Market | Charlotte's VVeb

An Alternative Christmas Market – Kubik in Vienna

30/11/201006/03/2017 by Charlotte J

Love Christmas Markets but looking for something slightly different this year? Why not visit Kubik lightroom installation in Votive Park in Vienna. At this truly exceptional location, architecture, light and sound merge into an unique Advent attraction. Featuring electronic music by DJs, punch and Christmas gift ideas there really is something for everyone. This installation has been hosted by several other European cities but is now open in Vienna until the end of December. The Kubik consists of tanks, filled with water and illuminated from inside, creating a spectacular light effect. Video artists can control each tank individually to create a light performance to the music. Then there is the particuarly novel interpretation of the traditional punch bar! This is definitely THE alternative Christmas Market to visit in 2010.

Open now until 31 December 2010, daily from 5pm to 10pm (closed between 24 and 26 December)

Sigmund Freud Park / Votive Church

1090 Vienna

www.kubikwien.at

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Winter Festivities in Slovenia

03/12/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Slovenia’s towns will come to life with festive cheer, markets, decorations and lights during the run up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The festivities in Ljubljana kick off today with the symbolic switching-on of the Christmas lights and events will continue until the country’s biggest New Year’s Eve party, accompanied by a fireworks display from Ljubljana Castle.

From 3rd – 6th December, the St. Nicholas Fair (Christmas market) will be taking place in Prešernov trg – Ljubljana’s main square – with festively decorated stalls offering a variety of Christmas gifts, including traditional Slovenian products. Other events taking place during the month-long Festive Fair include the St Nicholas procession, where the saint will be accompanied by devils and angels distributing biscuits, fruit and sweets to children; and a range of outdoor musical and street theatre performances.

Other events will take place across the rest of Slovenia, such as the Colourful December festival in Maribor from 5th December 2009, which includes street theatre, music and puppet shows; and the St Nicholas Eve celebrations on 4th December in Kranjska Gora, which includes the arrival of devils from three countries – Slovenia, Italy and Austria. Biblical scenes will be portrayed in the underground caverns of Postojna Cave from 19th December to 3rd January by local school children.

On Christmas Day in Bled, the legend of the Wishing Bell will be re-enacted. The illuminated bell, which according to legend is sunk in the famous Lake Bled, will be raised from the depths of the lake to the accompaniment of music and narration of the legend.

For more information about Slovenia’s festive events visit www.slovenia.info

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Christmas Markets make Poland a Festive Wonderland

17/11/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Poland’s top city destinations are getting ready for this year’s winter festivities. Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk will enter into the spirit of the season this December as all three cities hold their famous Christmas markets. Visitors will get the chance to experience a traditional Polish Christmas, sample our festive food, enjoy Polish carols and warm themselves with hot mulled wine. And of course a white Christmas is always on the cards in Poland.

Perhaps the country’s best-known Christmas market is the one held every year on Krakow’s Rynek, featuring handicrafts from across the Małopolska region, wonderful foodstuffs including bigos, pierogi and delicious oscypek cheese, and plenty of hot wine to help keep the cold at bay. The market gets underway on 7 December and lasts until after Christmas Day.

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Tallinn Christmas Market – The Youngest, The Best?

13/11/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

This year Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, hosts its 8th Christmas market since the tradition was revived in post-Soviet times. The 64 wooden stalls that throng the picturesque wide open space of Tallinn’s Town Hall Square around a massive central Christmas tree will set up daily from 9am – 7pm, from 29th November until 7th January 2010. During the 40 day period the city expects to welcome up to 200,000 visitors to the traditional heart of this picturesque, snowy city that nestles on the Gulf of Finland in the north of the country.

Appropriately enough the Town Hall square was the site of the world’s first Christmas tree, which was central to a ritual begun in 1441, when unmarried merchants sang and danced with local girls around a tree, which they then burned!

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Budapest Christmas Market

13/10/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Take a festive break in Budapest and be dazzled by one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals in winter time. The annual Budapest Christmas Market takes place this year from 20 November until 29 December 2009 and is the biggest outdoor event of the winter season. Visitors to the capital during this month long festival will be treated to an array of Christmas themed stalls; all lit up in the attractive Vörösmarty Square, selling unique artisan gifts and adornments, as well as delicious food and mulled wine. The square will be decorated with a huge Christmas tree, packed with lights and decorations, an advent calendar and there are regular visits by Santa Claus that will delight both children and adults alike.

Budapest in the winter is as charming as during the summer months with lots to do, from ice skating under the stars next to the fairy tale castle of Vajdahunyad, to taking a dip in one of the many outdoor steaming hot spas. Keeping with the magical atmosphere include a stay at the 4* Danubius Hotel Astoria, an Austro-Hungarian, period small boutique hotel that has been the setting for many films. It is popular because of its traditional ambience and its central location, close to the main shopping street, Váci Utca, and the Christmas market. The hotel is offering ‘three nights for the price of two’ during the winter and a three night stay, including breakfast is from €110 per person, based on two people sharing a room in December. Guests also get the added bonus of a 15% discount off the special seasonal a la cart Xmas menus in the Empire Restaurant.

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Ljubljana, Slovenia

10/06/200917/10/2016 by Charlotte J

From Zagreb it takes just 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to Ljubljana. Trains run semi-regularly from 5 A.M. to 11.35 P.M. Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and like Zagreb, is a very pretty capital city. The market is packed full of quaint little wooden stalls selling everything from cabbage to wine.

However, the main attraction in the city is the castle. The castle can be reached on foot, by tourist train or by funicular, a return ticket for the latter costs 3 Euros for an adult and 2 Euros for a concession.

From the castle one can enjoy panoramic views of the city and the mountains which surround it. Unfortunately, there is currently repair work taking place on the tower so views are limited.

Slovenia always has many events and festivals taking place across the country and last Saturday the Slovene Vintage Car Club were in the city, out in force.

The cars were a real delight, as were their owners who were happily sharing wine and food with the locals and tourists alike.