Gone are the days when we’d go to a Christmas market to sit on Santa’s lap in his grotto, telling him exactly what we wanted in exchange for following our parents around for hours pretending to be interested and trying to get lost. Now, we’re the ones with the money (ish) and looking for something special to buy family and friends that isn’t a last-minute £10 gift set.
That doesn’t mean that you have to scour the local high street. You can revist the markets your parents made you go to with a whole new perspective. They don’t have to be in your local town either, so here’s a list of Chritsmas markets in the UK and Europe that are worth a visit.
** UK **
Bath Christmas Market
26 November – 13 December 2015
The centre of Bath is transformed into a Christmas shopper’s haven. The Bath markets feature over 170 chalets full of Christmas gifts lining the streets around the Roman Baths. It also has an indoor lodge that’s reminiscent of real rustic snow lodges. The traders or ‘makers’ as they like to call them, are all British, with 80% of them being from Bath or its surrounding areas. With aromas of mulled wine and mince pies, and Christmas carols all around, it’ll definitley get you in that Christmassy mood. Reviews say the market is ‘brilliant’ and ‘enchanting’, so it might just be the place to go.
Manchester Christmas Markets
14 November – 22 December 2015
This award-winning Christmas market will feature a massive 350 stalls over 10 distinctive markets as the city centre transforms into a ‘festive wonderland’. The market is good not only for shopping, but also for drinking. It will have a new two-storey indoor beer house for you to take a break from all the excitement that can come from Christmas shopping.
Exeter Christmas Market
19 November – 19 December 2015
The market will feature a mixture of local and international traders. You can find everything from roast hog to Belgian chocolate to baklava. There’s a real variety of gifts, so you’ll be sure to find something, even for that one person who you never know what to get. This was the awarded the ‘Best Speciality Award 2014’, so if you want to Christmas market in a town with a rich history, away from the large cities, this may be the one for you.
London South Bank Market
5 November 2015 – 11 January 2016
As a Londoner, you eventually develop a sort of hatred for everyone and everything. London during Christmas, however, becomes everything it should be, a very different place. I find that commuters are cheerier, people are nicer as everyone’s looking forward to a break. People are distracted from their busy lives and are focused on the spirit of giving, and the market on the South Bank definitely adds to the atmosphere.
The market lights up the area with stalls alongside the riverbank. It features wooden chalets filled with festive food, drinks, treats and more. The South Bank has never been a quiet area with street performers everywhere, so it’s nice to see a change from this with all the festive goods and treats to buy.
Belfast Continental Christmas Market
14 November – 20 December 2015
The Continental Christmas market is the best in Europe and beyond. Markets like Bath are very British in terms of the goods on offer, but sometimes it’s nice to have a twist on what you’re buying – which is why this market is loved by many. It’s perfect for finding something a little bit different and really warrants a visit.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.