The annual ‘must-see’ lists of Europe’s historic Christmas markets have been springing up in recent weeks with their wonderous descriptions tempting one to book a short-haul flight to sample glühwein and gingerbread.
But we’d like to hear from you, what are the markets you’ve been to like in reality? Are you Irish and living abroad - is there a gem in your city that rarely gets attention? Are the markets as magical as they sound or are there downsides? As a resident are they central to your festive preparations or are they just for tourists? Tell us what you think using the form below or email abroad@irishtimes.com.
Among the lists in recent days was one from Forbes with Europe’s top 10 fairytale markets. The description is akin to a Netflix made-for-TV Christmas movie blurb: “Whether you dream of Gothic Old Towns dusted with snow, alpine choirs echoing in medieval courtyards, or moonlit forest paths lit by lanterns and laughter…”.
But for anyone who has been to a Christmas market in Ireland it may not be a surprise that we are largely absent from these annual recommendations. Yes there are some very fine efforts in Galway, Dublin and Waterford, but competing with hundreds of markets across Europe, that have traditions dating back to medieval times, is a tall order.
READ MORE
So when Limerick’s Mayor John Moran last week postponed the city’s Christmas market until next year because proposals were “developed too late”, there was some local outcry. But many, who have endured a disappointing evening sipping overpriced hot chocolate at an ill-planned festive market, while listening to the hum of a diesel generator, may have understood.
“The proposals were developed late and they came late. I wasn’t happy it was going to be a success. It’s public money, so we decided we would push it off until next year,” Moran told the Limerick Leader.
We’d like to hear from you. What are your favourite elements of continental European markets? What makes them so special? Do they help or hinder local businesses? What are the prices like? If you are living in Ireland, what do you think of our Christmas markets? How could they be improved?
You can let us know what you think using the form below. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less. Please include a phone number for verification purposes only. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential.
We will curate a selection of submissions for an article but please note we may not publish every submission we receive.
