Whether in the historic squares of Prague or beautiful gardens of Copenhagen, you can pick up unique presents and experience

European traditions.

Budapest
Traditional food, folk dances and live music can be found daily in amongst the cottage-esque market stalls of Vrsmarty tr from mid-November. Based at the centre of the Pest district near the start of 'Fashion Street', this market regularly has up to 150 stalls, and plenty of local art and culture, including puppet theatres. To add to the authenticity of celebrations, all products sold in the market are guaranteed as traditionally handmade by the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists. The market also has a gastronomic side. Visitors can taste traditional Hungarian foods like kenyrlngos (a flat bread like dough cooked in a cob oven), krtskalcs (a cone-shaped sweet yeast cake), rtes (strudel), pecsenye (roast meats), and last but not least, the most of typical winter drinks, forralt bor (mulled wine).

Berlin
Berlin could easily be described as the capital of the Traditional Christmas Market, if judged on quantity alone it has sixty markets across the city this year. The most popular and most visited, with around four million visitors last year, is the one that takes place around the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedchtniskirche. The market isnt as large as one might expect, with around one hundred stalls, housed in traditional rustic and wooden. Theres the usual array of traditional arts, crafts and Christmas decorations, but the fact that the city is home to some of Europes leading cutting-edge artists and designers, you have to visit this place. You can also find there a good selection of more radical artworks and decorations, as well as an eclectic selection of antique and contemporary jewellery.

Munich
The focal point of Munich in December is the famous Marienplatz, the heart of the old centre, flanked by the grand neo-gothic town hall and filled with hundreds of stalls in the run-up to Christmas. There are a number of smaller markets dotted around the city, but this is the largest and dates back to the 17th century. The market is inaugurated on the Friday before the first Advent, when thousands gather in the square to watch the thirty metre-high Christmas tree light up for the first time. Over 140 stalls are set up in the square, selling hand-carved wooden Christmas decorations, glass baubles, jewellery, arts and crafts.

Barcelona
Dating from 1786, this traditional Christmas fair has expanded to more than 300 stalls selling all manner of handcrafted Christmas decorations and gifts, along with mistletoe, poinsettias and Christmas trees. The most popular figure on sale for Nativity scenes is the curious Catalan figure of the caganer (crapper), a small figure crouching over a steaming turd with his trousers around his ankles. Theres also a Nativity scene contest, musical parades and exhibitions, including the popular life-size Nativity scene in Plaa Sant Jaume.

Prague
The Czechs take Christmas seriously, and the capital hosts a number of cultural events, folk displays, concerts and theatre in December. Prague's Christmas markets takes place in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. The idyllic Baroque setting of the cobbled square seems perfectly suited to a quaint seasonal market. A central petting zoo, complete with ponies, goats and sheep, is the big attraction for kids. The rows of colourfully decorated wooden huts stock some attractive hand-made

stocking fillers, including the locally made wood-carved puppets, jewellery, toys and candles. You may also find some good deals on Bohemian crystal. A central stage hosts daily carol singers and bands playing seasonal tunes.

Vienna
Winter is the most quintessentially Austrian time of year: snow blankets the city and the Christmas markets appear. The Christkindlmarkt on the square in front of the magnificent Town Hall is Vienna's classic Christmas market. It is one of the best-known and most visited in Europe, attracting millions of visitors to its rows of wooden huts leading up to the Hall. It is certainly one of the oldest, dating back over seven hundred years, and starts early from mid-November which is handy for those, who wants to avoid the pre-Christmas crowds. Christmas for the Viennese is a social affair, where people meet up at the markets for Punsch or Glhwein (the local mulled wine), chestnuts and spicy Christmas cookies. The Vokshalle, within the Town Hall, is home to a daily workshop for kids in Viennawhere parents can drop them off to make presents and bake Christmas cookies. An added attraction is that throughout December choirs from around the world perform in the Festival Hall at weekends.

Brussel
Christmas in Brussels seems to get bigger every year. The Christmas Market now extends along the streets from GrandPlace to place Ste-Catherine, covering almost 2 kilometres. Each market stall is a little wooden-roofed hut selling mainly arts and crafts or food and drink, all of them having a panEuropean flavour. The Fish Market is transformed into a temporary ice rink in December, making it a big attraction for locals. Carols are filtered through loudspeakers, and jugglers, street musicians and painters brave the cold to entertain the crowds. From December 23rd, many of the stalls switch hands, and the market becomes more of a gastronomic affair.

Copenhagen
Europes oldest amusement park, the Tivoli Gardens, hosts Copenhagens annual Christmas market. The setting is out of Hans Christian Andersen, with hundreds of Christmas trees and over half a million lights illuminating the stalls and park. There are plenty of food stalls the main draw here is glgg, Danish mulled wine mixed with liquor and spices. Hot apple dumplings make for a warming midshopping snack. Based in the centre of the capital it attracts up to a million visitors, so expect crowds. historic square [hstrk skwe] - trtnelmi tr to pick up [tu pk p] - tall, szerez cottage-esque [ktd esk] - kunyhszer stall [stl] - stand, rust bd puppet theatre [ppt t] - bbsznhz authenticity [ entsti] - hitelessg handmade [hndmed] - kzzel gyrtott dough [d] - tszta cob oven [kb vn] - kerti (k) st cone-shaped [kn ept] - kp alak yeast cake [jist kek] - lesztvel kszlt stemny rustic [rstk] - falusias array of [re v] - valamin elrendezse craft [kr ft] - kzmvessg cutting-edge [kt ed] - legmodernebb, legjobb eclectic [klektk] - sszevlogatott jewellery [d ulri] - kszerek to flank [tu flk] - oldalrl tmogatott run-up [rn p] - rkszls, felfuts

dotted [dtd] - tarktott to inaugurate [t njret] - felavat to gather [tu ] - valahol sszegyls to light up [tu lat p] - kivilgt to set up [tu set p] - felllt hand-carved [hnd kvd] - kzzel faragott glass bauble [ls bbl] - veg csecsebecse all manner of [l mnr v] - mindenfle valamibl mistletoe [mslt] - fagyngy poinsettia [ponset] - mikulsvirg Nativity [ntvti] - Krisztus szletse curious [kjrs] - furcsa, klns crapper [krp] - rt, kakil to crouch over [tu krat v] - valami felett guggol steaming turd [stim td] - gzlg rlk life-size [laf saz] - letnagysg Old Town Square [ld tan skwe] - vros tr Wenceslas Square [wenceslas skwe] - Vencel tr cobbled [kbld] - macskakves quaint [kwent] - furcsa s rgies petting zoo [pet zu] - llatsimogat wooden hut [wdn ht] - fakunyh to stock [tu stk] - raktron tart stocking fillers [stk flz] - karcsonyi ajndkok candle [kndl] - gyertya Bohemian [bhimn] - cseh quintessentially [quintessentiallei] - tmren blanket [blkt] - takar to lead up [tu lid p] - felvezet handy [hndi] - knyelmes, alkalmas social affair [sl fe] - trsasgi esemny chestnut [tesnt] - gesztenye wooden-roofed hut [wdn ruft ht] - fafedel kunyh craft [krft] - kzmvessg flavour [flev] - sajtossg, lgkr ice rink [as rk] - mjgplya to filter [tu flt] - tszrdik loudspeaker [ladspik] - hangszr juggler [dl] - zsonglr brave the cold [brev kld] - tri/brja a hideget switch hand [swt hnd] - tulajdonost vlt amusement park [mjuzmnt pk] - vidmpark illuminating [lumnet] - vilgt apple dumpling [pl dmpl] - bunds alma mid-shopping [md p] - vsrls kzepi