With the first Advent, Christmas trees light up all over the world. Most of the children's eyes shine with joy, resembling the star on the tip of the Christmas tree. It should be noted that the markets at Prague's Old Town Square always occupy one of the top positions in the ranking of Christmas markets in Europe. This year the twenty-two-meter spruce was dominated by angels, accompanied by music from the Fairy-tale at Krkonoše Mountains by Vadim Petrov. Many eyes teared up when the tree was ceremoniously lit. But Christmas markets abroad are also worth a visit! Go on and enjoy this year's Christmas atmosphere with all the goodies it offers your own way...
In the heart of Prague, cherubs are frolicking and a Christmas tree adorned with fifteen thousand light shines for the whole town to see, but just behind the corner, in Dresden, they have plenty to boast about as well. They even issued a map of the Christmas markets in Czech for tourists!
585th "Striezelmarkt" Christmas market at Altmarkt
Glittering lights, stars shining above, joy in the children's eyes, the aroma of mulled wine and gingerbread, Christmas carols. Dresden's Striezelmarkt brings the city the most wonderful gift - with its 585th anniversary, it is the oldest Christmas market in Germany.
Pronájem luxusního bytu 3+kk Pařížská, Praha, Praha 1
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One of the main attractions as well as a popular photomotive of the Christmas market is the 14.61 m high Christmas pyramid from the Krušné Mountains. Striezel, a German Advent pastry and the forerunner of today's Dresden traybake »Dresdner Christstollen«, gave the market its name in the late Middle Ages.
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Nejstarší německý vánoční trh. Source: Dresden tourist office
Vienna never fails to deliver
If you've never visited Vienna at Christmas, you must have been living under a rock. Entering Vienna's Christmas dream at Rathausplatz, visitors are greeted by a meter-high candle-lighted arch at the entrance to the square. Traditional Christmas markets with around 150 stalls offer Christmas gifts, Christmas tree decorations, handicrafts, culinary delicacies, sweets and drinks to warm up. The trees in the Town Hall Park and along Ringstraße will shine with a festive glitter. A special attraction for lovers is the Herzerlbaum (a tree decorated with shining red hearts). Visitors can skate on the 3,000 m² ice rink as well as on the numerous trails leading through the park. The Children's World offers a carousel, a reindeer sleigh and beautiful lighting installations in the park.
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Jablíčka pro zamilované. Source: WienTourismus
Paris not only for lovers
Paris during the Advent - who would want to miss out on such an experience? The "City of Love" is beautifully decorated and lit in the pre-Christmas time, that's a well known fact. But it's not just the glittering Champs Elysées that's worth seeing here! Numerous Advent markets, each unique in its own way, will arrange for a true Christmas atmosphere.
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Paříž není jen pro zamilované. Source: Amelie Dupont
Step into a fairy tale in Brussels
The Christmas market in Brussels is literally like winter fairy tale. The charming event takes place every year at the Saint Catherine Square or the Grand Palace and offers visitors a glimpse of Christmas traditions through more than 200 wooden stalls, full of local treasures and gifts, perfect for the holidays. You can smell the local specialty - waffles or traditional Belgian chocolate - from every corner.
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Brusel vypadá o Vánocích jako v pohádce. Source: Pinterest
The Grand Palace also features a ferris wheel, a historic carousel and many more attractions.
And if you really want to visit a different, fairy-tale-like world, why not make the short trip from Brussels to Brugges?
