Tempted to ditch the family Christmas this year? Check out these destinations in Europe that are sure to put everyone in a festive mood.
There is probably no other place in Europe where Christmas fans can get as close to Father Christmas than in Finland's northernmost region. In addition to ski resorts that sweeten the Christmas season for sports enthusiasts, there are opportunities for romantics and nature lovers to see the Northern Lights in the towns of Inari and Saariselka. Children will enjoy a trip to the town of Rovaniemi in the region's south, where an annual SantaPark gives families the opportunity to learn about the workings of the little helpers in an elf school as well as getting up close to Father Christmas and reindeer native to Lapland. It is worth bearing in mind however that the Finnish region's proximity to the Arctic Circle, means there is only around 2.5 to 4 hours of daylight in December...There are flights from Stansted, Bristol and Manchester to Rovaniemi International Airport.
The Dutch capital is worth a visit all year round but during the Christmas season the metropolis looks particularly beautiful with its canals and Light Festival. From 1 December to 22 January, twenty works of light art illuminate the paths along the canals from the city centre east between 5 and 11pm. Food lovers can sample Dutch-style doughnuts called olibollen at numerous Christmas markets. Skiers don't really get their money's worth in the rather flat Netherlands, but winter sports enthusiasts do have the opportunity to do their rounds on an ice-skating rink on Museumplein, against the imposing backdrop of the Van Gogh Museum and Diamond Museum.
When you think of Christmas in Europe, snow-covered houses and mulled wine enjoyed while bundled up in a cosy jumper and jacket spring to mind rather than a Christmas Eve in a T-shirt or even swimming trunks. But you don't have to travel to another continent to celebrate like this. On Gran Canaria, even in December, the air and water temperatures are still around 20 degrees, meaning you can still take a trip to the beach. A good mixture of beach and Christmas flair can be found at Las Canteras in Las Palmas, where a nativity scene is carved out of about 2,000 tonnes of sand. Sculptures were first created for Christmas in 2006 and artists from all over the world take part. Las Palmas airport can be reached by direct flight from UK airports in around four and a half hours.
Estonia is still a bit off the beaten track as a holiday destination yet its capital Tallinn offers a beguiling mix of culture and festive atmosphere, especially at Christmas time. The city's Christmas market, voted the most popular Christmas market in Europe in 2019, offers all kinds of Estonian winter dishes such as black pudding, sauerkraut and potatoes alongside woolly mittens and jumpers. Winter sports fans can glide across the ice on the skating rink in the Old Town, whizz down a hill on a toboggan or explore the surrounding area on a snowshoe hike. Direct flights to Tallinn from the UK take around four and a half hours.
