Many European towns boast traditional Christmas markets offering festive surprise and delights to tempt you.
Monschau, in the Eifel region next to the Belgian border, has a wide selection of Christmas stalls to entice passers by, plus local shops and restaurants, that fit perfectly into the pre-Christmas spirit. When staying into the early evening, the falling twilight, twinkling Christmas lights and Christmas carols combine to enhance the seasonal mood, perhaps bolstered with a delicious mug of mulled wine or hot chocolate!
In the run up to Christmas, the squares and lanes around Aachen Cathedral and the town hall are transformed into a Christmas village. With glistening lights and the scent of mulled wine and Aachener Printen (a kind of gingerbread) drifting on the air, creating a special festive atmosphere and viewed regularly as one of the most popular Christmas markets in Europe.
'Magical Maastricht' at Christmas takes on that extra spellbinding edge. The city goes into full Christmas mode with a wonderful Christmas market, skating on the ice rink on Vrijthof square and why not view the sea of festive lights from the top of the Ferris wheel.
In Liege, a charming, unique Christmas market occupies the centre of the city. The 'Village de Noël' was constructed in 1987 having its own streets, town hall, church and post office, with over 200 wooden chalets that represent the village inhabitants for you wander through at leisure and explore.
