Continental Europe’s hugely popular Christmas Market season makes a welcome return this year – with these colourful attractions making their first appearance since the pre-pandemic days of December 2019.
Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Krakow and Vienna are the most popular markets. But, newer alternative locations are increasingly joining the list.
To highlight the selection available to Irish tourists, online travel company Click&Go has reviewed their most popular Christmas Market destinations, the best value deals and exciting alternative markets now available.
Most popular Christmas Markets (based on Click&Go travel data):
- Prague
- Vienna
- Berlin
- Budapest
- Krakow
- Wroclaw
- Edinburgh
- Cologne
- Munich
- Bruges
Best value Christmas Markets for 2022 travel:
- Prague from €169
- Budapest from €189
- Vienna from €199
- Berlin from €219
- Krakow from €229
Prices based on 2 people sharing including flights and three nights’ accommodation
There are some great five star upgrade options from as little as €20 per person per night with a five star Christmas market break in Prague from €229, in Wroclaw from €239 and in Krakow from €289 – all including flights and three nights’ accommodation.
Alternative Christmas markets:
- Nuremberg (Germany) from €259 (flights and 3 nights’ accommodation)
The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is one of the oldest and most famous Christmas Markets in the world. In the wooden booths of “the little city of wood and cloth” one finds traditional, often handmade Christmas decorations and sweet treats such as gingerbread and Spekulatius almond cookies. Direct flights every two days from Dublin, Nuremburg is well served with public transport and is very easy to navigate.
- Wroclaw (Poland) from €199 (flights and 3 nights’ accommodation)
Discover Wroclaw, Poland’s ‘new Krakow’, a stunning city perfect for a smaller budget in the run up to Christmas. A UNESCO World Heritage site on the Oder River, colourful townhouses surround the vast Market Square which is taken over by markets each winter. Affordable and an escape from the more well-known markets, Wroclaw offers a perfect break for couples and families alike. It is considered the best value Christmas Market break.
3. Bruges (Belgium) from €259 (flights and 3 night’s accommodation)
Bruges offers the most romantic, Christmassy and intimate atmosphere of all the Belgium Christmas markets. The market celebrations are known as ‘Winter Glow’, focussing on things to do in Bruges in winter and not just at the market alone. It includes the Bruges Christmas market, ice skating, the light experience trail and light decorations throughout the city. The whole city turns into a fairytale destination, filled with Christmas trees and fairy lights. Without a doubt, it is the best Christmas market in Belgium.
Christmas Markets across Europe begin opening in the last week of November and run until the beginning of January. For more information on Christmas Market packages from Click&Go, including return direct flights and centrally located accommodation, please visit: www.clickandgo.com.
