I don’t feel that Christmas has arrived until I’ve visited at least one Christmas market.

The air is crisp and cold, the sweet sounds of choirs merge with the smells of hot spiced wine and roasted chestnuts and you’re surrounded by hundreds of shoppers (and dozens of Santas) bustling by in search of presents for loved ones.

You may think that Christmas markets were invented by the Victorians, but they have been loved by families since the late Middle Ages, and it’s a tradition that has been celebrated ever since.

For the ultimate Christmas shopping experience, pick up handmade crafts, delicious local food and extra special gifts, sample mulled wine and mince pies and give the kids the chance to visit Santa in his grotto.

Yorkshire has an abundance of magical Christmas Markets, offering an array of craft and food stalls with seasonal gift ideas for everyone, from handcrafted toys, jewellery, decorations to traditional Christmas food – everything you need for the perfect celebration.

As well as this magical array of gift ideas, you’ll find plenty of festive fun, with music, entertainers, carousel rides, twinkling lights, carol singing, Santa’s Grotto and even in some instances open-air ice rinks and deer parks!

So why not get into the Christmas spirit with our pick of the best Christmas Markets across the county.

One of the earliest has already started. Christkindelmarkt – set in Millennium Square, Leeds – offers a lovely alternative to the hustle and bustle of a pre-Christmas high street.

Lanes of decorated wooden chalets spring up like a town, stocked full of food, toys, clothes and trinkets, from German sausage and honey to hand-crafted wind chimes and children’s toys. It really comes to life at night, when it is even more popular than during the day.

The St Nicholas Fayre fills York for four days. A stroll through the city is magical at Christmas – its narrow, cobbled streets, medieval buildings and towering Minster lend themselves perfectly to a traditional Yuletide atmosphere. On offer are gifts, crafts, and the best in local produce. Outside markets move into Parliament Street, St Sampsons Square and Coppergate with a medieval market featuring live crafting, mulled wine and costumed traders in Barley Hall.

Hugely popular is Skipton’s Yuletide Festival and market, now in its 19th year, and attracting thousands of people from across the country on the first two Sundays of December. The whole of the town will have a real Christmas feel as each day of festival ends with a procession up the High Street to Holy Trinity Church where a carol service takes place in the grounds.

It may have started eight years ago in a humble local allotment with a handful of stalls, but today Clayton Dickensian Market attracts more than 8,000 visitors, thanks to the tireless work of the market committee. With more than 100 stalls, there is no shortage of things to buy and do, and there’s plenty of entertainment for younger members of the family.

Grassington Dickensian Festival, in the heart of the Dales, offers a chance to step back to a Dickensian era.

Street entertainment, buskers, chestnut sellers and a traditional outdoor market complete the event. The park and ride is advisable, as this festival attracts coachloads of visitors from around the country.

Bradford Christmas Market will be bustling with stalls on Darley Street, Kirkgate, Bank Street and Tyrell Street. As well as a variety of festive treats for the family, there’ll be lots of Christmas cuisine on offer.

Lightwater Shopping Village Dickensian Festival is quite new, but already in the top ten Christmas Markets in the UK. They’re pulling out all the stops this year with Yorkshire chef Stephanie Moon, Yorkshire’s loudest town crier and more than 100 stalls. Entry is £2 for adults and £1 for children, which also includes entry to the new Angry Birds Activity Park, Lightwater Falconry, carousel and train.

  • Christkindelmarkt, Leeds – November 8 to December 16; St Nicholas Fayre, York – November 28 to December 1; Lightwater Shopping Village Dickensian Festival – November 28 to December 1; Grassington Dickensian Christmas Festival – November 30 and December 7 and 14; Skipton Yuletide Festival & Christmas Market – December 8 and 15; Bradford Christmas Market – November 28 to December 1; Clayton Dickensian Market – December 7.
  • There many other Christmas markets to enjoy in the region including Harrogate Christmas Market from November 28 to December 1; Knaresborough Christmas Market, November 28 to December 7; and Leyburn Christmas Market on December 7.