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Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Britain celebrate the season with great Europe Christmas Markets.

Winter is the best value time of year to visit Europe, but freezing temperatures and gray days dissuade many families from a Europe in winter vacation. However, the fun radiating from Europe's fabled Christmas Markets in the late fall is strong enough to keep all ages feeling welcomed and toasty warm. In towns large and small, picturesque city squares are filled with musicians on balconies, and choirs on church steps. Each evening from early November until early January, families can dine and shop outdoors the way locals do. At booths decorated in evergreen bowers and twinkling lights, parents can enjoy a mulled wine while kids comb the stalls searching for the perfect gift: a nutcracker, or a hand-painted crèche, or a cake baked with loving care.

Here's a look at our favorite Christmas Markets in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Sweden Christmas Markets

Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city, home of Volvo and Hasselblad, is also the No. 1 city when it comes to Christmas celebrations. According to their tourism office, an estimated 1.5 million visitors arrive each year during the late November to mid-December period when the city is decked out in all its glory.  After 85 years of operation, they've figured out how to do things in a really big way; plan to be overwhelmed by the 700 evergreens, nearly 4 miles of fir garlands, and 5 million sparkling lights extending from the harbor, through town and into the park. This, the largest Christmas market in Scandinavia, occurs in Gothenburg's Liseberg Park.

Typically, vendors in 80 stalls and cabins sell arts and crafts such as wooden toys, hand made candles, traditional straw work, traditional foods served by indigenous people from Lapland, pink pigs made of marzipan, lots of mulled wine, and decorated spruce trees. Around the park are reindeer sleigh rides, ice skating shows, light shows, and hundreds of young couples sipping trendy drinks at the Ice Gallery & Bar.  From November 13-December 23, 2009, there should be "guaranteed snow every day" effects. For more information about the Gothenburg / West Sweden region, visit www.goteborg.com. For more information about Sweden and other travel options, search through www.visitsweden.com.

Finland Santaland & Christmas Markets

Finland has gone way beyond the European tradition of town square Christmas markets to promote itself as the home of Santa's hideaway in the North Pole. Over the weekends leading up to Christmas, charter planes with loads of British and other European families fly into Finnish Lapland for just one day, to get a glimpse of Santa, and share their children's Wish List with him.

For Finns though, the Christmas season is especially welcome because events are planned to offset the short daylight hours and cold, cold climate. Families will find special concerts and festive menus everywhere.

Helsinki's Christmas Market typically begins the first week of December and ends a few days before Christmas. It is set up on the Esplanade, and delights Yuletide shoppers with beautiful and traditional craft items including fur hats, silver ornaments and wreaths made of woven oat stalks. Delicious edible treats include marzipan animals, gingerbread cookies, Christmas fruitcake and the flakiest prune-filled Christmas tarts imaginable. The museum village of traditional homes, Seurasaari, is illuminated by candles and has displays about the Finns' ancient traditions. And, one may spend hours shopping in beautifully decorated stores such as Stockmann's, Marimekko and Iittala. For more information, visit www.gofinland.org.