Those hoping to visit a Christmas market in order to stock up on seasonal gifts are spoilt for choice this year, with fantastic options scattered across Europe. There are plenty of UK Christmas markets on offer, ranging from the Winter Wonderland in London to the festive stalls in Bath. It is also easy to hop across the Channel on the Eurostar to visit Lille's popular market in the Place Rihour. Some of the best Christmas markets are to be found in Germany though. Towns such as Nuremberg and Cologne provide the opportunity to visit original German markets set in idyllic squares, with the aroma of mulled wine and gingerbread wafting between stalls selling traditional handicrafts.

Berlin is a good destination for seeing a lot of German Christmas markets in a short space of time, with over 50 of them spread across the city. There will be stalls set up across the capital for the whole of December so that after a day visiting sights such as the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdam Palace and the Reichstag you can pick up dinner at one of many markets. Evenings are one of the best times to visit, when the fairy lights are lit up, the weather becomes truly chilly and you can wrap up warm and enjoy some roasted almonds or baked apples.