[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Top Christmas Markets in Europe for Visitors from the Tropics!” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Winter, Christmas all magical words for all of us entirely smitten by the glories festivities and traditions it follows! A European Christmas is a dream for many of us living in the tropics, as it gives us a chance to enjoy a complete different set of festivities to those we have at home. Such was the dream of mine which I managed to fulfil in the year 2019 all before the Covid Pandemic hit all of us. When Christmas and Europe is used in one sentence it is obviously to speak about the magical Christmas markets! When trying to decide which is the best it is nearly an impossible feat but considering those I have had the luck and pleasure of visiting here are my here are my top recommendations for Christmas Markets in Europe for the tropical natives like myself!<\/em><\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Prague – Czech Republic<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I’m sure I’m not the only one who keeps seeing drone photography of Prague’s brown buildings whenever you Google the city’s name! this can be severely misleading. Not that I am opposed to the wonderful architecture of the city, but it is not the most enticing advert for those looking to come over to enjoy the magic and all the extravaganza that Christmas has to offer. We picked Prague out of sheer curiosity and because it was the next city in line. Oh boy, and it did not disappoint. Arriving in Old Town Square, I was so mesmerized and blown away that I was in tears! It reminded me of the fairy tales I used to read when I was younger; the old castles, blacksmiths chipping away near a hearty fire, creating metallic pendants, numerous food stalls, Christmas ornaments, the smell of hot chocolate in the air, and need I go on? The best part of it all is the atmosphere, the people, all in a jolly fine mood and soaking in the festivities. We really did not feel like tourists and blended right in, so that is why Prague takes the top spot in my book.<\/p>\n

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Budapest – Hungary <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To be completely honest, our start in Budapest was met with a bit of cheating and crazy wind! As much as both these events left a sour note in our mouths, I cannot discount the fact that this city is beautiful and has some of the best food I have seen in the Christmas markets we have visited. The spread of meat, cakes, and bread was honestly delicious! The best part is, once you get over the initial confusion of having to dish out large notes (Hungarian Forint), you realize they are not that expensive. The decorations were very Christmassy all around. In V\u00f6r\u00f6smarty, square, one of my favourites was a stall that carried three different types of hot chocolate-white, milk, and dark. I had the white and it was surreal! Besides the Christmas markets, I enjoyed the fact that all other attractions, such as the thermal bath houses and the “Ferris Wheel of Budapest”, were open even during Christmas, a definite plus point in our travel plans and a must-visit when in Budapest.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”3445″ img_size=”300 x 300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”3434″ img_size=”300 x 300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”3440″ img_size=”300 x 300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Ljubljana – Slovenia<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A beautiful, unexpected, quaint, and lovely place to be for Christmas. For those of us from the tropics, we are looking for that old Hollywood kind of Christmas, and that is what you get in Ljubljana. This was just a 24-hour stop on our way from Trieste to Zagreb, and I regretted that we did not have more time here. Don’t get me wrong, from where we stayed, everything was walking distance to the markets, but we really wanted more time to explore the city. The whole set up is located around the canal, similar to Amsterdam, but this is more of a medieval, family movie sort of atmosphere. One of my favourite things here was the availability of a range of cuisines. Apart from the market stalls, there were a number of outdoor restaurants that you could walk into and have a meal. We picked a lovely Japanese restaurant named Tokyo Piknik,<\/a> as I was craving Ramen so badly due to having caught a slight fever. All in all, you can cover the markets in around 3 hours, so it is a win-win for those on a shorter time schedule.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”3446″ img_size=”500 x 500″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Zagreb – Croatia<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So we have come to the end of my favourite Christmas markets. Now don’t get me wrong, Zagreb was more than what I could account for, but the only reason it was at the bottom of the list was due to poor information. I mean, what we saw in the town square was spectacular. I think Zagreb is the spot for families, as it is filled with carols, a large Christmas tree, and, all in all, a family vibe. When we took a ride up the funicular the next morning, we saw the remnants of the more traditional, beautiful stalls and all the drama of last night. This was very disappointing for us as we did not see any signs or details leading up to it, but I must say, from what we saw during the day time, the night time markets would have been spectacular. This is where I enjoyed my first cup of heated gin and wine! Needless to say, this is necessary for us poor souls who are accustomed to temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius in our countries.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”3416″ img_size=”300 x 300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”3366″ img_size=”300 x 300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”3420″ img_size=”300 x 300″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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No matter in which order we rank them, all of these cities were truly a delight and definitely a magical sight to behold! Going to any of them would be a definite highlight in your itinerary no matter the order! On the same note do check out the video I did with Cindy and April for their Channel – The Travel Collective on the Christmas Markets of Europe!<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/p_fonfJZRyQ” align=”center” title=”The Travel Collective – Real Stories, Real People – Christmas Markets with Chavindie”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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