As Vienna is currently highly affected by COVID-19, I’m sure that I won’t be travelling for a long time. Which is ok. In the end, I just hope that we will get rid of this virus soon and that as many people as possible stay healthy and safe.
However, despite everything bad happening recently, I had some time to go through my old photos of past travels and experiences with my friends. So, in honour of Christmas coming round, I will share my favourite places I’ve visited during Christmas so far, as well as places I want to revisit in the winter. Maybe one day when this is all over with you might need this post, and until then, let’s reminisce in old winter memories together.
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Dublin, Ireland
So far I’ve never been to a place that felt more Christmas than Dublin. The cobblestones softly reflecting the Christmas lights which decorate the wooden facades on different pubs. The Christmas tree hanging outside the famous temple bar. The small bookshops and little cafés you pass along the way. During Christmas time, Dublin looks like straight out of a movie.
I’ve visited Dublin in December about two years ago in order to see Ryan McMullan (who is btw a great artist) live. Therefore, I didn’t have a lot of time to really explore the city and surroundings, however, what I saw was already beautiful. Furthermore, at Ryan McMullan’s concert, I happened to hear “Fairytale of New York” for the first time. If you don’t know it, it is a Christmas song by the Anglo-Irish band “The Pogues”. Once he started to play the song, the whole crowd started to sing along cheerfully and I gotta say I felt truly happy in that moment.
So, if I was ever to visit Dublin again during Christmas time (and I for sure want to) I would love to visit some pubs there and really hope to hear a crowd sing “Fairytale of New York” again.
Vienna, Austria
As my hometown, Vienna never seemed that special to me. However, especially during wintertime, it is one of the most beautiful places to visit.
Not only will a ton of radiant Christmas markets emerge starting at the 1st of November, but there are also beautifully established ice rinks and enchanting Christmas lights all around.
If you’re in Vienna for the winter, I would definitely recommend you to check out all the different Christmas markets. My favourite ones and some must-sees are the one at:
- Schönbrunn
- Schloss Wilhelminenberg (You can see Vienna from above there)
- Rathaus
- Karlsplatz Resselpark
- MQ
Winter is the perfect time to meet up with some friends in Vienna and enjoy one (or a few) mugs of punch in some of the most beautiful places this city has to offer.
Krakow, Poland
Krakow is a stunning city. Before I went there, I didn’t exactly know what to expect, but I definitely didn’t expect it to become one of my favourite places I’ve been to so far.
The beautiful thing about Krakow is that it is quite an old city with stunning architecture mixed with something new and hip as it is also hometown to a lot of students.
I didn’t visit Krakow during Christmas time, however, I went there in January and nevertheless, the weather was mostly sunny and rather warm. However, with all of its unique buildings and old plaster, I can only imagine how festive Krakow must be during the Holiday season.
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is a city I’ve visited during almost every season and I would definitely say it was always worth the visit. The bridges connecting Buda and Pest are always lit up beautifully and make one feel very small while walking along.
When visiting Fisherman’s Bastion you can get a glimpse of the city skyline as well as the famous parliament, which stretches along the other coast.
London, UK
Whenever Christmas time is around, London becomes a little winter wonderland. The festive decorations in places like Oxford Street and Harrods make the sometimes rather cold city, warm and colourful.
Ice rinks pop up all around the city, where you can skate in stunning places like the Natural History Museum, while different pubs offer plenty of space for everyone to warm up again afterwards.
Generally, I feel that no other city in Europe takes their festive decorations and events to the same level as London. The only downside: A lot of other tourists are aware of that as well.
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg is a place that most of you might associate with summer, sun and mountains – at least if you’ve seen The Sound of Music.
However, Salzburg is much more than that. It is one of the most famous places to visit in Austria during Christmas time. There, you will find many Christmas markets all around the city and the Christmas lights illuminating the humble roads leading through the centre.
Christmas is probably the best time to discover Salzburg and create your own picture of the city famous from The Sound of Music.
Utrecht, Netherlands
Utrecht pretty much feels cosy all year round. The windows of its narrow houses illuminate the plastered streets in their warm tones.
Apparently, it seems like nobody is a fan of curtains in the Netherlands, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I loved strolling through the city and seeing people in restaurants, cafés or shops simply enjoying their days.
Due to the narrow streets in the inner part of the city, cars are a rarity, which makes it even lovelier to walk through along the canal.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Although the photo above was taken during summertime, I can only imagine what Amsterdam looks and feels like in the winter.
The rather high and narrow housings already look like straight out of a Christmas movie and the beautiful streets and canals will be lit up by Christmas lights. In front of the Rijksmuseum, a little ice rink pops up, where you can go ice skating in front of some of the most famous buildings in the city.
Amsterdam is definitely a place I want to revisit in the winter. However, I can also highly recommend visiting in the summer as well. Generally, Amsterdam is just my all-time favourite city all year round.
This list may be over, but there are many more places I’d love to visit during the winter time, once life goes back to normal a little. Also, if you have any favourites, or tipps for any of the places I mentioned here, make sure to let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear them!
Until then, stay safe and healthy and hopefully a little more normality will return into our lives soon!
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