With Christmas just around the corner, what can be more charming than finding the Most Whimsical Destinations to Celebrate Christmas the European Way.
From Strasbourg to Tallinn, from Rovaniemi to London or from Salzburg to Colmar, the Christmas season is absolutely enjoyable in Europe.
You can visit enchanting traditional Christmas markets, watch impressive Christmas lights and decorations, participate in amazing Christmas activities and shake up the cold weather with mugs of hot chocolate or a glass of mulled wine.
Everywhere in the world this is a joyful and fun time of the year, but spending it in Europe is beyond anything else.
In fact, we love this season so much that we’ve compiled the most whimsical destinations to eagerly wait for Santa’s arrival.
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Rovaniemi, Finland
Rovaniemi is the capital of the Lapland region in Finland and it’s also home to Santa Claus.
Christmas can’t be more real or more magical than here.
A few kilometers away from Rovaniemi Airport, right on the Arctic Circle, Santa Claus Village is a truly wonderful place where Santa and his elves will help you create unforgettable memories.
It’s open all year round, which means you can come back as often as you wish if you miss the seasonal spirit!
There’s plenty to see, do and experience here: visit Snowman World, ride a reindeer, ride on a sledge led by huskies, visit a reindeer farm, ice fishing, join a husky tour and, of course, visit Santa and give him the Christmas letter in person!
Rovaniemi is definitely the place to make every child’s dream true!
If you’re lucky enough you may even be able to admire the Northern Lights!
Considered the best Christmas destination in Europe, a visit to Santa’s Main Post Office or crossing the North Pole Circle or saying Hi!
To Santa Claus are experiences you just won’t be able to enjoy anywhere else!
Filled with beautiful decorations and loaded with tons of Christmas activities, Rovaniemi is a dream come true and the perfect holiday destination for families with children.
Strasbourg at Christmas
If you love Christmas and Christmas markets, you can’t miss Strasbourg, a French town located on the border with Germany and known as the Capital of Christmas.
Strasbourg has the oldest market tradition in Europe and its wooden stalls with traditional and rustic decorations and beautiful ornaments and local delicacies are a perfect addition to the joy of the season.
If there’s somewhere you need to be in Europe during christmastime, that place is Strasbourg.
This city in the northeast in France hosts more than 300 market stalls from the end of November until the end of December!
Most of them are located in the historic centre or Grande Ile area.
The largest and oldest Christmas market is the Christkindelsmärik but there are many other specialized fairs held here as well: Comptoir des Rois Mages at Place Benjamin-Zix, Marché des Saveurs Alsaciennes at Place des Meuniers and Marché des Bredle at Place d’Austerlitz.
Visiting all of them gives you the chance to try some delicious local delicacies.
The huge Christmas tree located in Place Kleber is another major attraction that overlooks the holiday festivities and brings even more joy to locals and visitors.
Home to picturesque half-timbered houses along winding canals and overlooked by an impressive Gothic cathedral, Strasbourg is a stunning place to visit that becomes even more beautiful during Christmas time.
Strasbourg is also a privileged location for exploring other smaller Alsace villages such as Colmar, Eguisheim or Riquewihr.
Colmar
Colmar is another picturesque town in the Alsace region that is picture perfect for those looking for a scenic Christmas card.
Famous for its charming medieval houses with rustic shutters and wooden beams, it becomes even more beautiful in the months before Christmas as people decorate private and public buildings with lovely Christmas decorations and twinkling lights.
There are 6 Christmas markets here; for the true French experience head to the Gourmet Market in Place de la Cathédrale: 9 stalls dedicated to the tasty Alsatian cuisine.
You’ll find gifts, souvenirs and ornaments for purchase at the markets.
What a great opportunity for Christmas shopping! For families with kids, Place Rapp is the place to go: children will love the roller coaster, ice rink and carouse!
Markets are open from mid november to the end of December.
The other markets are located: at the Place des Dominicans near the Cathedral, in the Koifhus, at the Place de l’Ancienne Douane and at the Place Jeanne d’Arc.
Despite its tiny size, Colmar is a huge tourist destination all year round and especially near the Christmas season.
It has some of the best Christmas markets in the area and it’s a main starting point for those interested in exploring the Alsatian wine region.
Paris
If Paris is an attractive and romantic city all year round, it’s even more magical during the Christmas season when its squares, markets, shop windows are exquisitely decorated and lit with twinkling lights.
Along the Champs-Elysées, the avenue of trees is lined up with an endless line of stalls of crafts, gifts and delicious drinkable and edible treats with the Arc de Triomphe at one end and a giant Ferris wheel at the other.
Needless to say, the atmosphere is truly festive and glamorous!
Other famous Christmas markets in Paris are: the Tuileries Market and the Eiffel Tower Market.
They are big and by far the most popular amongst locals.
They both have wooden stalls with all kinds of products but also ice rinks, funfairs and cozy places to eat and drink.
There’s a smaller market near the church of St Germain des Pres and there’s another one in front of Les Halles.
Another charming Christmas spot is the Place du Tertre in Montmartre, where street artists will persuade you to have a portrait drawn or purchase one of their paintings of the City of Lights.
Shopaholics can’t miss Boulevard Haussmann: it’s lined with stylish department stores that compete each year against each other to see which one has the most attractive seasonal displays.
Galeries Lafayette are a must-do with its spellbinding Art Nouveau stained glass dome sitting atop three tiers of exquisite balconies.
What makes Paris such an interesting tourist destination during Christmas is that it offers plenty of different ways to celebrate it: whether on a cruise dinner on the river Seine, watching the fireworks from the Tour Eiffel or walking across any of the bridges over the Seine.
What a great place to be and wait for Santa Claus!
London
London is another fabulous destination to celebrate Christmas.
From the twinkling Christmas lights in the West End to traditional markets to the world-famous Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, there’s plenty to see and do.
The English capital becomes a magical place around Christmas time.
If you love tradition, you can join in the carols at the historic St Paul’s cathedral or Royal Albert Hall.
Adventure seekers can walk along the South Bank or go skating at Somerset House’s XVIII century courtyard ice rink or at the ice rink located at the National History Museum .
And you’ll always have Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street to look at the shopping windows and admire their beautiful Christmas decorations.
Foodies can’t miss the Christmas Market on the South Bank and history lovers can visit the palaces and historical places in London all dressed up for the occasion.
London is always a fantastic tourist destination but it’s even more attractive during the Christmas season.
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been to the city, strolling around Knightsbridge and looking at the stunning window displays at Harrods is otherworldly.
There is also a Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, which has a fun fair and food and drink stalls.
It’s the largest Christmas Market in London and it contains more than a hundred rides and attractions.
It’s also a great place to buy unique Christmas gifts as well!
At Leicester Square and next to London Bridge there are smaller Christmas markets as well.
London, despite its rainy, cold weather, knows how to put people in the right festive mood!
Amsterdam
Small in size but packed with plenty of attractions, Amsterdam is always a great tourist destination, but it’s even more beautiful around Christmas time.
There are festivals, Christmas markets, ice skating rinks and concerts to light up the holiday spirit.
Most of the markets can be found in the centre, but if you venture a little further you’ll find others in Haarlem, Keukenhof and Lelystad.
Have fun at the ice rinks on Museumplein and Leidseplein and recharge your energy at the village of wooden chalets where you can taste hearty festive food and hand-warming drinks.
Kalverstraat is pedestrianised and it’s home to two large shopping malls: Kalvertoren and Magna Plaza.
It’s always lovely to walk along the canals in Amsterdam but the experience reaches a totally new level when you do so at Christmas.
During the Light Festival, lights and light sculptures illuminate the waterways. In Dam Square, a 20-meter-tall tree is decorated with 3km of lights.
You’ll find carollers, dancers and jugglers there to keep you entertained!
Foodies need to try oliebollen, a Dutch food that many people associate with Christmastime and the festive season.
Similar to donuts, they are balls of fried dough with chopped dried fruit or chunks of apples inside.
They are served warm and with sprinkled sugar and they are great to keep yourself warm in the evenings.
Christmas is one of the most charming times of the year to be in the Dutch capital, not only because the city is fully decorated but because the Netherlands is one of the few countries that celebrates Christmas twice: on December 5th, Sinterklaas, which is the main gift-giving day and on the 25th December.
More time to celebrate this joyful season.
Vienna
The Austrian capital is another perfect Christmas destination as the land of Beethoven organizes different classical music events and concerts and a beautiful fireworks display on Christmas Eve.
Besides, following a vintage tradition of organizing Christmas markets since 1298, many of them are held across the city.
The biggest one is Christkindlmarkt, in front of the City Hall, and there you can also see the biggest Christmas tree!
There are 20 official markets held here and you can find handmade toys, candles, holiday souvenirs and traditional Austrian wares.
While you’re not indulging in the local treats, make sure you visit the Snow Globe Museum and book a ticket for any of the incredible Christmas concerts; the most famous is “Christmas in Vienna” by the Vienna Boys Choir.
The two palace markets located at Schönbrunn Palace and Belvedere Palace offer quieter markets in elegant settings.
There’s a delicious strudel making show at Schönbrunn; make sure you don’t miss it!
Every single building in the city sparkles the joy of the holiday season.
They are beautifully decorated with thousands of lights.
You just can’t miss the festive spirit!
Don’t miss Vienna Christmas Dream at City Hall Square, where skaters swish across the ice rink and a Ferris wheel lets you enjoy remarkable panoramic views of the city and the Christmas market down below.
Music lovers will be delighted in Vienna.
They can enjoy an advent concert in St Stephen’s Cathedral’s annual advent concert where they can listen to chamber music, works by Mozart, Bach, Schubert and Haydn and traditional carols performed by the Wiener KammerOrchester.
The Museums Quarter offers ice pavilions, light shows, video projections, DJs and live music.
Visiting Vienna at Christmas time is definitely worth it!
Cologne
Also known as Köln, Cologne is home to one of the most famous German Christmas markets and to no less than 7 Christmas fairs, each with their own unique character.
The city is also a paradise for foodies.
It’s not only where mulled wine was invented but also a great destination to try local delicacies such as tasty German meals, fresh biscuits and baked apples in the different Christmas market stalls.
The most remarkable markets can be found around the stunning Cathedral and the Old Market Christmas, which boasts some of the most impressive decorations or the charming Village of Saint Nicholas market.
They are a great place to have fun with the family and buy great Christmas presents!
Cologne is absolutely magical during the holiday season.
The whole city is dressed up in twinkling lights, Christmas trees and intricately carved wooden booths featuring the famous Elves of Cologne.
Any one of these travel locations could become a family tradition so close your eyes and pick a location – travel safely!
