Christmas is getting closer and we start thinking about presents for our friends and family members. Surely, you can wait until December, go to overcrowded shopping malls and get the last pair of socks, gloves or try to find something nice in heaps of unattractive sweaters. If this prospect doesn’t sound good for you, October and November are best months for Christmas shopping. In case you are planning your trip to Europe, this is just a perfect opportunity to buy truly amazing presents.

Europe is called a shopping mecca and it absolutely proves this name. Fashion people know they can get the hottest stuff not only in New York, but also in world’s trend-setting fashion capitals like Paris and Milan. Any conservative person surely knows and values Scandinavian and German designs. In true, you can find presents for all your friends, family, colleagues or boss including the most hard-to-please ones in Europe. Another reason we advise visiting Europe in October and November is you can feel the atmosphere of real holiday. There’s no need to stay in Europe until Christmas as bright, joyful and festive markets are opened months beforehand. You can buy multiple souvenirs, sweets, freshly baked bread and holiday gingerbread or just wander around enjoying colorful sights, lively sounds and hot spiced wine.

You can find Christmas markets in any small or large town of Europe, but if you want to visit truly massive one, there are several well-known destinations like French Marchés de Noël. This market is located in the heart of Alsace region, in the city of Strasbourg. Just 3 hours by train from Paris and you find yourself in a real winter fairy tale. Whole city turns to one big market before Christmas with different parts of it featuring one theme like books, photo exhibitions, ice castles or Christmas pomp and circumstance.

Apart from Marchés de Noël you can visit the Christkindelsmärik that is as big as a whole city district. You can find best souvenirs here. Each outlet resembles a small wooden chalet, inside which you can get various toys, handcraft jewelry and baubles, ceramic statues, various wooden stuff, plush animals, teddy bears or colorful patchwork pillows. This market is an unbelievable mix of colors, music and joy that provide everyone with an atmosphere of a real holiday, so you can not only buy best gifts there, but also get unforgettable memories that will warm you in long winter evenings.

Tags: Christmas, Christmas markets, Europe, German, holiday, Milan, New York, November, October, Paris, Scandinavian, Shopping

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 11th, 2008 at 1:11 pm and is filed under Shopping, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.