I’m mulling over the idea of flying into Brussels on my tentatively planned way to the UK this December, and wondering which town has the best Christmas market: Bruges or Ghent?
If you have been to either, which would you recommend?
I’ve never been to a European Christmas market and saw a video from last year of the one in Bruges, which looked quite good.
I don’t need any advice to get around, or to the UK; just about the markets.
Just a vague idea at this point, as my other idea would be Vienna for the same purpose.
Thanks!🎄
Posted by
Belgium
67 posts
If you're only interested in Christmas markets I'd pick Cologne. In Belgium Brussels is the biggest one and I go there over Ghent or Bruges.
Posted by
OP
Western Canada
3112 posts
Thanks.
I was thinking Belgium as it’s easy to get to the UK by Eurostar from there.
Posted by
The Netherlands
1307 posts
Christmas markets are a German tradition. Some of the Christmas markets in certain German cities can be dated back to the 15th/16th century. In the last decades the Christmas markets are starting to spread out into countries like Belgium. But still the oldest Christmas market in Belgium, is the one in Liege and I believe it’s only 30 years old.
Lots of cities in Belgium now have some sort of Christmas market, such as Ghent, Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Leuven etc etc.
They’re all nice, but if you want to experience the real deal, you should go to Germany.