Winter wonderland

Romantic Christmas markets, snow-covered parks, cosy coffee houses and the best cakes in?Europe, Vienna offers a special wintry weekend break

A ccording to the German version of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, Vienna is Christmas – and it's true. When you visit the city during winter, the festive atmosphere is magical – from twinkling light displays to numerous Christmas markets with aromas of Viennese hot punch and freshly baked cookies.

The markets take place from mid-November until Christmas. The largest and most famous is the traditional Magic of Advent in City Hall Square where more than 150 stands are laden with beautiful gifts, decorations and mouth-watering delicacies. A giant Advent wreath dominates the square while bright lighting in the trees transforms the surrounding park.

Not far away is the Christmas village on Maria Theresien-Platz between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum. Here more than 60 stands offer traditional handicrafts and original gift ideas, so if you haven't started the Christmas shopping yet, here's your chance.

Alternatively, plump for the finery of Schönbrunn Palace, or visit the arts and crafts market on Karlsplatz where all the wares are made by stallholders themselves. The seasonal market in the winding cobblestone Biedermeier alleyways of Spittelberg is one of the most romantic while Winter im MQ in the MuseumsQuartier is cool and kitsch-free.

When you're all shopped out, slip out of the crowds into City Hall or St Stephen's Cathedral to hear carols sung. Or, if that's not your thing, take a boat trip along the Danube or a bracing walk around Danube Island or through one of the city's many parks.

Exercise gives you the perfect excuse to warm up again afterwards in one of the city's 800 coffee houses and treat yourself to a delicious cake or pastry. Choosing which coffee house is the hardest part. Café Sperl, founded in 1880, is Vienna's oldest with an interior that's hardly changed since the 19th century; Café Central in Herrengasse is famed for its long tradition as Vienna's cultural "institution" between 1847 and 1897 when there was hardly a writer, actor, critic or musician of note who did not frequent it.

At Café Hawelka in the beautiful Innere Stadt you may be greeted by its 100-year-old owner. Or, you could make your way to Café Landtmann where the cakes are truly amazing. Past patrons, including Sigmund Freud, Marlene Dietrich, Paul McCartney and Hillary Clinton, obviously thought so too.

Festive shopping list

Lincoln, UK
1 to 4 December

Lincoln's medieval square between the Norman castle and magnificent Gothic cathedral is the perfect backdrop for its Christmas market. From its beginnings in 1982 with just 11 stalls, the market now takes over most of the city's cultural quarter with more than 250 stalls. Stallholders from Neustadt, Lincoln's German twin town, bring crafts, food and drink.
www.lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk

Prague, Czech Republic
26 November to 8 January

Christmas markets take place in the picturesque Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, with smaller versions at Havelske Trziste and Namesti Republiky. Here visitors seek traditional products from handicrafts and hot food (sausages, corn on the cob and pastries) to Czech beers and hot wine. They run daily, including Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
www.czechtourism.com

Stockholm, Sweden
19 November to 23 December

Four Christmas markets take place within Stockholm: at Skansen, on the park island of Djurgården, Gamla Stan in the old town, and at Rosendal Palace and Kungstradgården. Look out for traditional, hand-crafted decorations, hand-made toys and festive fare such as smoked sausages, salmon, reindeer meat, roasted chestnuts, gingerbread biscuits, and glögg (mulled wine).
www.visitsweden.com

Sarah Nicolas