Media Release: Gourmet-lover, romantic or super-shopper – which might be the best European Christmas market for you this year?

THE tailor-made Christmas markets specialist, Dertour, has a selection of European Christmas Markets available.

These spectacular Christmas market breaks include some great accommodation options on a bed and breakfast basis at both three and four-star hotels. These weekend breaks include return flights from London airports.

The European Christmas markets are a lovely way to get into the festive spirit by combining a city break with a shopping trip to stock up on hand-made decorations, foodie goodies such as Lebkuchen ginger bread and unique Christmas presents.

Specialist tour operator, Dertour, has a range of short break packages to Christmas market destinations, and has hand-picked the following ‘off-the-beaten-track’ markets which are perfect whether you are looking for a gourmet, romantic or pure shopping experience.

These are just a few examples, as Dertour offers Christmas markets to 14 countries including Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France and Switzerland, as well as, for the first time for 2011, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Poland and Sweden.

Overall prices start from just £128 per person – for a two-night trip to Prague.

Best for Romance (and Gingerbread!) – Nuremberg – from £330pp

Nuremberg is picture-perfect, with a castle over-looking the city giving the perfect romantic backdrop. It also happens to be where the famous Christmas gingerbread, Lebkuchen, was invented! Depart Gatwick on 2nd December for a two night break in Nuremberg to experience its Christmas Market, set in the heart of the city’s Old Town, and consisting of 180 festive wooden stalls decorating Nuremberg’s twinkling Market Square.
This weekend break is priced from £330 per person (based on two sharing) to include two nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at the four star Arvena Park hotel and return flights from Gatwick.

Best for Hand-Made Gifts – Dresden – from £219pp

Christmastime transforms the city on the River Elbe into a winter wonderland. Dresden’s Christmas market, traditionally called Striezelmarkt, is one of Germany’s largest and oldest markets, dating all the way back to 1434. Nowadays, over 230 lovingly decorated stalls of Dresden’s Striezelmarkt offer a wealth of festive regional arts and crafts; from wooden ornaments made by skilled wood carvers of the Erzgebirge mountain villages to Indigo-printed textiles and pottery from Lusatia, and from wickerwork and Plauen lace to sought-after paper Advent stars from Herrnhut. Dertour’s weekend packages to Dresden include return flights from Heathrow to Düsseldorf and two nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis in the four star Madison Hotel situated in the heart of the city. Based on two people sharing. Departures between 25 November and 24 December.

Best for Gourmet-lovers – Freiburg from £259pp

Close to the Swiss and French border and located on the western edge of the Southern Black Forest, one of Germany’s most popular holiday regions, Freiburg is a lively university city with a very charming atmosphere during Christmas time. And because of its location, it offers an excellent choice of wine from the region, plus the famous ‘Black Forest Gateaux’ which adorn every café window! Dertour’s weekend packages include return flights from Gatwick to Basel, rail transfer and two nights accommodation on bed and breakfast basis in the three star InterCity Hotel. Based on two people sharing. Departures between 21 November and 23 December.

Best for Culture – Heidelberg from £319pp

The university town of Heidelberg offers some interesting museums as well as an ice-skating rink at the foot of Castle Hill plus six different Christmas markets with more than 140 beautifully decorated stalls. Prices start from £319 per person, to include return flights from Heathrow, rail transfers, two nights bed and breakfast accommodation in the four star Leonardo Hotel. Based on two people sharing. Departures between 23 November and 22 December.

Best for A Christmas Market With a Difference – Tallinn from £255 per person

Tallinn in Estonia is actually home to one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, and is also home of what s believed to be the world’s first Christmas tree (first recorded public display of a Christmas tree was in 1441). It now offers a great Christmas markets experience in a UNESCO world heritage site, with this year’s market being ‘fairytale’ themed, with Santa Claus wondering the market greeting visitors. A two-night Christmas Market packages to Tallinn starting from £255 per person to include return flights from Gatwick and accommodation on bed and breakfast basis in the four star hotel Sokos Hotel Viru. Departures between 25 November and 22 December.

Best for Super-Shoppers – Wiesbaden from £265 per person

If you are into shopping, then the combination of designer shops and the unique gift stalls of Wiesbaden’s ‘Twinkling Stars‘ market (its officially named this, rather than a Christmas market because of the amounts of international visitors the town attracts) is for you. Prices start from £265 per person, to include return flights from London Heathrow, two nights bed and breakfast accommodation in the four-star NH Aukamm Wiesbaden.  Based on two people sharing. Departures between 22 November and 23 December.

About DERTOUR:

DERTOUR is an UK-based travel agency specialising in holidays to popular European destinations. DERTOUR has a wealth of experience catering for a wide range of http://www.dertour.co.uk/holidays/christmas-markets/european-christmas-markets along with breaks to a wide selection of German Christmas markets.

DERTOUR is part of German holiday specialist, DERTOUR GmbH & Co.KG, with over 85 years of holiday experience.

For more information or to book please contact DERTOUR on 0207 290 1111 email tours@dertour.co.uk or log onto http://www.dertour.co.uk.

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Website: http://www.dertour.co.uk