while sipping a good mulled wine and enjoying unforgettable views?

We are sure that even Franz Kafka, Prague’s most illustrious writer and hardly one given to smiling, would find something to cheer him in such an atmosphere! And how to round off a day spent discovering the many gems of this magnificent European capital? Simple: with a fine night-time tour of the pubs in the centre. There are some wonderful ones, but we have a soft spot for “U Fleků”, the oldest brewery in Staré Město, whose origins date all the way back to 1449. A delicious local beer is a must, perhaps accompanied by a good slice of Prague ham.

Travel inspiration:
Click here for the itinerary MAGICAL PRAGUE

Vienna

Europe’s elegant, imperial grande dame

Ice rinks, trees hung with heart-shaped decorations, dozens upon dozens of illuminated stalls: here is one of the most famous markets in Europe, the one that comes to life every year during Advent in the Austrian capital.

The heart of the markets beats right in front of the city’s Town Hall (Rathaus), where an imposing tree towers, decorated with no fewer than 2,000 LED lights, the annual gift that the various Austrian provinces bestow on Vienna.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to remain indifferent to such a spectacle. We are sure that even Ebenezer Scrooge, the sour-souled old miser created by the pen of Charles Dickens, would be quite dumbfounded in an atmosphere like this.

The tradition of Christmas markets in Vienna is said to date back as far as the thirteenth century: to this day there are more than 200 stalls where you can buy ceramics, hand-made wooden miniatures, gingerbread hearts and much more…

Every evening, around the great tree, it is not unusual to hear the joyful notes of Christmas carols rising into the festive air, performed live by historic choirs, many of them in costume.

To all this add dozens and dozens of decorated trees, carousels, festive lights and parks with themed installations. Christmas, in Vienna, is a serious business! And to finish, treat yourself to a regal interlude in the princely, unmissable palace complex of Schönbrunn.

Travel inspiration:
Click here for the itinerary IMPERIAL VIENNA Prestige

London

The enchanted kingdom of Christmas

We leave the Continent to move to the most cosmopolitan island city in Europe: London.

During Advent, the capital of the United Kingdom becomes even more attractive, offering visitors a vast range of experiences to be enjoyed with the light-heartedness and enchantment that suit this unique time of year.

Everyone knows the famous Hyde Park, perhaps London’s most beautiful park with its alternation of dense vegetation, paths and lakes. But not everyone knows that it is precisely inside this iconic park that Winter Wonderland takes place each year, one of the Christmas events that really should not be missed.

The 2023 edition runs from 17 November until 1 January 2024, with an enormous number of attractions, leisure activities, food, drink and much more.

After a visit to the British Museum, or after hearing a Shakespeare comedy declaimed inside the Globe, what could be better than sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate, a glass of spiced wine or a fine pint of Bavarian beer? At Piccadilly Circus, Greenwich and Leicester Square you are spoilt for choice: London truly offers everything you could wish for to enjoy a Christmas worthy of your dreams!

Travel inspiration:
Click here for the itinerary LONDON & ENGLAND

Lisbon

The city where the hills kiss the ocean

Seven hills, like those on which the Eternal City was built. A name that recalls the wanderings of Ulysses. A climate blessed by blue skies and the temperate currents of the Atlantic.

This is Lisbon, one of the most desired and most visited cities in Europe.

And yet we would wager that not many people associate the capital of Portugal with Christmas markets. Nevertheless, this beautiful city holds plenty of surprises for lovers of festive lights, decorations and Christmas atmosphere.

Let us start from the Praça do Comércio, perhaps the most famous corner of Lisbon: a broad, luminous square surrounded by elegant arcades on the edge of the River Tagus. At its centre rises the city’s largest and most iconic Christmas tree, which in the evening is cloaked in multicoloured lights, visible even from afar.

Coming from the monumental Rua Augusta, beyond the arch of the same name, you pass bars and cafés with outdoor tables, shops selling traditional goods, sardines and bacalhau, admiring on every side the evocative festive lights chasing one another between the elegant buildings. We are in the heart of the shopping district, in the Baixa-Chiado quarter, graced by the statue of the great poet Fernando Pessoa opposite the café “A Brasileira”.

But it is perhaps in the Campo Pequeno area that the market best known even among locals gathers: 100 stalls offering every kind of product, restaurants, street food and a sensational ice rink. Finally, a trip to Cascais is a must, the ultra-elegant little town where the river meets the ocean: in the heart of the town a fully fledged Christmas village takes shape, complete with Father Christmas in person and his trusty reindeer!

Travel inspiration:
Click here for the itinerary LISBON & surroundings

New York

The city of a thousand sparkling lights

“Holiday Market” or “Holiday Fair”: this is the name by which Christmas markets are known on the other side of the Atlantic. The “Big Apple” is beautiful in every season of the year, but there is no denying that in December, even wrapped in a biting cold, it takes on an even greater charm.

Let us begin our tour around Times Square, the iconic Manhattan square where the most famous New Year’s Eve in the world is celebrated. In this bustling corner of NYC you will find the Winter Village, one of the most colourful open-air markets. Here there are handicrafts of every kind, collectable souvenirs, Christmas-related items and more besides. Near the Winter Village stands the Summit, the recently opened panoramic observatory from which to admire the city’s breathtaking skyline.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for more “European” atmospheres, then Central Park is a must, where you will find Columbus Circle: more than 100 stalls where you can enjoy hot chocolate, local and international dishes, waffles and the aroma of mulled wine.
But the real gem of New York at Christmas is the perhaps lesser-known neighbourhood of Dyker Heights.
This is a residential district in Brooklyn, with an architecture quite different from Manhattan’s: pretty, colourful, well-kept houses lining quiet, leafy streets.
At Christmas, this neighbourhood is adorned with decorations and lights that make it a genuine must-see.

Travel inspiration:
Click here for the itinerary NEW YORK The Big Apple

Why choose a Guiness Travel Tour

For us at Guiness, a journey is a wonderful frame of life.
Our aim is not to “show” places, but to accompany travellers as they immerse themselves fully in the culture and beauty of their chosen destination.

All our itineraries are 100% independently planned, carefully designed and tested for over 30 years, thus allowing the product to evolve constantly, reaching a high, wide-ranging cultural level and guaranteeing maximum comfort in the services on the ground.

This is why we created the Guiness Exclusive Tour:
a unique travel experience, mindful of sustainability and rich in experiences, designed to give you maximum comfort, leaving you free to think of nothing but enjoying the moment.

Every one of our trips comes with guaranteed extras:

• Tour leader departing from Italy and accompanying the group for the whole duration of the tour
• Exclusive departures with a limited number of places
• Departures possible from all over Italy
• 24-hour assistance on every departure
• Cancellation without penalty up to 45 actual days before departure
• No surprise extra costs on arrival
• Free minibar service on board the coaches (guaranteed in all the countries visited)

Click here and discover all the exclusive Guiness Travel itineraries for the 8 December long weekend

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Guiness Travel T.O.