The 8 best Christmas markets to visit in the UK revealed – including a hidden gem

It’s astir December, meaning ’tis the play of glühwein, bratwurst, roasted chestnuts, gingerbread cookies, and Wham’s! iconic deed being played connected repeat.

While the supra are each festive staples successful the run-up to December the 25th, there’s a peculiar spot wherever they tin each beryllium recovered successful 1 location: Christmas markets.

Yep, each year, large cities crossed the UK get their Christmas tone connected and alteration their municipality squares into magical wintertime wonderlands.

Proving to beryllium a deed for each ages, they connection household amusive (what kids don’t similar gathering Santa?!), romanticist settings (mulled vino and marshmallow archetypal dates, anyone?), and adjacent unsocial hangout spots for teens connected a play (it’s each astir the dodgems, duh).

But similar immoderate nationalist lawsuit – festive oregon not – determination are ever cities that spell the other mile for their punters. And it’s nary antithetic for Christmas markets, arsenic you’re astir to find out…

Which?, the largest user assemblage successful the UK, has taken 1 for the squad and rounded up the champion markets successful the country, each disposable to sojourn this year.

Basing their probe connected the destinations that ranked highest successful their ‘best UK cities’ survey of much than 4,000 visitors, it was concluded that 8 locations reigned supreme.

Which? says: ‘Each of the 8 cities beneath person large nutrient and drink, fantastic taste attractions, oregon some – scoring astatine slightest 4 retired of 5 successful those categories.’

Ready to get your Elton John connected and Step Into Christmas? In nary peculiar order, present are the champion Christmas markets successful the UK for 2024…

Bath

Date: November 28 to December 15
Where: Bath Street, Milsom Street and Abbey Quarter

‘Meander done the cobbled streets of the practice metropolis centre of Bath, soaking successful the festive ambiance whilst browsing immoderate of the champion autarkic makers for the South West and beyond,’ reads the authoritative Bath Christmas Market website. OK, sold already.

And, if this statement hasn’t hyped up the festive lawsuit enough, you’ll beryllium definite to get into the Christmas tone erstwhile we archer you that implicit 200 chalets volition enactment Bath’s Georgian streets, offering everything from section foods similar foraged jams to festive baked goods.

The Which? survey besides reported the metropolis received 4 stars for some its nutrient and portion offerings and taste sights. A near-perfect people decidedly deserves a visit, right? Oh, and it’s besides free!

Chester

Date: November 15 to December 22
Where: Chester Town Hall Square

Chester’s escaped Christmas marketplace kicked disconnected earlier this month, welcoming visitors adjacent and acold to its festive extravaganza.

Christmas oregon not, the metropolis feels similar a magical spot to sojourn acknowledgment to its Tudor-style half-timber buildings and past Roman walls, truthful with an added dose of fairy lights, beauteous wreaths and Christmas trees, it astir feels arsenic if you’re stepping onto a Harry Potter set.

In presumption of what the marketplace has to offer, Visit Chester and Cheshire dubs the lawsuit a ‘handmade, historical, and magical experience.’

Boasting 70 stalls built temporarily successful the shadiness of Chester’s Victorian Gothic municipality hallway and medieval cathedral, visitors volition find accepted German Christmas marketplace offerings similar bratwurst and mulled wine. Plus, section autarkic traders selling scented candles, fudge, and overmuch more.

Durham

Date: December 6 to 8
Where: Durham Market Place

Despite lone moving for 2 days astatine the opening of December (meaning you won’t person agelong to worldly yourself with toffee apples and pretzels), there’s a crushed Durham’s Christmas marketplace has made this list.

Sometimes smaller, understated affairs person much charm – and Durham’s offering decidedly has this successful bucket loads. While the escaped portion of the marketplace comprises of 70 stalls extracurricular of the marketplace hall, if you privation to entree the different 150+ inside, you’ll person to wage a tiny entranceway interest of £4.50.

Regardless of whether you wage oregon not, you’ll find everything you privation from a Christmas market, beryllium it festive wrapping paper, candy cane stalls, and handcrafted histrion decorations. But you’ll besides find immoderate niche stalls selling things from locally made blistery condiment to upcycled vintage apparel (Christmas outfit = covered!).

Winchester

Date: November 22 to December 22
Where: Outside Winchester Cathedral

Throughout the year, visitors travel from each implicit the state – and satellite – to sojourn the majestic Winchester Cathedral, truthful it lone makes consciousness that the city’s escaped Christmas marketplace is located straight extracurricular the iconic building. The determination unsocial could beryllium capable to onshore it connected this list!

Winchester Christmas marketplace is truly unsocial due to the fact that you could beryllium perusing the stalls, mulled vino successful 1 hand, crêpe successful the other, and the adjacent happening you know, you’re being serenaded by section choirs performing some Christmas classics and much spiritual hymns.

Then, erstwhile you’re done checking retired the products from section entrepreneurs, you tin caput into the Cathedral to be immoderate of the unrecorded events that are moving passim the festive season. Heads up, though – you’ll request to publication successful beforehand and wage a fee.

Wells

Date: December 14
Where: Wells Market Place and connected the Bishop’s Palace Green

Next up is Wells Christmas market, which whitethorn not beryllium connected your radar compared to immoderate of the different much well-known events. However, it’s decidedly worthy making the travel to Bishop’s Palace Green whether you’re section oregon not – particularly arsenic it lone opens its doors (or stalls) for 1 day.

The tiny cathedral metropolis and civilian parish successful Somerset was really voted arsenic the champion tiny metropolis of 2024 by Which? readers, who awarded it 5 stars for ‘attractiveness’ and ‘tourist attractions.’ So, the Christmas marketplace appeals to both, really!

As for what to expect, the medieval metropolis volition adorn itself with implicit 100 festive marketplace stalls, each packed intimately unneurotic for a cosy, intimate atmosphere.

Liverpool

Date: November 16 to December 24
Where: St George’s Plateau and William Brown Street

From a small, quaint matter to a larger, much cosmopolitan pursuit, Liverpool’s Christmas marketplace is different ‘must-see’ attraction. Named Which?’s apical large metropolis successful the UK, the northwest jewel received immoderate beauteous large scores crossed the board.

Achieving 5 stars for taste sights, Liverpool besides topped the person committee for its nutrient and portion options, accommodation and worth for money. Sounds similar the cleanable look for those connected a fund but who don’t privation to sacrifice quality, particularly astatine Christmas!

The escaped Christmas marketplace is located against the fairy-lit St George’s Hall, wherever visitors tin truly immerse themselves successful the festive experience.

Complete with stalls built to lucifer grottos and gingerbread houses, it’s the perfect marketplace for those who similar a spot of Mariah Carey implicit choral Silent Nights erstwhile they’re munching connected their bratwurst!

Edinburgh

Date: November 15 to January 4, 2025
Where: East Princes Street

Edinburgh is different 1 of those cities that conscionable oozes magical vibes each twelvemonth round. But erstwhile it comes to Christmas, it’s a full different world.

According to the Edinburgh Winter Fest website, the metropolis is transformed into a festive fun-derland boasting ‘traditional Christmas Markets, funfair rides, spectacular unrecorded outdoor events, delicious nutrient and drink.’

Though the existent marketplace is escaped (where you’ll find the woody chalets, accepted nutrient items, crafty bits, etc.), different parts of ‘Edinburgh Christmas’ are ticketed.

This includes things similar the Christmas Tree Maze, crystal skating, and Santa’s Stories. But you tin find each of the prices and other bits of accusation online.

York

Date: November 14 to December 22
Where: Parliament Street

Chester is often dubbed the ‘mini York,’ truthful it’s nary astonishment its chap bigger bluish sibling made the list, too. York Christmas marketplace is really portion of York Christmas Festival, which has been going beardown for implicit 30 years.

As idiosyncratic who grew up successful Yorkshire, and truthful frequented this peculiar marketplace each year, I tin safely accidental it deserves to beryllium up present amongst these different greats.

Whether it’s the perfectly accepted alpine chalets that enactment Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square (all selling your favourite festive nutrient and drinks), to the galore section concern owners selling sweets, archetypal art, and handcrafted decorations, the escaped marketplace has a quintessentially Christmas feel. If you could vessel this feeling, you’d beryllium blessed each twelvemonth round!

Then, erstwhile you’ve Christmas-ed yourself out, cheque retired the arsenic stunning York attractions, including the Shambles, York Minster and the City Walls.

Belfast

Date: November 16 to December 22
Where: Belfast City Hall

Last but by nary means slightest is Belfast Christmas market, which rather fittingly is celebrating a peculiar day this year. That’s right, the Northern Irish lawsuit is turning 20 successful 2024, truthful what a cleanable contiguous to receive!

As portion of the celebrations, the Visit Belfast website says ‘the Christmas Market volition transport you to the Victorian epoch with its Dickensian-themed Christmas marketplace experience.’

This includes Victorian-era inspired performances (only connected the archetypal and 3rd weekends), wherever ‘you’ll beryllium immersed successful the charm of Dickens’ world.’

Alongside this themed event, market-goers tin besides expect an unreal feast, with nutrient offerings catering to virtually each taste. From classical festive cheeseboards, sausages and beer, the braver foodies amongst america mightiness privation to effort retired the arguable ostrich, chaotic boar and crocodile burgers.

While personally, the second doesn’t ‘scream’ Christmas, nor does it tickle my tastebuds, there’s nary denying that Belfast Christmas marketplace is 1 of the much unsocial – and absorbing – events connected the list. And for that, we salute it!

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