When it comes to Europe's best Christmas markets , Zurich in Switzerland isn't exactly seen as one of the strong contenders.
However, my friends and I chose it for a weekend away because we wanted to use the markets as an excuse to explore a city we wouldn't typically visit, reasoning that there'd be some festive cheer to be found in the lead-up to Christmas.
Zurich did not disappoint; it was festive cheer galore.
I'm talking countless markets nestled throughout the city, twinkling light displays, copious amounts of cheese and mulled wine, and even a singing Christmas tree (more on that later).
The city has everything you could want for a fun festive break – and considering it's a short flight from the UK (under two hours from London), it's easy to do a long weekend.
I was impressed by the sheer amount of Christmas markets to be found. Zurich is actually a very walkable destination, so we enjoyed leisurely strolling from one market to the next, taking in the atmosphere as we went.
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One Christmas market which particularly impressed was inside the main train station, a pretty quirky location.
Here we found plenty of traditional stalls selling everything from handmade crafts and ornaments to seriously yummy food (the raclette and mulled wine were particularly appealing).
There was also a huge Christmas tree decked out in Swarovski crystals, which looked ridiculously pretty and made for a popular photo opp. Unfortunately, the popularity proved a drawback as at times it was quite difficult to navigate through due to the sheer amount of people.
Other highlights included a small market right by Grossmunster Cathedral which offered heaps of food stalls, and made for the perfect lunch spot after we visited the pretty cathedral (in total it took about 15 minutes to explore the landmark).
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Wandering through the city centre we found plenty more markets, some with just a couple of stalls and some with plenty going on.
On the first night, we discovered one with a Singing Christmas Tree, where a large tree-shaped stand plays host to a choir who belt out hits from classic carols to Michael Bublé covers and Shakin' Stevens. Singing along was encouraged (and embraced!).
It's not just the markets that make the atmosphere so festive. All of the streets have pretty dazzling light displays, with twinkling decorations and eye-catching arrangements, there are some impressive window displays and just general festive decorations all adding to the festive feel of the city.
Oh, and of course no trip to Switzerland is complete without sampling the local cheese, which was not difficult to do considering the amount of raclette stands and fondue pop-ups on offer.
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It wasn't all about Christmas – our group was also keen to try and see some of Zurich's best attractions . Everything is easily within walking distance (although there are trams for easy transport) which made it very doable.
Within 48 hours we were able to squeeze in a trip to the Swiss National Museum, a 90-minute boat trip around Lake Zurich, the markets, a wander around Grossmunster Cathedral, and a cheese fondue dinner.
The FIFA World Museum was on the list, but we didn't think we'd have enough time to explore it properly so we opted for a quick drink in its sleek sports bar instead, where we met some of the friendly locals watching the live matches on big screens.
However, what does let Zurich down is that it's not a budget-friendly break.
Although some of the attractions are cheap – the National Museum cost 10CHF (approx £7.70) – the cost of food and drink quickly adds up.
However, we opted to eat out for both nights of our stay and have lunch at the markets, so if you are on a budget then taking a packed lunch with you can save those pennies – and there are plenty of picturesque spots where you can stop to eat.
Then of course classic Christmas market destinations aren't particularly cheap in the festive season either – and what Zurich has going for it is that the markets are free to visit, so you can actually wander around without spending a penny.
We flew from London City airport as it proved to have a number of convenient flights with both British Airways and Swiss Airlines . The flight time was approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
(Swiss Airlines also offers direct flights from Manchester with a flight time that's about 20 minutes longer).
Getting to the city centre from Zurich airport was so easy – it took about 20 minutes in an Uber.
For our trip, we opted for the Motel One hotel, which was fairly budget-friendly for Zurich (prices are from around £110 a night), with clean and comfortable rooms. They're quite basic but they still feel chic – and the hotel had a really lovely bar where you could grab a post-sightseeing cocktail in front of the Christmas tree and TV screens showing fireplace scenes.
The verdict?
Zurich isn't a cheap break, but there are ways to keep the costs down especially when it comes to food and drink. In terms of a festive getaway, it had everything you could want from the magical markets to the delicious food, as well as plenty of attractions to explore.
I definitely plan to return for future festive fun!
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