Move over Munich: Europe’s cheapest Christmas market breaks revealed – and it’s the Baltic states leading the way

Move over Munich, Cologne and Salzburg, the best-value Christmas market breaks are to be found in the Baltic states and as you move deeper into Central and Eastern Europe.

Christmas markets may have originated in Germany and Austria in the late middle ages, but these days they’re all over the continent and for cheap festive treats the likes of Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and the Czech Republic lead the way.

That’s the finding of Post Office Travel Money’s Christmas Markets Barometer 2024, with Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, topping the bargain break list. A two-night getaway is estimated to cost from £511 for two people with travel, hotels and food – a mere £255.50 per person.

And with the chance to pick up good-value presents, a pre-Christmas escape is even more enticing. So here we focus on Post Office Travel Money’s top Christmas market picks on a budget.

BAUBLES IN BRATISLAVA

Festivities in Slovakia’s capital centre on the Main Square and Hviezdoslavovo…