Hallstatt, Austria
The small town of Hallstatt, located next to the Alps, is a popular destination for tourists to enjoy a peaceful and quiet Christmas. With its back against the Dachstein mountain and facing the Hallstättersee lake, Hallstatt, with its poetic beauty, is also known as the “pearl of Austria” or the “fairyland” of fairy tales.
Indeed, the town of Hallstatt is like a fairy tale village from Andersen's story, with quiet nature, pretty little houses with white snow-covered roofs, flickering fires, pine trees, poinsettia wreaths decorating every street and corner, and the sound of hymns echoing somewhere. Moreover, when coming to Hallstatt, you can explore this small town by climbing mountains, hiking, rowing boats, exploring the caves, salt mines and the wild beauty of many neighboring areas.
Transportation: Hallstatt is a 4-hour train ride from Vienna. Please note that buses and trains depart regularly and on time.
Accommodation: You can choose lakeside hotels to stay overnight in Hallstatt, however room rates here are quite high and you have to book early, otherwise they will be sold out during the holiday season.
Tour: You can book a European discovery tour during the festive season from many travel agencies such as SaigonTourist, Vietravel... to experience a special Christmas season in the ancient village of Hallstatt.
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn has the image of an old European town with ancient walls, small houses tinged with time, cobblestone streets and the gentle lifestyle of the people here. Tallinn has long been famous for its wonderful Christmas atmosphere. This is also known as the first city to put up a Christmas tree in a public place, and is the origin of almond cake - a type of cake that is very popular during the European festive season.
However, Christmas in Estonia’s quiet capital is not all about Christmas trees and sweet almond cakes, Tallinn is also recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Every year-end festival, bakers from all over the country gather, pouring their heart and love into producing traditional Christmas cakes at the sparkling market set up in the City Hall Square area.
The city's nostalgic Christmas atmosphere combined with its traditional beauty, architecture and classic charm make it one of the most enchanting destinations for a Christmas holiday in Europe.
Transportation: To get to Estonia, visitors will choose to stop at Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, because it is the largest airport in the country. From Vietnam, you can fly to Tallinn, Estonia from Tan Son Nhat Airport via two transit points: Qatar and Sweden.
Cuisine: Rye bread with potatoes, pork and dairy products, beer or vodka.
Tour: You can contact VYC Travel to experience a unique Christmas in the fairy tale town of Tallinn.
Nuremberg, Germany
Every Christmas, the traditional market in the town of Nuremberg (Germany) attracts more than 2 million visitors to enjoy the festive moments.
With their ingenuity and long-term experience, shop owners always try to decorate their stalls to be splendid, eye-catching but still have the most Christmas colors and atmosphere. Also in this traditional market, only traditional toys, colorful candies, decorations... crafted and finished by hand are sold. This will truly be a world of holiday toys for children.
While wandering through the streets of the town, visitors can smell the rich aroma of mulled red wine with flavors of orange, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Why not take a moment to sip the traditional wine and enjoy the typical Christmas dishes here such as gingerbread, grilled sausages, and sweet almond cakes.
When Christmas comes, Nuremberg is dressed in a festive coat of brilliant decorations, making it impossible for anyone to forget the magnificent beauty of this ancient town.
Travel: From Vietnam to Germany, visitors can fly from Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. Currently, Vietnam Airlines has direct flights from Vietnam to Frankfurt, Germany.
Cuisine: German food is rich and varied but mostly combines marinated meat with many spices and vegetables. German sausages and German beer are popular dishes in Germany.
Tour: Experience the German festival atmosphere and visit Nuremberg town for 6 days and 5 nights at domestic travel companies such as Vietravel or Viet Travel.
Rovaniemi, Finland
Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland, is arguably the most magical place on earth to celebrate Christmas. There are snow-covered rooftops, towering pine trees, smiling children making their own Christmas cookies… and the “real” Santa Claus lives just 8 km from town.
Legend has it that the first Santa Claus lived in the mountains of eastern Lapland, in the Korvatunturi mountain range in the 1920s with his friendly elves. He could hear all the wishes of children around the world and spent most of the year with the elves preparing gifts, toys… for the children.
In addition, in the town of Rovaniemi, there are many other extremely impressive outdoor activities such as skiing, sledding pulled by Husky dogs or reindeer.
So, come to Rovaniemi for Christmas, enjoy the fairytale atmosphere here and try your hand at new sports games. What more could you look forward to?
Travel: From Vietnam, there are many airlines flying to Finland. You need to have a European visa or a Finnish visa if you want to enter this country.
Tip: If you come to Finland, try to experience the aurora borealis and sauna.
Tour: Visit Santa Claus in Rovaniemi village of Lapland this Christmas season with an 8-day, 7-night tour from Vietravel, Fiditour or Lienbangtravel.
