My Top 5 Charming and Festive Places to Spend Christmas in Europe

Otherwise known as “Lynne’s wishlist for Christmas in Europe”.

Yes this is a bit of a dream list for me.

But let me ask you: Where would you like to spend Christmas?

If it weren’t for this COVID pandemic, I was going to be somewhere in Europe for Christmas. 

I was planning to leave the States at the end of the summer and travel and work through the end of the year. 

My thought was to spend a couple of weeks in Germany — checking out Christmas markets for the first couple of weeks in December — then hunker down somewhere for Christmas and New Year’s.

I hadn’t decided exactly where I would spend Christmas, but I did have a bit of a wishlist of a few places that sounded perfect.

So I’m going to share this list with you.

And I invite you to drop a comment below to let me know where you might like to spend Christmas — in Europe or anywhere else in the world.

Castelrotto/Kastelruth, Italy

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while then you know I love this town and the Alpe di Siusi that sits just above it.

It was probably at the top of my list for where I wanted to spend Christmas in 2020.

Having spent time here in summer and autumn, I have dreams of seeing it under a blanket of snow.

There is a weekend Christmas market, sleigh rides, a tree in the town square and a festive atmosphere.

Add to that snowshoeing or skiing/snowboarding or cross country skiing up on the Alpe di Siusi and it sounds like the perfect destination for a Christmas in Europe.

Plus, Castelrotto and the Alpe di Siusi are simply one of my absolute favorite destinations on the planet.

Period.

Maybe next year?

A Small Village in Northern England

Have you seen the movie “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet?

Well if you haven’t these 2 women swap houses at Christmas.

Cameron Diaz’ character lives in Los Angeles — Beverly Hills to be exact — and Kate Winslet’s character lives in some rural town in England — probably not far outside London. 

Anyway, the charm of the rural village where Cameron Diaz ends up spending Christmas is intoxicating. 

There’s something so appealing about a small quaint village in rural England at Christmas.

I imagine all the old stone houses decorated with garland and wreaths with a Christmas tree in the town square.

I see a cozy pub with a fire, friends and family gathering together for a warming drink.

While I don’t have a specific village in mind, I do think a spot in the northern parts of England would be nice because there would probably be a greater chance for snow.

If anyone has any recommendations I’d love to hear them.

Grindelwald, Switzerland (or maybe some other town in the Swiss Alps)

Ahhh…the Swiss Alps.

I visited this little village and took a short hike here with my friend back in early September 2014. 

And I would LOVE to see it under a blanket of snow and all decked out for Christmas. 

To me it would be the epitome of a winter wonderland with the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Mittlehorn and Wetterhorn and all those other big peaks surrounding you. 

Wengen and Murren — in the same area as Grindelwald — look like they would be fabulous options as well.

One other town that intrigues me is Gruyères.

This small town sits in between Geneva and Bern and is known to have a wonderful Christmas market.

So yes, a small town in Switzerland is definitely one of my Christmas in Europe dreams.

Any small town in France, Austria or Germany

There are loads of little towns and villages thoughout Europe that are magical at Christmas.

Places like Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany or Hallstatt, Austria or Colmar, France all look like they would be delightful destinations to spend Christmas in Europe. 

I have to admit that I’d love a tiny village in a rural or mountainous area.

And a snowy destination would be even better.

If anyone has a destination or a story of a place they’ve spent Christmas in Europe, I would love to hear all about it.

Suggestions are always welcome!

Christmas in Europe?

Would you like to spend Christmas somewhere in Europe?

Feel free to drop your ideas in the comments below.

And if you have spent Christmas in Europe, tell me all about it — either here in the comments or by emailing me at lynne@wanderyourway.com.

This is my short, kind of undefined list.

I know as I begin to make this dream a reality I’ll begin refining it.

And your suggestions are always welcome and helpful.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Please note that Wander Your Way does not recommend travel at this time due to the current global health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, many destinations and attractions found on this website will not be operating although some places have opened. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC. 

I do plan to continue to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe, so that you will find some solace in these posts — so you dream about travel and learn about travel. This way when we can all travel again, you’ll be ready to go! For now, stay home (or close to home) and stay safe!

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