Thinking about a Christmas break? It may seem a little early, but this is the time of year to be planning and booking flights if you feel like a trip to Europe to soak up the sights and sounds of Yuletide!
But where to go? The obvious first choice is Germany. The Germans really know how to do an old style Christmas. The whole season is surrounded in customs and traditions. It was in Germany, for example, that Christmas trees were invented, having their roots in the pre-Christian pagan rituals of the German tribes. In Germany, the main part of the Christmas season is the run up to Christmas Day itself. Christmas Eve is particularly important, and for two or three weeks beforehand you will be able to eat special Christmas pastries and cakes, in particular the legendary Stollen - dough cake with dried fruit and marzipan.
A distinctive feature of Christmas in Germany - and one we've talked about before on this blog - are the Christmas markets, which spring up in most towns in the month before Christmas Day, selling everything from food and drink to handmade clothes and crafts. The emphasis is on quality merchandise that has been made by the stallholder. You won't find much in the way of mass-manufactured kitsch.
If you're thinking of taking a Christmas break in Germany, fly to the Rhineland in westernmost Germany. It's the area where Christmas traditions are at their strongest. Visitors from all over Europe descend on this part of Germany at this time of year, focussing on the city of Cologne.
If you want to travel elsewhere to do your Christmas shopping, consider a trip to England. The British Christmas is much more like the American one, and you'll see far more inflatable Santas than in Germany. In the UK Christmas is commercialized on a bigger scale than on the continent (in Germany there is much popular resistance to big corporations cashing-in on the season).
If you really want to experience the atmosphere of an English Christmas, steer clear of the really big cities. Instead, visit some of the towns and cities that retain their beauitiful medieval architecture: York, Chester, Shrewsbury, Norwich, Shrewsbury and Gloucester, where you can enjoy a truly rich and cosy Christmas feeling. Book your flights now!