Christmas Markets are a great opportunity for students to explore and learn in surroundings that interest and engage them whilst providing fun and learning. Not only is a visit to a Christmas Market a great opportunity for class bonding at the end of your students’ first term together, they are also a great way to improve communication skills. Not least, an educational visit to any of the Markets means students can enjoy some early Christmas shopping too!
This 3 star hotel is located in the suburbs of Lille. It offers very comfortable rooms and is a great budget option if you wish to spend more time at Lille Christmas market.
This is a traditional German youth hostel and is located slightly away from the busy centre. It has good recreational facilities and is ideal for overnight stops to allow you to get more out of your Christmas market visit.
This is a modern city hostel on the banks of the Rhine a 30 minute walk to Cologne city centre or just 10 minutes on the tram. This is perfect accommodation for Christmas Market tour.
Another modern youth hostel with great facilities. Just the other side of the River the city centre can be reached on foot in 15 minutes or by public transport. Another great option for a tour with a focus on Cologne.
This is the main site for the Christmas Market where you’ll find over 80 chalets, Father Christmas and the Funfair.
The giant 50 ft ferris wheel is here along with more stalls and all year round shops.
We highly recommend taking a break from the hustle and bustle for lunch at a central Lille crêperie. The group menu usually offers a sweet and a savoury crêpe each and we can pre-book this so that you can all stay together.
Take our free fun Christmas quiz along with you. This will give your students a focus whilst they are they, encourage them to look around the markets and the area and give them opportunities to try out some language skills. Its also a useful thing for them to finish off on the coach journey home.
This busy port town offers a wide range of visits which means many groups choose spend a half day or a whole day here. At the heart of Boulogne is the Roman old town, ideal for sightseeing and shopping. Other popular visits include Becasuc sweet factory and Nausicaä Sea Centre.
A well known local chocolate producer. Here you can see a demonstration of melting and moulding the chocolate with chance to sample the chocolates at the end. Worksheets available for French Language students.
If you haven’t done quite enough shopping there’s always Cite Europe, where you can make a last minute stop!
Cologne offers seven major Christmas markets all with different themes and entertainment going on. There are four big Christmas markets:
With the dramatic backdrop of the Cathedral, you’ll find over 160 stalls here. There’s a good range of food and drink stalls and also opportunities to see artisans at work.
This is a great market for children. There’s a carousel ride, puppet show, Santa’s grotto and lots of toy stalls. This is where you’ll find the Heinzelmännchen, the legendary gnomes who are said to do the work at night.
This is Cologne’s oldest market, known as the market of Angels. Its located close to the main shopping area of Cologne and tends to offer more high quality goods. The chalets are designed with a ‘stars at night’ theme.
This market has a real fairytale theme to it, taking you into the world of the Brothers Grimm. Large fairytale figures and festive illuminations are a highlight here.
Smaller Christmas Markets to choose from include:
Medieval Christmas Market & Cologne Harbour Market – located at the Chocolate Museum
Floating Christmas Market – on board a KD Cruise boat
Stadtgarten Christmas Market – located on the edge of Cologne’s oldest park
The Cologne Bimmelbahn Christmas Express takes you through the city of Cologne to see the sights whilst travelling from one Christmas Market to the next. Stops include the Cathedral, Alter Markt, Neumarkt and the Chocolate Museum. The train runs every 15 minutes.
Take our free fun Christmas quiz along with you. This will give your students a focus whilst they are they, encourage them to look around the markets and the area and give them opportunities to try out some language skills. Its also a useful thing for them to finish off on the coach journey home.
Your students can take a tour of the museum, then watch the chocolate making process before trying some samples.
This iconic cathedral, a World Heritage Site, dominates the skyline. Whether you call in to take a look around self guided or pre-book a guided tour in German or English to give you more information on the history of the building, it’s a must for everyone who visits Cologne.