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(credit: Engadin Tourism)
There’s thing magical astir the holidays successful Europe, wherever visitors (and locals alike) tin savor the wonderment of the holidays. With backdrops of snow-capped mountains and twinkling lights, the wonderment of Christmas is brought to beingness astir the country, from large superior cities to tiny towns. For seekers of fairy tales, Kempinski’s usher to the champion Christmas Markets successful Europe showcases the astir luxe experiences successful the astir charming destinations.
(credit: Kempinski Hotels)
Budapest, Hungary
As Hungary’s capital, Budapest is simply a charming metropolis which comes to beingness successful the winter. From a soak successful the Széchenyi Thermal Baths, enveloped by a unreality of steam successful the acold air, to the illuminated lights of parliament and palaces, the metropolis is beauteous this clip of the year. But From November 15 - December 2024, Budapest’s main Christmas Market unfolds connected Vörösmarty Square to overmuch aplomb with implicit 100 stalls with vendors showcasing specialty dishes rooted successful Central and Eastern European cuisine. Specialties see stuffed cabbage and lepeny (a accepted flatbread), hearty Hungarian goulash and strudel oregon sekler barroom (the celebrated Budapest chimney cake) and families volition person plentifulness to support them busy, from the playhouse and trade classes to the kid-sized miniature railway…Nearby, Kempinski Hotel Corvinus offers luxury accommodations with immoderate of the freshly renovated rooms overlooking Fashion Street.
(credit: Kempinski Hotels)
Munich, Germany
At the bosom of Bavaria, Munich genuinely comes live during Christkindlmarkt season. Visitors tin indulge successful frosty steins of beer, bratwurst and lederhosen passim the year, nevertheless the festive play is peculiar with a assortment of markets to explore. Since the 14th period Münchners person been gathering successful Marienplatz to store and observe Christmas and delight nether a seven-story Christmas histrion that sits successful the shadiness of the neo-gothic New Town Hall. Here, visitors volition find much than 100 stalls, wholly filling the quadrate from November 25 - December 24 and for an idyllic experience, should caput to the English Garden, wherever horse-drawn carriages, nutrient stands and well-maintained paths done the wood are hallmarks of this market. A abbreviated 600m locomotion from Marienplatz. Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, a expansive edifice virtually built for a king, and location to Munich’s finest surviving room, provides the cleanable cardinal determination to it all.
(credit: Dresden Marketing)
Dresden, Germany
Nicknamed the “jewel box”, Dresden is simply a hidden treasure location to generations of Saxon kings, and aristocrats built a superb spot connected the wide bends of the Elbe River. Located successful Altmarkt Square, the Striezelmarkt is Germany’s oldest Christmas market. The 14.6-metre measurement pyramid (which holds a grounds successful the Guinness World Records) is laden and lined with whimsical festive figures and features the world’s largest candle arch. The marketplace besides boasts a Ferris Wheel and 240 stalls showcasing everything from delicate lacework to handmade woody toys. Visitors should indulge successful rahmklecks, a Dresden specialty - a breadstuff rotation stuffed with ham and food and topped with a dollop of sour cream. Further down the Prager Strasse, galore smaller markets are dotted on Christmas Mile. Built by Augustus the Strong and the caller recipient of a multi-million-dollar transformation, Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski is 1 of the crown jewels of Dresden.
(credit: Kempinski Hotels)
Berlin, Germany
Germany’s superior is 1 of the world’s champion walking cities and a circuit done past and from November 22 - January 12 Berlin offers implicit 100 Christmas markets. Visitors should not miss Charlottenburg Palace, the marketplace acceptable astatine the erstwhile location of Queen Sophie Charlotte. The palace lights up astatine nighttime with marching bands moving done the 100 stalls selling everything from silk items to ceramics. Spandau is the city’s largest Christmas market, spreading retired from the main quadrate to the cobblestones of the aged town. Two of the biggest highlights see a nativity country with unrecorded animals and a signifier wherever euphony rings retired passim the day. For a section experience, the vicinity astir the Art Deco Brohan Museum comes unneurotic to observe connected December 7-8 featuring arts and crafts from section suppliers, homemade foods, and performances from section schools and creation clubs. The astir celebrated spot to enactment successful Germany, Hotel Adlon Kempinski sits astatine the bosom of it all, close astatine the Brandenburg Gate.
(credit: Kempinski Hotels)
St Moritz, Switzerland
Perhaps nary spot connected world embraces wintertime amended than St Moritz. Not conscionable an upscale skis town, present palatial hotels, with a sugary-white glaze of snow, look similar homes of fairytale princesses and princes. Visitors should get successful municipality by riding the Glacier Express done Alpine switchbacks and tunnels, and crossed trestles with soaring views down to snow-bound villages below. The feelings of wintertime phantasy proceed astatine the town’s Christmas market, 1 of the fanciest anywhere. Savvy onlookers volition find jet-setters, celebrities and adjacent royalty, browsing a fig of pop-up markets successful squares and pedestrian streets that diagnostic upscale goods similar handmade jewelry, crafted from stones sourced conscionable nearby. Close to the halfway of municipality and close astatine the ft of the cablegram car, the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski offers a regal sleep.
(credit: Live Riga)
Riga, Latvia
Built by the Baltic Sea, the Latvian superior has been a halfway of planetary commercialized since its founding successful 1201. That wealthiness and powerfulness is inactive evident crossed its matchless Old Town which holds its Christmas Market from November 29 - January 2 connected Doma Square. The spot wherever Riga’s bosom beats, 7 streets conscionable astatine the square, surrounded by immoderate of the city’s top landmarks, including the expansive cathedral, topped by its iconic weathercock, and the Venetian Renaissance-style Art Museum Riga Bourse. Visitors should partake successful accepted Latvian touches: achromatic balsam, the nationalist liquor; piragi, buns filled with bacon and sautéed onions; and Latvian honey. Stylish rooms tin beryllium recovered astatine Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga, which sits astatine the entranceway to Old Town crossed from the Latvian National Opera and Ballet theater.
(credit: Kempinski Hotels)
Salzburg, Austria
The spot wherever the hills travel live with the dependable of music; a metropolis immortalized successful the fashionable 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews. A sojourn present ever feels similar stepping into an imagined world. A wonderland, particularly successful winter, acceptable connected the banks of a serpentine river, beneath towers and religion spires and an imposing hilltop fortress. From November 24 - January 1, the city’s main Christmas market sets up successful the mediate of town, connected Cathedral and Residenz Squares. Known for its theatre and music, Salzburgers person been gathering for these festivities since the 15th century. Visitors tin bask performances by dozens of choirs with musicians performing connected turmblasen (wind instruments). Built connected a ridge 1,000 meters up, amidst the mountains with spectacular view, Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden sits conscionable 30 minutes from Salzburg and provides a large viewpoint for it all.
(credit: Kempinski Hotels)
Sofia, Bulgaria
A peculiar spot that offers shimmering bulb domes, Ottoman minarets and Soviet monuments, with waterfalls and skis slopes conscionable extracurricular of town, Christmas markets are a comparatively caller improvement to Sofia. The archetypal marketplace and the largest, Deutscher Weihnachtsmarkt, opened conscionable implicit a decennary agone and runs from November 15 until conscionable earlier Christmas. The stalls successful City Garden bring unneurotic German and Bulgarian traditions and visitors tin commencement present and past locomotion to 2 others nearby, each with their ain charms. Christmas Fest, astatine the National Palace of Culture, offers galore unrecorded performances – everything from concerts to circus shows, portion Christmas Park connected Slaveykov Square is the champion marketplace for locally made handicrafts and caller products from Bulgarian farms. For a magical snowy experience, adjacent Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko is simply a picture-perfect edifice located adjacent to a gondola assistance successful the Pirin Mountains.
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