BLOGMAS DAY 4
I mentioned in my Halloween post that Nottingham embraces the festivities like there’s no tomorrow. There’s a Winter Wonderland Christmas market every year and I absolutely love it. The market is typically made up of lots of little wooden huts (Santa’s grotto-esque) which sell all kinds of goodies.There’s definitely something for everyone. This year it’s even bigger and better.
So they only went and built the ‘sur-la-piste’ bar, which is basically a double-decked (GASP) French ski lodge, which is super cosy and lively if you fancy a drink with some friends or even just somewhere warm to run to when you become a bit too chilly. The bar plays Christmas music all day and then switches to an electric violinist on Friday and Saturday evenings! For the beer lovers amongst you, the bar is the first in Nottingham to serve unpasteurised beer (no added chemicals – pure lager) from oldest distillery in Europe! You can grab yourself some mulled wine and kick back and watch the world go by or embarrass everyone you know whilst dancing to an exotic cover of Sam Smith, the choice is yours!
There are interesting foods and gifts to be found all over the place, including a tea shop this year that sells amazing flavours of, (at the risk of blowing your minds) teas – including a “Sweet Vanilla Shortbread”, “Ginger Cranberry” and “Sweet Rosehip Cinnamon”. These are all available to buy here as well. This year there are lots of traders selling award-winning Chutneys, Cheeses and Chocolates which make great stocking fillers! There are fabulous gift stalls filled with handmade jewellery and Christmas decorations and even Lego themed artwork and so much more. There’s nothing quite like giving someone you love something special and handpicked by you with them in mind, of which there is plenty to choose from! There’s also a beautiful stall selling relaxation themed products with lots of mood lights and candles (see below).
In terms of food, there’s a lot to show you. I previously spoke about my beloved chocolate covered marshmallows and here they are once again! They have so many flavours, including Toblerone, Cappucino and Rum & Raisin! You even can grab a box of twelve for ten pounds and give them as a gift, I am obsessed with these!
Here’s some more for those of you with a sweet tooth there’s plenty more available! The sweet stalls are probably my favourite as they’re so vibrant and colourful, it’s hard not to stop and stare to take it all in! There’s so much variety! The mini pancakes (below) were AMAZING and opting for a topping of strawberries and Nutella might have been the best choice I’ve made. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much fudge in my life either, there are all kinds of flavours, from Skittles to Salted Caramel. It’s worth checking out, even if it’s just for a photo of the mountains of sugary goodness! There are Crepes, Pick ‘n’ Mix, Candy Floss, Toffee Apples, Giant Chocolate Muffins…the list goes on.
Your choices for savoury food are also endless. There are stalls selling delicious traditional British Hot Dogs, Honey Roast Ham served with juicy pineapple, Corn on the Cob, German fried potatoes, Homemade Olives, Stews…and that’s only a fraction of whats available!There are stands dedicated to covering your delicacies in all kinds of sauces, offering a wide range of toppings and side dishes. For those that have not mastered the art of walking and eating simultaneously (me), seated dining is available inside the bar area where lots more foods and drinks are served.
For the children (or those still in touch with their inner child – me again) There are lots of stalls with fairground games where you can win yourself a giant elf or there’s the Helter Skelter that kids can zoom down whilst one of the three bars remains festive and jolly below. Possibly the most popular and certainly the biggest attraction at the market is the ice skating rink, where you can glide around a giant and beautifully lit tree to festive tunes with your friends and family. Although I’m practically like Bambi on ice, it was worth it for the amount we laughed!
The choices are endless and it’s such a special experience, the perfect way to get into the festive spirit and do some Christmas shopping! I would highly recommend checking the Nottingham Winter Wonderland out, especially for those looking for a city break before Christmas. Don’t miss out!
N xxxx
Such a lovely post. My friend just recently visited Nottingham and got to visit the Christmas Market, it looks amazing (especially the Nutella pancakes)!
They were AMAZING, it’s such a nice place to spend an evening x
I’ve never seen something like this in my life before. It’s like one big Christmas town, I’d love to go there one day.
Thank you for sharing this.
It’s amazing isn’t it! You should check it Christmas markets near you! X
I love to learn about different places and, therefore, appreciate this post. Those treats also look very yummy.
Thank you. They were delicious!
Looks like happy place here!! 🙂
It is indeed!
The market looks amazing. I love a good Christmas market
Me too! x
I would love to visit a Christmas Market, we were planning on visiting one this year but sadly other things got in the way. I am off to hunt one a bit nearer to home x
Ooh good idea! They’re so festive and lovely to go to!
Oh wow.. that’s such a great effort from Nottingham for a winter wonderland.. so many cities don’t put half as much effort in and they really should because it’s such a great festive time of year!
It’s so lovely! I know, it’s a shame x
This looks great, way bigger than the Cardiff one. Would love a mulled wine right now!
It’s great! I’m going to have to visit some more markets now! x
Oh wow, I do love a fab Christmas get up – I’d love to take the kids there to see the festivities one day! Fab!
I would have loved it when I was little! Great place to go with the family for sure x
I love Christmas markets like these, they’re so cosy and inviting x
Nottingham looks so pretty with all the Christmas decorations in the market. By looking at your photos I would easily think they would have been taken at a traditional market somewhere in Germany and not in the UK. The food selection and drinks sounds very diverse.
Oh how lovely! I love a winter wonderland, we went to one in York this weekend and it was amazing!
Ooh I love York!
Wow, it all looks so pretty and festive! I think you definitely made the right choice with the pancakes too as they look delicious.
They were unreal, I loved them!
My sister lives in Nottingham and I remember it having the best Xmas markets and things going on way before other cities. It’s such a lovely place at Xmas. So glad you love it x
It’s so great! I’m so glad I’m here for university! x
My goodness such a beautiful place during Christmas, need to go here one day
You definitely do! x
I love christmas markets , they make you feel so festive. We are actually going to London’s winter wonderland on Friday and I am so excited! 🙂
I do too! I’ve always wanted to go to Winter Wonderland in London – I hope you had a lovely time!
I love to visit the Christmas markets, they are always jam-packed with festive feels! Nottingham is lovely at Christmas 🙂
Yes Nottingham is so lively and full of colour whilst it’s here x
This is definitely somewhere i’d like to visit. When I go and collect my eldest from university ‘up North’ next year, I may consider arriving a few days earlier and exploring Nottingham as I have been for such a long time.
Yes my parents love staying here when they come to pick me up from Nottingham! I would definitely recommend visiting x
This looks so much fun! I’ve been to winter wonderland a couple of times but it is just so hectic all the time. Nottingham is only an hour on the train from me too!!!
It does seem like it’s a bit hectic especially in London! Nottingham is in a smaller scale so it’s a bit easier to get around x
Oh my goodness it looks so Christmassy! I really must visit Nottingham, it sounds lovely.
You definitely should! x
This looks just like winter wonderland in London, but less hectic! Love the photographs too x
Yes! I hate crowded places and although this market can get busy it’s still possible to breathe and not get squashed!
This looks so gorgeous! I’ve just come back from Bath which was beautiful but now you’ve given me another place to go in the future!
I’m going to bath in the next few weeks, looks like we’re swapping! x
Wow, this is amazing!!! I am jealous of people who have awesome places like this at Christmas time. My town does not do anything special at all.
They’re so lucky aren’t they 🙁 back at home we don’t have anything either x