The best Christmas markets

I’ve spent the last few weeks moseying around various Christmas markets in the UK and in Europe. Here are my favourites and why…

The best Christmas market for… atmosphere

Manchester. I visited the main Christmas market in Manchester on an ordinary Tuesday night at the end of November. It wasn’t even December yet, but it was totally packed out to the rafters and everyone was there for a good time. With a whole elevated bar area that was fully enclosed and kitted out with seating, it had an amazing atmosphere, with queues for all the stands and lots of people wandering around munching on everything from burritos to waffles to bratwurst. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was Friday night, which showed, as it wasn’t long before I was asking for a splash of amaretto to be added to my hot chocolate. Definitely visit the Manchester Christmas market if you can!

The best Christmas market for… food

The Budapest Christmas market is just amazing for food. There were SO many delicious things to try! We did the usual ‘Oh, we’ll just have a quick look around and then get lunch somewhere else’ but we quickly got sucked in and had to relent to all the yummy aromas wafting our way – even though it was absolutely freezing! I ended up getting a Hungarian Lángos, which tastes like a doughnut and comes topped with sour cream and cheese. If you invented the perfect food for me I think this would be it and it didn’t disappoint at all, it was wonderful. My boyfriend opted for goulash in a bread role (also yummy) and we also loved the delicious hot fruit tea, which I hadn’t come across before. Suffice to say we both came back to Scotland with a Christmas market food baby. If you’re looking to visit Hungary then I would definitely recommend planning your trip around the Christmas markets in Budapest!

The best Christmas market for… a night out

Edinburgh. Maybe this is a little bit of Scottish bias but it’s hard to top the Scottish capital. It’s certainly one of the best Christmas markets in the UK in my opinion. The Edinburgh Christmas market is located right on Princes Street so you can do all your shopping, have a mosey around the traditional craft fairs, take a spin on the big wheel and then cosy up next to the deliciously warming heaters for a few drinks afterwards. Definitely do the big wheel BEFORE the drinks, right? With surprisingly good live music, a packed bar and a huge variety of food on offer, you know you’re going to be in for a good night… perhaps too much of a good night. The last time I was here with my sister I drank so much mulled wine I thought I was going to fall asleep and miss my stop on the train home! Naughty naughty.

What is the best Christmas market you’ve been to in the UK or Europe? I would love to add more to my list…