There’s nothing better than holding a warm cup of hot chocolate or mulled wine, spreading festive cheer, and browsing the various stalls at the Christmas markets.
The markets, held in various countries, attract large crowds of festive enthusiasts celebrating from November through to New Year. It’s an opportunity to enjoy time with friends and family in a holiday paradise filled with delicious food, fairground rides, and entertainment.
Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Manchester markets are among the most popular in the UK, along with London’s famous Winter Wonderland.
However, over the years many have openly claimed that the cost of attending can seriously strain your finances, reports Birmingham Live.
Money-savvy Brit Chelsea insists that the best Christmas market to visit is in Cologne, Germany – not only is there plenty to do, but she says it’s also cheaper than those in the UK.
Chelsea, a bargain holiday expert who shares her top tips on social media, recently took to TikTok and said: “If you haven’t booked a European Christmas market yet this year here’s why I think you should opt for Cologne. So last year I visited seven European Christmas markets and Cologne my absolute favourite.”
Cologne Tourism states: “This year the Christmas markets in Cologne opened their gates around November 18 and are welcoming visitors with delicacies such as mulled wine and waffles. You can explore the many markets in the course of a mulled-wine tour through the cathedral city.”
At the Cologne markets there are seven different sections – Cologne Harbour Christmas Market, Vringsadvent, Heinzels Wintermarchen, Stadtgartn Christmas market, Village of St. Nicholas, Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral.
On her website, Cheap Holiday Expert, she shared: “I loved Heinzels Wintermärchen Christmas Market in Cologne’s old town, spread over the Alter Markt and Heumarkt squares. This is a traditional market, centred around the folk legend of household spirits, the Heinzelmännchen.
“As well as stalls selling incredible hand-made gifts, there are food stands, live music, artist performances and an ice rink too.
“The main market is Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market, where you’ll find stalls laden with handmade treasures, foodie delights and Christmassy drinks. Of course there’s also a giant Christmas tree at the centre of the action, and a stage with lots of performances.”
Chelsea mentioned that there was a wide variety of food and drink options available. She enjoyed a hot dog for just £3.85, a stark contrast to the £8 price at London’s Winter Wonderland.
On TikTok, Chelsea continued: “As for the drink, the mulled wine was so good and also a great place that is so boozy.” She also mentioned that the mugs used to serve drinks are “so cute”.
The social media sensation also highlighted the shopping in Cologne. She added: “Oh and how can I forget the shopping. I’ve seen a lot of tat during my Christmas market crawl last year. These were definitely one of the best when it came to a good variety of stalls which had items that actually looked like they were good quality.”
She recommends booking your accommodation and travel as early as possible if you plan to attend.
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Chelsea’s video gained a lot of attraction with one individual commenting: “I was literally saying how amazing Cologne Christmas market is. We did this last year via train from London and it was so much fun!”
Whilst another said: “I watched your last year video comparing markets and actually flying to Cologne this weekend!”
“Oh this is so temping – purely for those huge cinnamon rolls to be honest,” someone else wrote.
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