November rolls around and the Christmas lights start switching on in the streets of Portugal. It's pretty, sure, but if you want to live the real magic of the season (the kind you see in films, with snow falling and the smell of mulled wine and spices in the air), you have to go to the source.
The Christmas Markets of Central Europe are an institution. They're not just little stalls selling wool socks; they're full-blown Christmas villages, with ice rinks, choirs singing live and street food that will make you forget about Bolo Rei.
Martin made the list of the 5 best markets to visit this year (bring the warmest coat you have):
1. Vienna, Austria: Imperial Elegance 🇦🇹
Vienna doesn't just have one market — it has dozens scattered across the city, but the most impressive is the one in front of City Hall (Rathausplatz). The illuminated Gothic building as a backdrop is breathtaking.
What to do? Drink Glühwein (mulled wine) in collectable ceramic mugs, eat Austrian sausages and skate on the rink that winds through the lit-up park.
2. Strasbourg, France: The Capital of Christmas 🇫🇷
They call themselves the "Capital of Christmas", and they aren't lying. Strasbourg, in the Alsace region (near the German border), has the oldest Christmas market in France.
The whole city is decorated with giant teddy bears, stars and lights on the facades of half-timbered houses. The smell of cinnamon and Bredelé (the region's traditional Christmas biscuits) wafts through every street.
3. Budapest, Hungary: Magic and Thermal Baths 🇭🇺
The market in front of St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest is often voted the best in Europe. It has a 3D light show projected on the church's facade that is spectacular.
But the real bonus of going to Budapest in winter is the contrast: you can spend the morning freezing at the Christmas market and the afternoon relaxing in the warm open-air waters of the Széchenyi Thermal Baths, while the snow falls around you.
4. Colmar, France (Alsace): The Fairy Tale 🇫🇷
It's very close to Strasbourg and is, without a doubt, the most "Instagrammable" city at Christmas. Colmar looks like the village from "Beauty and the Beast". The canals of "Little Venice" reflect the Christmas lights and every square has its own themed market. It's smaller and cosier than the ones in the big capitals.
5. Prague, Czech Republic: The Giant Nativity 🇨🇿
Prague's Old Town Square is already beautiful all year round, but at Christmas it gets a giant tree, a nativity scene with real animals and dozens of wooden huts. What you absolutely have to try here is Trdelník (a sweet cylinder-shaped cake, baked on a spit and coated with sugar and cinnamon).
It's Cold and Raining Outside... How Are You Getting to the Airport?
The Christmas Markets are beautiful, but the trip starts here in Portugal. Your flight is in December. The most likely scenario is that it's pouring with rain, windy and bitterly cold.
Are you really going to leave home in the early hours, loaded with bags full of winter clothing (which weighs twice as much), to wait for the metro on the street or for an Uber that'll take twice as long because of the rain?
The Christmas spirit will vanish right there.
Start your holiday in comfort. Take your car, turn on the heated seats and drive to the airport. At the Departures door, a Multipark "Santa" (i.e. our driver) will be waiting for you to collect the key.
You walk into the warm, dry terminal. We keep your car safe.
When you return from Vienna or Budapest, exhausted but full of Christmas spirit, you won't have to get caught in the rain to head home. Your car will be waiting at the Arrivals door.
Give yourself the gift of comfort! Run the simulation and book your Valet Parking on the Multipark website and Merry Christmas!
