Europe's festive cities shine bright this Christmas season

The streets and squares of Vienna have been lit up with sparkling lights, making the Austrian capital particularly festive around the holidays. Here, you can see the Christmas lights along the Vienna Graben, a lively shopping street.

A large, festively decorated fir tree adorns downtown Prague — even though traditionally, trees are not decorated until the morning of Christmas Eve. Various Christmas markets dot the city, inviting patrons, for example, to sample trdelník, a pastry covered in powdered sugar.

Copenhagen's world-famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park attracts visitors from around the world at any time of the year. However, the atmosphere is extra special around Christmas, since the entire park is decorated for the holidays and strung with lights. Santa Claus and his reindeer also pay a visit to the big Christmas market.

Mallorca, the most popular Mediterranean island for German vacationers, decks itself in pre-Christmas splendor. One highlight is the 27-meter-high (88 ft.) walk-in Christmas tree in front of Palma Cathedral. Some 4,200 lighting elements and over 415 kilometers (258 miles) of fairy lights illuminate the island's capital.

Every year, hundreds of stalls and countless lights make Basel one of Europe's most beautiful Christmas cities. The picturesque old town center — including the Barfüsserplatz — sparkles in festive splendor. Many Christmas market stalls entice tourists and locals alike to buy beautiful gifts.

Under the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in Katowice's market square, visitors get into the festive spirit. The chair swing ride, the Ferris wheel and the ice rink will delight young and old alike. Those who still need to buy presents are sure to find something suitable in the countless stalls selling Christmas decorations, handicrafts and culinary specialties.

The Christmas season in the Hungarian capital is a great time to visit. The city has both large and small Christmas markets, like the one in front of St. Stephen's Basilica (above) but the longest-running is that on Vörösmarty Square. It has over 100 stalls, some of which sell traditional Hungarian handicrafts.

The picturesque alleys of Stockholm's historic center, like this one on Osterlanggatan in Gamla Stan, are brightened by festive decorations during cold winter evenings around Christmas. At the traditional market at the Skansen open-air museum, visitors can make candles or get cozy with a cup of spiced wine punch called glögg and ginger cookies.

Every year, a Norwegian Christmas tree gleams in Trafalgar Square in London. The fir tree is a gift from the city of Oslo in gratitude for British support during the occupation by Nazi Germany in World War II. But for most passersby, it's simply one of many beautifully decorated Christmas spots in the British capital.

The Belgian capital becomes a colorful winter wonderland when the Grand Place and other city squares host Christmas markets. Several hundred small wooden huts and thousands of lights generate a festive mood. And if you want to escape the hustle and bustle for a few minutes, you can ride the Ferris wheel.

There is perhaps nowhere more Christmassy than snowy Rovaniemi in Finland, known as Santa Claus Village. Tourists can cross the Arctic Circle, which runs right through the village and is marked with these lighthouses — they are also said to help Santa find his way back home again.