As a couple, with friends, or as a family, the December Global Holidays are a unique opportunity for those who enjoy traveling to discover new destinations or, why not, repeat in one that has already been visited. In December, many cities have a special charm thanks to the celebration of Advent, Christmas, or the welcome of the New Year, ideal dates to enjoy these destinations in a different way. If you have not yet decided where to spend Christmas, read on, experienced travel bloggers have recommended us the best destinations to travel to at Christmas. They are five!
Christmas holidays: Where to go?
In Europe or even outside the continent, cheap, familiar … Each of the places that travel bloggers suggest to us are ideal as Christmas/December Global Holidays destinations since they celebrate the holidays with lights, markets, or traditional gastronomy. Of course, these destinations also have one outside of the Christmas holidays. Let’s read together, decide, plan, and… have a good trip and Happy Holidays!
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Salzburg
Salzburg is a Christmas destination with a special charm for traveling with children. From the end of November until Christmas, it becomes a good destination to soak up the magic of fairy tales and the Christmas spirit that is felt throughout the city.
Without a doubt, you must visit the Christkindlmarkt Advent market located in Domplazt (Cathedral Square) and the Residezplatz (Residence Square), with almost 100 stalls. It is considered one of the oldest and most beautiful Advent markets in the world. It has a very varied program: Christmas readings for children, Krampus parades, guided Christmas tours, choral concerts …
Children love the Hellbrunn Adventzauber Market (Hellbrunn Advent Magic), thanks to its zoo, pony rides, the delivery of their Christmas wishes at the Weihnachtspostamt (Christmas post office), and the Krampus, through which they will enter the mystical traditions with original masks and costumes.
You have to try their roasted chestnuts, the Glühwein (mulled wine flavored with spices), the craft beer, a good coffee, and their most typical sweets: the Mozartkugel and the Nockerl of Salzburg.
Salzburg is a charming city, with the Christmas spirit you need to travel as a family. Salzburg is one of the best December Global Holidays destinations in Europe.
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Warsaw
If you asked me about the best destination to travel to at Christmas, I would definitely choose Poland. And specifically, it’s the capital Warsaw. The old market square or Stare Miasto, where the famous Warsaw mermaid is located, is decorated with Christmas motifs and a typical market where you can buy Polish gastronomic products, such as cheeses and all kinds of smoked items, drink a hot wine to recharge your batteries and continue buying other handicraft products such as wooden toys or a complete woolen outfit, to combat the low temperatures.
I resided in Warsaw for 10 months, which made me become just another Warsawian and celebrate part of Christmas in Poland. The Castle Square was the nerve center of Polish traditions, as they set up a stage, through which different folk groups from the country passed, singing Polish Christmas carols, dressed in their typical costumes from each area. If you had previously drunk a couple of hot wines in the Stare Miasto, you may end up understanding and humming some of the ditties. Warsaw is a destination where to travel cheaply at Christmas.
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Costa Rica
Forget for a second the cold and snow typical of European Christmas … and let’s go to the shores of the Caribbean! Because yes, because although it seems incredible there are places where it is 24ºC on Christmas Eve and they celebrate the arrival of the new year on the beach. And Costa Rica is one of them. It is always a good time to visit one of the most beautiful countries in Latin America, but Christmas can still be more special.
You are going to have Christmas lights, and Costa Rica is a very familiar country and they celebrate Christmas in style. San José, the capital of the country, is a great example of this, especially during the festival of light, a night parade full of music and colors through the center of the city. Further on the outskirts, in the neighborhood of Zapote, a beautiful fair full of attractions, music, and food stalls unfold. And speaking of food, do you know that Ticos bring to the table some of their best dishes at Christmas? And if you don’t try a tamale or a good leg of pork… and tell me!
But if you are precisely looking to reduce your Christmas spirit, you will be happy to know that December is one of the best times of the year to stroll and enjoy the natural magic of Costa Rica. The weather is usually perfect for visiting its beaches, natural parks, surfing, rafting, canopying, hiking … or even watching whales. And it is that, with a pinch of luck, in the last period of the year it is possible to see cetaceans in the Punta Uva region, on the Pacific coast. For all these reasons, visiting Costa Rica at Christmas can be a great option if you want to substitute the suit and tie of the party favors for the swimsuit and flip-flops. If you don’t know where to spend the Christmas holidays, choose Costa Rica.
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Dublin
Surely you are already thinking about where to spend Christmas. Christmas is a perfect time to discover new places with their customs and traditions. But our proposal is for the days before the end of the year: How about welcoming the new year in the fun city of Dublin? Last year we were able to enjoy these days in the city and I assure you that it is impossible to get bored. Dublin is already a city with a lot of life, strolling through its streets, having a “pint of beer” in one of its legendary pubs, or hanging out listening to a street musician would be enough, but these days the city dresses up With a large number of activities for all ages: concerts, exhibitions, guided tours, workshops for children, there is something to do at all hours.
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Munich
One of the countries where Christmas is intensely lived in Germany, with the Christmas markets being its main feature. There are many German cities that celebrate these markets, but the ones in Munich have a special charm. Every year, from the end of November to Christmas Eve, the most important Christmas market is set up in the Marienplatz square, in the center of Munich, with its beautiful town hall like the main witness. This one is called Christkindlmarkt but there are many markets to visit at Christmas in Munich, such as the one in Schwabing, which is more bohemian, with stalls of artists and craftsmen.
They are not really Christmas markets, they should be called Advent markets, since when Christmas really begins they disappear. Although it is true that when all the purchases are made and a rich hot and spiced wine is enjoyed, they are the days before December 24 or 25.
So would you spend your December Global Holidays in one of these destinations?
