Love it or hate it, it’s officially December – and we all know what that means: mince pies, turkey, egg-nog and advent calendars, that’s right Christmas is finally here!I’m not afraid to admit that I absolutely adore Christmas, in my family it is a very traditional and festive time of year with several generations of handmade baubles and ancient tinsel on the tree, home-reared turkey on the table and piles of presents on the sofas in the lounge.I first fell in love with Christmas markets when my German GCSE class went on a trip to the Weihnachtsmarkt (German Christmas market) in Bremen, Germany. Being a lover of farmers’ markets and the like, Christmas markets are my dream day out and every year since that fateful day in Year 10 I’ve visited the one in my local town, the one at the farm where we buy our Christmas tree, and as many more as I can find!Last year I went to Manchester Christmas Markets for the first time, and after visiting again recently, I think it’s time I share some insider tips on how to make the best of your Christmas Markets visit.
How to Explore the Christmas Markets like a ProManchester Christmas Markets are a big and daunting place so it helps to be prepared before you arrive.Conveniently, they are all located in walking distance from each other through the centre of Manchester, so you can just get your normal train into the city and walk from Piccadilly or Victoria stations. It’s really not recommendable to travel by car; I did, but as soon as I got into the city centre I was faced with a giant loop-the-loop of diversions before finally reaching the Arndale car park where it cost me £6.90 for a little over 2 hours of parking.You can’t expect to see the whole stretch of markets in one, there’s just too many! Despite Manchester City Council publicising it as a ‘trail’, it’s not as simple as it looks on the map, and there are so many people and miles of little wooden huts, you’ll be exhausted by the time you’ve done half of it. If there’s a particular thing you want to see, such as the German stalls in Brazennose, or the craft stalls in Albert Square, you should have a look on the website (http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500241/christmas_markets) before you go (tip: click on ‘see what stalls are at the markets’ and search keywords such as ‘French’ to see where you can find these types of stalls!)
Top Tips1. Get cash out before you arrive! Most stalls, particularly smaller ones and those selling lower value products such as food and drink, don’t take card payments, and the queues for the few cash points nearby are endless.2. If you want to avoid the crowds, visit on a weekday or in the morning.3. When you buy hot drinks you will be given a souvenir china mug or gluhwein mug for a deposit of £2. You can return the mug after you finish your drink and get the £2 back, but think about it – a cute mug which is linked to a lovely memory of a day out at the Christmas Markets for only £2?! It’s a no-brainer really.4. At La Moulin au Chocolat in King Street you can get a Hot Chocolate spiked with a healthy dose of Baileys, Cointreau, Malibu, brandy, rum, or amaretto – yum!A Handy Guide:• Albert Square: Bars, a range of hot, cold, savoury and sweet food, and crafts! Albert Square is the busiest market in the city, particularly at mealtimes and in the evening when groups flock there for £4 pints and warming gluhwein, so if you don’t like crowds, make sure you time your trip carefully. • Brazennose: A cosy German market. There’s a nice amount of seating here and if you’re lucky you might find bands such as ‘Asparagus and the Kilburn Habit’ busking.• King Street: French market. Plenty of delicious food and a small bar with some seating. These are garlic potatoes at ‘La Cuisine Provençale’ on King Street!
• St. Ann’s Square: The original site of Manchester’s German Christmas Market!• Exchange Street: Gifts and crafts, particularly jewellery and art. There is also an adorable patissier and chocolatier here!• Market Street: New for this year, Market Square sells handmade arts, crafts and gifts in the heart of Manchester’s high street shopping area – which will you choose?• New Cathedral Street: An unusual collection of gifts and confectionary.• Exchange Square: An array of food & drink from tea to juice, crepes to nuts, and also some lovely clothing & accessory stalls!• Cathedral Gardens: It has expanded this year to include the traditional wooden windmill. This is a beautiful area to grab a bite to eat and have a sit down after a long day of walking!