Copenhagen Christmas market

The Christmas markets of Copenhagen, Germany

You just haven’t experienced Christmas lights until you’ve seen nearly four miles of them artfully hung in patterns dictated by Tiffany’s head designer—and that’s not counting the 1,800 strands draped on the lakeside willows (Nov 16–Dec 30—though closed Dec. 24–25; www.visitcopenhagen.com/christmas).

Copenhagen celebrates Jul (as in “yuletide”) with a Christmas crafts market and surfeit of light-bedecked Christmas trees in the city’s famed historic amusement park, Tivoli Gardens (www.tivoli.dk).

Join the Danes in warding off the cold with æbleskiver (iced doughnuts with blackcurrant jam), and gløgg, a steaming hot mulled red wine laden with raisins, almonds, cinnamon sticks and cloves (all of which, for good measure, are steeped in aquavit or schnapps).

There’s also the lovely crafts market installed along a canal in the historic Nyhavn district (Nov 16 - Dec 22); try to visit it between 5 and 6pm weekdays to catch the town crier.

Look for...

Pixie-like nisser, tiny household elves that infest Denmark around Christmas clad in clogs, red shirts, and pointed red caps. More fickle than their cousin Santa, they might bring presents if you leave them bowls of porridge in the attic; if you forget, they’ll visit all kinds of mischief instead.

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