European city breaks in December for Christmas markets or winter sun

If your ideal break means more time outside in daylight, look to southern Spain, Madeira or Gran Canaria.

Eleven December city breaks at a glance

The temperatures are rounded averages of December's daily highs. Spain's AEMET uses airport stations for Málaga and Gran Canaria. Portugal's IPMA uses a station in Funchal. Use the forecast to plan your particular weekend.

Four smaller Christmas markets in the Low Countries and the Rhineland

Aachen for a market day

Aachen's market runs from 20 November to 23 December, daily from 11:00 to 21:00. Three days differ: on Sunday 22 November it opens at 18:00, on Saturday 12 December it stays open until 22:00, and on 23 December it closes at 20:00. From Valkenburg and Maastricht in the Netherlands, Arriva's Three Countries Train runs through to Aachen Hbf, so you can combine the two in a day.

Düsseldorf for markets until 30 December

The markets open from 19 November to 30 December: Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 to 20:00, Friday and Saturday until 21:00. They close on Sunday 22 November and on Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve they are open from 11:00 to 15:00, and on 26 December from 14:00 to 21:00.

Valkenburg for a market underground

The small Dutch town of Valkenburg has its own railway station on the line between Maastricht, Heerlen and Aachen. Its two cave markets, in the Gemeentegrot and the Fluweelengrot, open from 13 November to 30 December. You book a ticket for each cave for a date and time slot, and the organisers suggest allowing about an hour and a half per cave. The wider Christmas Town programme runs until 3 January.

Bruges for a market that lasts into January

Bruges' Christmas markets open from 20 November to 3 January: Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday until 23:30, and until 03:00 on New Year's Eve. Get off at Brugge station rather than Brugge-Sint-Pieters, as it is within walking distance of the historic centre. Winter Glow, the city's winter programme, continues until 31 January.

Four city breaks for Christmas markets

Cologne for markets within walking distance

If you arrive by train, the cathedral market is right by Köln Hauptbahnhof. Start under the lights on Roncalliplatz, then take the short walk through the old town to Alter Markt and on to the rink at Heumarkt. Spend the next morning along the Rhine or head into Museum Ludwig on a wet day. If your visit falls between Christmas and New Year, go straight to Heumarkt. It reopens on 26 December.

Strasbourg for a pre-Christmas break

Give yourself an afternoon for the old town on foot. Cross the canals in Petite France while it's light, pause for an Alsatian bredle biscuit, then walk to Place Kléber for the tree and to the cathedral square for the stalls. With a second evening, you can spend more time around Place Broglie. If you can visit on a weekday, do your browsing earlier and save the illuminated lanes for after dark.

Vienna for palace courtyards and time indoors

Give Rathausplatz an evening of its own. You can spend the afternoon in a museum near Maria-Theresien-Platz and walk over to the town hall as the lights come on. Set aside part of the next day for Schönbrunn, with time for the palace and its courtyard market. If you arrive in the last week of December, build your plans around Schönbrunn. On Christmas Eve its stalls close at 16:00.

Prague for the days between Christmas and New Year

Make Old Town Square your evening stop and cross Charles Bridge earlier for a daylight view of Prague Castle. The market at Wenceslas Square is in the lower part of the square, so it's an easy second stop from the old town. If you have another morning, cross the river and explore the streets below the castle in Malá Strana. In the run-up to Christmas, the market at Náměstí Míru is another option away from the main squares.

Three city breaks for winter sun

Málaga for art and a walk by the Mediterranean

Start with the Alcazaba and the Roman theatre at its foot. Walk through the port to La Malagueta in the early afternoon, when it's likely to be warmer. Leave the Picasso Museum for an afternoon when the weather sends you indoors. December nights are cooler, with an average low of about 9 °C at the airport station, so pack a layer for dinner and the walk back.

Funchal for mild days and festive evenings

Use one afternoon to explore Zona Velha and the harbourfront, then follow Avenida Arriaga from the cathedral to see the centre lit up. Save the clearest part of your stay for the hilltop gardens at Monte Palace, where you can look down over the bay. The gardens close on 25 December. If rain moves in on another day, you can swap Monte for a long lunch and a museum in town.

Las Palmas for a city beach you can walk to

Stay near Las Canteras if you want breakfast followed by a stroll on the promenade. Give Vegueta a morning of its own, with time for Plaza de Santa Ana and the courtyards at Casa de Colón. If you only have one full day, take a city bus between the old quarter and the beach and leave the afternoon for the waterfront.

How to make the most of a short December trip

• Match the market to your dates. The first half of December gives you the widest choice here. Over 24–26 December, check the opening hours for the individual market, the museum you plan to visit and somewhere to eat. The dates in the table give you the season, and the organisers list the hours for individual holidays.
• Count the time you'll have in town. Two nights can give you a good short break with an early arrival and a late departure. If you land in the evening or spend half a day getting to an island, a third night buys you a second full day.
• Put the right thing in the daylight. On a market break, see the city in the afternoon and make the lit-up squares your evening plan. On a winter-sun break, save the middle of the day for a waterfront walk or an outdoor lunch.

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