Guide to Christmas Markets in Denmark, Finland and Sweden

Gothenburg Christmas Market   Flights to Gothenburg from £35

Opening times from about 15 November - 23 December

Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg Sweden is transformed every year into a huge Christmas market. Hundreds of decorated trees, miles of spruce garlands and a few million lights form the decor here. Entertainment is provided by traditional rides, ice-skating and the ever popular Santa Land. Stalls sell crafts, knitwear, waffles, candied apples and spiced wine. Local restaurants serve Swedish buffets with pickled herring, salmon, spiced red cabbage and pâtés, as well as spare ribs, sausages, meatballs and ham.

Copenhagen Christmas Market   Flights to Copenhagen from £60

mid November - 30 December

For Christmas in Copenhagen Denmark, you should head for Tivoli, Europe's oldest amusement park. At the end of each year, Tivoli Gardens is transformed into a fantastic winter wonderland with three quarter of a million colourful lights illuminating the park. Around 60 small shops sell all kinds of things: from gallons of delicious hot glögg (mulled wine spiced with raisins and almonds) and candied apples, to wooden pixies and Royal Copenhagen porcelain. There are concerts and pantomime or ballet performances for the family, you can go go ice skating under the stars on the park's frozen lake, or try the many exciting fairground rides.

Stockholm Christmas Markets   Flights to Stockholm from £70

End November & December

In Stockholm in December, Christmas shopping and Christmas markets can be found all round the city. Gamla Stan, the city's oldest neighbourhood, hosts a renowned Christmas market at Stortorget square. Here you can pick up traditional handicrafts, seasonal food and sample glögg (hot spiced wine). Drottninggatan is one of Stockholm's longest pedestrian streets and glitters with Christmas lights, decorations, and shops outdo one another with seasonal window dressings. Skansen, the open-air museum on Djurgården island, has a large traditional Christmas market with sales of handicrafts, Christmas decorations, sweets and more in old-fashioned market stalls set out in the museum area.

Lapland Santa Claus Village : Finland   Flights to Finland from £80

Open all year

Lapland is the traditional home of Father Christmas. Close to the town of Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland situated on the Arctic Circle, you'll find the Santa Claus Village. Amongst the various buildings and souvenir shops are the Santa Claus Chamber, a log cabin where children can meet Father Christmas personally. Santa´s Post Office is a real post office, which receives many thousands of letters to Santa from children all over the world. Other attractions are the Arctic Circle Husky Park, with its thrilling husky dog team rides, and Santapark. Santa Park is new attraction in Finland. Located under ground in a huge dug out cave, it is a theme park with attractions and rides designed for small children. Local bus no.8 runs every hour from Rovaniemi Railway Station to Santa Claus Village. Rovaniemi is 520 miles north of Helsinki.

Helsinki Christmas Market   Flights to Helsinki from £80