Christmas Markets

Visit one of the many Christmas markets in Europe

Get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy a cosy mini break at the same time. Visit one of Europe's atmospheric Christmas markets, where the cosy streets are decorated with Christmas lights and small stalls selling gift ideas and Christmas treats. Warm up with a mug of Glühwein and a Christmas cake before continuing through the atmospheric streets. Christmas markets offer warmth and cosiness in the cold season and a Christmas break is a great way to break the busy Christmas season. There's a wealth of magical Christmas markets around Europe and we've put together our top picks for you here.

For example, take a mini-vacation to Christmas market powerhouse Germany, which is an incredibly popular destination in the run-up to Christmas. There are more than 100 well-known Christmas markets in Germany and they are generously scattered across the country. For Danes, the traditional North German Christmas markets are extremely popular and there are many to choose from! There's everything from the maritime Christmas markets in port cities like Flensburg, Kiel and Rostock to the magical and charming Christmas markets in beautiful towns like Lübeck and Friedrichstadt. You can also combine Christmas markets with city experiences in Hamburg and Berlin. If you want to go a little further inland, you can experience some of the biggest and most famous Christmas markets in Europe, such as the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg and the huge Christmas market in Dresden.

The Nordic countries have great Christmas traditions and you'll find plenty of cosy Christmas markets in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. There are great opportunities to combine a Christmas trip in Denmark with a city break in Copenhagen, Aalborg, Odense or Aarhus. But also smaller towns like Sønderborg, Roskilde, Nyborg, Ebeltoft and many more have some very worthwhile Christmas markets to offer. In Sweden you will find magnificent Christmas markets in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, and in Norway it is of course a must to visit Oslo in the run-up to Christmas.

But many other countries and cities in Europe also have Christmas markets worth visiting. For example, enjoy a hotel stay in the history-filled Czech capital, Prague, where a colossal Christmas market fills the whole of Stare Mesto (Old Town Square) with a fantastic fairytale landscape of stalls, lights and music. You can also take a cheap car holiday to Austria and experience the sumptuous Christmas market on the Town Hall Square and the magical Christmas landscape in front of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Or you can combine your Christmas holiday with plenty of city experiences, culture, shopping and sightseeing in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, which is becoming an increasingly popular destination every year.

Most Christmas markets begin at the end of November and continue until Christmas.

Risskov offers you the perfect opportunity to visit some of the many European Christmas markets and combine it with a shopping trip and a cheap stay at one of our many hotels. We have gathered our best and cheapest selection of hotels, located close to some of Europe's biggest, best and most charming and popular Christmas markets. So pack your bags and head off on your next mini break and experience the real Christmas cheer and atmosphere in one of the continent's many exciting cities.