3 days, 3 European Christmas Markets

I love Christmas markets, it's one of my favourite things to do around this festive period. This year I went to Winter Wonderland Christmas market in London - but I wanted to share with you a fabulous Christmassy getaway that I did this time last year in Munich, Salzburg and Nuremberg! You can start off at any of these cities and make the day trips from whatever base you like!

TRAVEL

I flew from London Stansted to Munich on an early morning flight meaning I was in Munich and ready to start exploring by 11:30am! On the way back I flew back from Nuremberg (mainly because it was cheaper - but you can work it whatever way best suits!). Therefore it made sense to do day 1 in Munich, day 2 in Salzburg and day 3 in Nuremberg.

The best way to travel to the other cities would be to buy a Bavaria Regional Bayern-Ticket which is valid for 24 hours and costs 25 euros for 1 person/32 euros for 2 people/ and get's cheaper the more people you have!. You can only use these on regional trains (rather than high speed) but nevertheless, for the price, the ticket is worth it. Find more information on this ticket here.

MUNICH, GERMANY

Munich Christmas market was beautifully laid out in the centre of the Marienplatz in the old town of Munich. It prides itself in a large variety of foods and mulled wine, as well as hand crafted decorations and gifts. I would highly recommend climbing St Peter's Church in the centre of Munich (very close to the Christmas markets) for the best view of Munich and the Market. If you're still looking for somewhere to sit down and eat while you are in Munich, the Hofbrauhaus is a must do! It is a world famous beer hall, where you can enjoy traditional German beer, German cuisine and live German dance and music! It is a place with a very lively and excitable atmosphere. Another place I would recommend for the famous German schnitzel, would be Steinheil 16. This small, slightly basic but cute little restaurant serves the largest schnitzel portions for a wonderfully cheap price and it was definitely the best way to enjoy this cuisine for the first time! Other things that you can do whilst in Munich would be to visit the Augustiner Keller (the oldest beer garden in Munich) or visit the Nationaltheater - Bavarian State Opera House, if you have the time to spare!

SALZBERG, AUSTRIA

My favourite Christmas market out of all 3 was Salzburg Christmas market. It was just over an hour and a half away by train - but even the train journey is beautifully scenic! The reason I loved Salzburg so much was 3 things. Firstly, the stalls which are there (although obviously have lots of food!) consist a lot more of decorations, gifts and crafting - which make for such perfect Christmas presents! Secondly, the scenery in the background - the Christmas market has beautiful snow-topped mountains sitting in the background (making it super picturesque). And thirdly, out of the 3 Christmas markets we visited, this is the only one which had an ice rink and isn't that just the icing on the cake when you're looking for the ultimate Christmas experience?! Also take the time to walk up to the Fortress Hohensalzburg, which even if you don't look around - you get a wonderful view of Salzburg city and get up and close to the scenic mountainous backdrop. If you have the time also, co-ordinate your visit with a performance playing Mozart at Mirabell Palace.

NUREMBERG, GERMANY

Only just over an hour by train away, you can head directly in Nuremberg city centre. Nuremberg is famous for being the largest Christmas market in Germany and trust me -it really is! This Christmas market has everything and not just based in the centre square, but on all the streets leading up to it! You can enjoy everything from sweets, fruits, drinks, gifts, meals - just everything! We were in Nuremberg on a Saturday, so personally I found it almost too busy and struggled to enjoy it as much compared to the previous 2 Christmas markets, which had been slightly quieter. Look out for the Carol singing in front of the central market church, as a lovely thing to enjoy whilst sipping at some hot mulled wine!

Tip: All 3 of these Christmas markets served plenty of mulled wine, but they will serve it in a beautiful keepsake mug and you pay a 5 euro deposit. I kept 1 mug from each of these cities (and often based where I got my mulled wine from, depending how much I liked the mug!) and have loved being able to use them around this festive period this year and for the memories.

Tip 2: Blueberry mulled wine is a big thing in these Christmas markets, and it was my favourite! Definitely give it a try!

Happy Travelling and Merry Christmas!

Ruth xxx