10 Places To Visit In Europe During The Winter Holidays

Europe is a wonderful destination through all the seasons but in winter there are lots of  interesting places to visit. My favourite are the Christmas Markets and everything related to Christmas.

1. Switzerland:
Mountains wonderfully covered with snow..Breathtaking views...Just imagine the start of the New Year in  a place like this...

Switzerland, Europe

 2. Berlin, Germany:

Ice rink, Berlin's City Hall, Germany

Besides the wonderful Christmas Markets, there is a lot more.....Berlin’s important public square Potsdamer Platz is turned into a winter wonderland this time of year. Visitors can choose from a 40m long ice rink, an Alpine ski hut, a 70m ski slope and a wide range of competitions to enter. Another highlight is having the chance to slide down a long slope on a huge rubber tyre.Opens from early 29th October 2011 to 1st January 2012.

 

 3. Sweden: 

This is an extremely cool place to visit if you're willing to travel. Northern Light is a life time experience.You won't ever forget it. Also you should definitely visit the famous Ice Hotel.

Northern Lights, Sweden

Sweden, Europe

The nature of Sweden, Europe

4. Reykjavik, Iceland:

Reykjavic, Iceland

Reykjavik is a great place to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. This city is famous for its nightlife. There after the amazing fireworks held in midnight, everybody heads downtown to party. Most of the clubs and bars offer live music until at least 5am the next day.

 

 5. Chamonix: 

This is a place which is most preferred by adventure lovers. It offers many sports and activities specially in winter.Most common are skiing, snowboarding and all other snow sports. The beauty of Chamonix makes it a wonderful resort. Cable-car ride is another interesting feature of this place.

Chamonix - a wonderful ski resort, Europe

 

6.Prague:

The beauty of this city is really divine. Here you will find many beautiful castles, medieval bridges and beautiful forests. All this is even more beautifil when covered with snow. It's like a fairyland. So for all lovers of the great places and feelings - visit this lovely town.

Christmas Market, Prague, Old Square

Charles Bridge, Prague, Europe

7. Eiffel Tower, Paris:

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Enjoy the beautiful views of Paris, after that skate on this unique small but perfectly formed ice rink - enough to make your winter holiday an unforgettable experience. The ice skating rink is located on the first floor observation deck of the famous French landmark – lodged between two of the tower’s massive steel legs. Up to 80 skaters at a time can enjoy this unusual skating experience but vertigo sufferers might want to give this one a miss! Opens from December 2011 to February 2012.

 8. Best all rounder – Vienna Christmas Market:

Viennese Christmas fair

The “Christkindlmärkte” in Vienna, Austria is a very popular seven hundred year old Christmas market. Here you’ll find a traditional event with plenty of nostalgia, fun and romance. As well as the usual concerts and nativity displays there is also a crowd-pleasing live advent calendar display and a children’s Christmas workshop located in the City Hall. Wander through Vienna’s atmospheric streets and town square which are filled with the aromas of candied fruits, cotton candy, Christmas punch and roasted chestnuts – surely the perfect way to get you in the Christmas mood?

Vienna Christmas Market: 19th November – 26th December 2011

 

9. Norway:

Norway is another place where you can have a lot of fun in winters.For adventure lovers there are many activities like snowshoeing, take a ride on a husky dog sled, ice fishing and an exciting ride on a reindeer.And for nature lovers this place has beautiful sights like snow covered mountain plateaus, wilderness and sea.So visit this place to have long lasting fun.

Norway, Europe

10. Edinburgh, Scotland:

Edinburgh, Christmas market

Magnified view, click on image and drag to move.

The annual Hogamany in Edinburgh is a legendary event and is often cited as the world’s best New Year’s Eve party. Join merry Scots and 100,000 other revellers and expect four days of fun and free events. The organisers ensure everyone’s tastes are catered for and festivities include a traditional torchlit procession, street performers, ceilidh bands as well as the famous gigantic street party. Guests are also treated to a large and impressive firework display at midnight – just make sure you bring your warmest clothes.

 

Top 10 ideas for Winter getaway in Europe

There are lots of great places to visit during the winter in Europe - where you will choose to go depends on what you want from you break. There may be a specific language that you’d like to practise, or learn, in which case your choice will be straightforward. If your travel plans are purely leisure-based though, your decision  will depend on whether you’re looking for sun or snow, and (if you’re planning a trip in November or December) whether you want some festive cheer, or to avoid the chaos of Christmas! Whatever the case, here are several recommendations for some great winter travel destinations this year. 

Winter in Heidelberg

For anyone who embraces all about Christmas, and who pines for those festive childhood Decembers, Heidelberg is a fantastic place to go to during November and December. With its fairytale castle, beautiful setting and pretty old town, there’s no better place to take in some Christmas markets and soak up a bit of festive cheer…and gluhwein! If you’re lucky you might even get some snowfall - not unusual for this part of Germany in the run up to Christmas.

Christmas Market, Heidelberg, Germany

 
2. Tenerife, Canary Islands

Tenerife, Canary Islands

If you like beaches and amazing summer views, you can do some winter escape to the Canary Islands. It's not obligatory for you to spend traditional winter holiday. So, anyone who hates the cold and whose sole requirement from a winter trip is that it takes them somewhere hot will find out that Tenerife is a great option. With average temperatures in November and December of around 15 º C, and plenty of sunshine to enjoy, it’ll provide a very welcoming respite from the grey days and frosty mornings. Tenerife is really well served by low-cost airlines, and budget accommodation is easy to find too, which means that it’s also a good destination for anyone who needs to travel on a shoestring.

Tenerife, Canary Islands-the perfect place for a deserved break

The atmosphere in Tenerife's resort complex

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

3. Turin, Italy

Turin, Italy

 Turin hosted the Winter Olympics in 2006, which gives some indication of its first-class sporting and entertainment options at this time of the year. Obviously, it’s a great destination for ski and snowboard enthusiasts, but it also offers a really festive atmosphere in general. The lively Turin Christmas Market is held every year in the piazzas and gardens of Borgo Dora, within the Maglio and Ciliegi courtyards. Market stalls open every day, with music, theatre and activities for children too.

Castle of Valentino (Castello del Valentino), in the Valentino park, Turin, Italy

 
4. Lyon, France

Lion, France

 

As France’s gastronomic capital, Lyon is a great place to visit at any time of the year. If you visit around 8th December though, you’ll experience the awesome Fête des Lumières (festival of light), when every household places candles along the outsides of all the windows and Lyon’s finest buildings are illuminated with fantastic lights, shows and music.  Lyon is also close to the slopes of the French Alps, which makes spending a few days skiing easy to incorporate into your trip.

Lion, France, Christmas time

  5. Valkenburg Christmas Market- a wonderful experience

 If you’re after something a little bit different then definitely consider the Christmas market in Valkenburg, Netherlands. The whole market is housed in a cave lying underneath the city and visitors travel for miles to enjoy the atmospheric grotto-esque shopping experience. Wander the candle-lit labyrinth of passageways and caverns for gifts and decorations and make sure you also see the impressive mural carvings and sculptures also located there.

Valkenburg Christmas Market: 18th November – 23rd December 2011

6. Hanging out with Santa in Lapland, Finland

Lapland, Finland

Keep the kids happy and spend Christmas in Lapland in Finland. Instead of sitting at home and fighting the boredom, Lapland is a place where Christmas can truly be a fairytale experience. Ride husky or reindeer driven sleighs, try a snowmobile, snowshoe walk to your cosy log cabin and of course meet Santa in a personal one-to-one. Lapland is cheaper and easier to get to than ever before, so now there really is no excuse.

 7. Barcelona – The Coolest Christmas Market 

Barcelona Christmas market, Spain

 The Catalan capital is often considered one of the coolest European cities and Christmas in Barcelona is no exception. The weather is still warm enough to walk comfortably around at night and the lively street artists on Las Ramblas add to the great atmosphere. The fun Santa Lucia market is located near the cathedral in the Gothic quarter in Barcelona and here you can buy local crafts, unusual gifts (including Caganer, a Catalan “pooping” statue) and the traditional Spanish Christmas sweet turron. If you plan your stay around the 28th December, you’ll be treated to the Spanish version of April Fool’s Day when the streets will be filled with music, artists and even livelier entertainment.

Santa Lucia Christmas Market: 1st – 24th December 2011 or 28th December 2011 for “Holy Innocents’ Day” (the Spanish version of April Fools Day).

8. Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria

When it comes to crisp winter mornings and cosy cafes where you can shelter from the cold, Vienna is hard to beat. Largely because of what you’ll find in those cosy cafes! Vienna’s reputation as coffee and cake capital is richly deserved, and you’re eyes will most certainly be bigger than your belly when you select your slabs of gateau from the cabinet. If you can ever coax yourself out of the warm cake-havens though, you’ll be in for even more treats – Vienna’s architecture and history is amazing as the best of times, but when Christmas decorations are all around and you have ice rinks and Christmas markets to enjoy, Vienna will rapidly become your new favourite place.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria,The city offers many and different options for entertainment

Vienna, Austria, Christmas Market

The Ferris Wheel in Parter Park, this is one of the earliest ferris wheels in the world

If you're a parson of the Christmas spirit, there are two more options here for a Christmas Market:

 

9. Prague, Czech Republic, The Old Town Square Christmas Market

The Old Town Square Christmas Market, Prague, Czech Republic

 

10. Dresden, Germany, Christmas Market

Christmas Market of Dresden, Germany