Latvia48-hour guide
Riga Christmas Market 2026: Dome Square, Old Town and Art Nouveau
Wooden stalls on Dome Square, the city that claims the first decorated Christmas tree, Art Nouveau façades and Zeppelin-hangar food halls, plus a two-day plan.
Where to go this weekend
Three trips worth taking, picked every Friday, plus a 48-hour plan for every city worth the journey.
Next weekend in Europe
23–25 October
Until Sun 25 Oct
Amsterdam
Amsterdam Dance Event: the world's biggest club and electronic music week, in its 30th edition.
23–26 Oct
Dublin
Bram Stoker Festival: Dublin's gothic Halloween festival, with free outdoor events.
Until 1 Nov
Copenhagen
Halloween at Tivoli: pumpkins, lanterns and scare houses in the historic gardens.
Full write-up on FridayPast weekends
What kind of weekend?
- Christmas marketsMulled wine, carols and lights in the old town28 weekends
- Winter sunBlue skies when home is grey8 weekends
- Food and drinkCities worth the trip for the table alone32 weekends
- By trainWeekends you can reach without flying20 weekends
- Romantic weekendsCandlelight, views and long dinners21 weekends
- Beaches and coastSand, sea air and harbour lunches17 weekends
- Castles and historyFortresses, ruins and Roman stones17 weekends
- Wine weekendsVineyards, cellars and the regions behind the bottle19 weekends
48 hours in…
Estonia48-hour guide
Tallinn Christmas Market 2026: Town Hall Square and a Medieval Weekend
A medieval square with a tree tradition Tallinn traces back to 1441, Toompea's rooftop views, Kalamaja's wooden houses and a plate of verivorst with sauerkraut.
Malta48-hour guide
Valletta Weekend Guide: 48 Hours of Winter Sun and the Three Cities
Two days in Malta's honey-stone capital: Caravaggio, the Grand Harbour guns, the ferry to Birgu and a quiet half day in Mdina, with mild winter weather to match.
Poland48-hour guide
Kraków Christmas Market 2026: Rynek, Szopki and a Weekend Plan
Wooden stalls on Europe's grandest medieval square, glittering szopki nativity cribs, grilled oscypek and grzaniec, then Wawel Hill and the lanes of Kazimierz.
Denmark48-hour guide
Copenhagen Christmas Market 2026: Tivoli, Nyhavn and a Weekend Plan
Tivoli's lit-up gardens, chalets on Højbro Plads and along Nyhavn, gløgg with æbleskiver and a calm, candlelit kind of Christmas, plus a two-day plan.
Germany48-hour guide
Munich Christmas Market 2026: Five Markets and a Weekend Plan
Marienplatz under the New Town Hall, a medieval market, a Christmas village in a royal courtyard, Pink Christmas and Tollwood, plus a two-day route through the old town.
Travel news
Closures, new rules and openings that change a weekend plan.
- Halloween weekend 2026: six European trips worth booking
- EES and ETIAS: what UK travellers need this autumn
- Christmas markets 2026: confirmed opening dates
- Vienna’s Café Central: still closed, reopening now set for winter
- New trains for winter: London–Antwerp direct and a Brussels–Milan sleeper
- Lisbon moves to suspend shared e-scooters
Christmas markets 2026
In the order they open.
Bristol Christmas Market
Cardiff Christmas Market
Where to next?
New reels every weekday: 48-hour routes, food worth the trip and what’s on this weekend.