Across Europe the festive season has well and truly started with an array of Christmas markets drawing crowds to sip mulled wine, indulge in sweet treats and maybe, if Germany beckons, sample a locally-made Bratwurst.
 

The tradition goes back centuries, originating in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy and Eastern France, with the first markets being held as far back as the turn of the 14th Century. Their popularity spread quickly, and now from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe town centres across the continent stage their own take on the traditional market, each reflecting their distinct foods, tastes and cultures.
 
Marienplatz Christmas market in Munich
 

Munich is one of the oldest and dates back to 1310. There are actually many different markets in the city, all running up to Christmas, but the main and original takes place at Marienplatz under the backdrop of the stunning Gothic Revival New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), where it moved in the 1970s. Stalls open at 10am each morning, and with baked apples, gingerbread, stollen and fruitcake there is much to tempt.
 
Stollen
 

In between bites explore the many stalls selling Bavarian handicrafts, including hand-painted glass decorations to take a little piece of Munich back home with you. As the sun goes down enjoy a mulled wine and take in the spectacular central Christmas tree – this year a silver fir, lit with 2,500 candles – and listen to advent music to really bring on the holiday mood.
 

 
An excellent place to stay is the majestic Hotel Bayerischer Hof, originally conceived by King Ludwig I in 1841. With 6 bars, including a stunning ice bar, numerous and varied restaurants and its famous Blue Spa to luxuriate in, there is plenty to keep any guest occupied.

 
The Blue Spa - Image courtesy of dot news

Heading further east to the Danube, Budapest’s own Christmas fair has been running since the second week of November and is set to finish on New Year’s Day. Located on Vörösmarty Square on the city’s Pest side, the market is a smaller more intimate affair than some of its larger German cousins. Here sample traditional pastries, freshly baked flat breads called kenyérlángos, or skate in the outdoor rink by St Stephen’s Basilica.
 
Vörösmarty Christmas Market
 
For ice skating fans the huge outdoor rink in the City Park is also a must, as are cocktails at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, which is a very fine place to stay too, with a location just by the riverbank and views over the Danube to the dramatic sights of hilltop Buda. For a local vibe try the “ruin pubs” in Pest where former squats have been turned into fun and eclectic spaces, serving spiced wine and beer to a backdrop of live music, DJ sets and film screenings.
 

 
A Christmas market in Stockholm
 

For a Scandinavian feel what better than Stockholm? There are a number of markets to visit in the Swedish capital, though the most famous is the Old Town market at Stortorget square, close to the Royal Palace. Along with the ubiquitous mulled wine (called glögg in Swedish), cakes, candles and traditional handcrafted stocking fillers, the inquisitive can also try snacking on reindeer and elk meat.

 
Stay at Ett Hem, Jeanette Mix’s ultra smart townhouse hotel, and relax in one of Ilse Crawford’s exquisitely-styled public rooms, or retreat to one of its 12 bedrooms for a cosy night in from the cold.
 

The Ett Hem - Image courtesy of Ett Hem
 

 
With dozens of markets all across Europe to choose from there is something for everyone, in cities that offer many delightful distractions away from the stalls. So, don a woolly hat and wrap up warm, sip a hot drink and fall unashamedly for some fun (and sometimes cutely kitsch) seasonal cheer.
 
View live prices and book your private jet to Munich Airport and Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport instantly. For Stockholm, fly into Stockholm Arlanda, Stockholm Skavsta, or Stockholm Bromma Airport and find yourself in Stortorget Square market in no time.