“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Christmas is just weeks away now, and all around the world preparations are well underway for the holiday season. Here at HerCampus, we have gone on a search for the top festive places around the world that are particularly good at spreading the Christmas cheer. Here’s what we found…
Lapland
The first on our list has got to be Rovaniemi, Lapland, the magical home of Father Christmas. Blanketed in crisp white snow and illuminated by the northern lights, Rovaniemi is the ultimate winter wonderland. Every year in the Christmas period, families flock to ‘Santa Claus village’ where a range of festive activities await.
You can go on sleigh rides through the forests with the huskies and meet the reindeer (who outnumber people in this region). Or if animals aren’t your thing you can go ice-skating and sledging through the village. No visit to Rovaniemi is complete without a visit to Santa’s post office where you can watch the elves sort through all the Christmas wish lists that have been posted (yes, it really exists!) and of course, a visit to Santa’s grotto to meet the man himself!
For a real storybook Christmas, Rovaniemi is the ultimate destination.
Nuremberg
Nurermberg, Germany is next on our list. It is a historic Bavarian city with one of the largest and oldest Christmas markets in Europe which fills the gothic Hauptmarkt Square in the Old Quarter. It has over 200 stalls selling traditional German goods and treats, wooden fairground rides and real life nativity scenes. But instead of us describing it to you, we suggest you sit back and watch the video below and you’ll see why it’s made it onto our list!
New York
Third on the list is the location of the very best of Christmas films (Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone 2 and Elf to name a few) and goes above and beyond at Christmas time – it’s New York City!
It is home to the most famous Christmas tree in the world at the Rockefeller which is covered with an astounding 30,000 twinkling lights, and the best shop displays in the world.
Festive things to do in the city include:
- Ice-skating in Central Park, if you’re looking for your very own Home Alone moment, or a moment under the Rockefeller tree.
- Wrapping up warm and taking a horse and carriage ride through snowy Central Park.
- Channeling your inner Gossip Girl and heading to the New York Palace Hotel to have a cocktail and see the most opulent Christmas decorations in the city.
- Seeing a Christmas show like the Radio City Music Hall’s ‘Christmas Spectacular’ which includes a living nativity and flying Santa.
- Taking a trip to every child’s (and adult’s!) dreamland, FAO Schwarz, the oversized toy store. Here you can play the piano with your feet on a giant keyboard on the floor, and buy all the kids in the family the most exciting Christmas presents they could hope for.
- For the shopaholics, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue have the most incredible festive window displays every year and lots of special Christmas bargains!
- Going on the ‘A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours’ Christmas Lights and Cannoli tour,’ where you are taken to South Brooklyn to see ‘the hood’s’ larger than life Christmas light displays. Every year, 100,000 visitors head over the river to go try this out which ends with a typical New York Christmas treat of cannoli and hot cocoa.
There’s just no place quite like it!
Obergurgl, Austria
Waking up to a white Christmas, and breathing in the fresh mountain air is a sure way to be filled with that festive feeling. Next on our list is the beautiful ski resort, Obergurgl, a traditional Austrian village with some of the best early snow in Europe. After heading out for a day on the slopes you return to its chocolate box style chalets, horse drawn carriages, and little village squares covered with lights.
If that’s not quite enough, here are a couple more wintery things to get up to on the slopes:
- Playing in the snow: building snowmen, making snow angels, having snowball fights, and sledging!
- Having tea and cake and snuggling around the fire in your thermals after a long day on the slopes.
- Wrapping up warm and heading out for the evening for a big mountain meal. Did someone say fondue?
- Enjoying a glass (or two) of gluhwein in a traditional Austrian bar.
Home
Last on our list doesn’t involve travelling far at all. As much as the girls here at HCX love seeing the world, home for many is the best place to celebrate Christmas and the perfect occasion to spend time with your family after a busy term! Decorating the tree, snuggling up in front of the fireplace with a mug of cocoa, singing Christmas carols and eating one too many mince pies – the epitome of festiveness! And the best part about it is that you can do all this from the comfort of your own home.
Treat yourself to a bit of festive fun this Christmas time!
Picture credits: www.hdwpapers.com, www.rap361.com, www.examiner.com, www.lehighvalleymarketplace.com, www.pbs.org, www.kettlemag.co.uk, www.theluxtraveller.com