Why go to Lapland for Christmas when you can go to London?
Every year, London looks a little more magical at Christmas time. They put up beautiful displays, sparkly lights and you can hear Christmas music in all the shops. I’ve been wandering around Central London a lot recently, and I collected photos of the most beautiful spots to share with you. So if you’re around the capital this Christmas, here are the spots you should check out:
COVENT GARDEN, THE CLASSIC SPOT
I could not write a this blog post without mentioning Covent Garden – it’s one of my favourite areas in London all year around, and around Christmas it gets even better. The famous bauble displays are up, there is a huge tree in front of the covered market, and the shops and coffee places are inviting. Make sure to check out the stores around the market; Whittard is one of my favourites (I always pop in to try their hot chocolates and tea on display), Sass & Belle (perfect for little trinkets and homeware) and the Petersham Nurseries (home inspo for days!).
Covent Garden always has beautiful displays to take photos with, like their benches covered in flowers in the spring and their huge pumpkin this autumn. Christmas is no exception, and you can take your sassiest pose in front of a huge silver deer or sit on the chairs in front of their Christmas trees display, put there just for the purpose of snapping festive shots.
THE DEPARTMENT STORES: LIBERTY, FORTUM, SELFRIDGES
Although they get super crowded very early on, department stores really are a beauty at Christmas. The shop windows are decorated with the cutest displays, you can find plethora of festive ornaments, food, and of course present ideas. I rarely buy anything in those stores, but I love going there just to see what everything looks like, listen to the Christmas music and enjoy the excitement of these festive times. I love doing the same in Paris, too – watch out for that, it’ll be coming on my Instagram!
HAY’S GALLERIA, LONDON BRIDGE
Hay’s Galleria is a beautiful spot, hidden away behind London Bridge Station. You wouldn’t really notice it, I found it with friends one day by accident and it was the best discovery ever! Hay’s Galleria is a little spot near the Thames, covered in beautiful ironwork and with the most intriguing, vintage science-fictioneseque sculpture and fountain in the centre. This Christmas they went all gold with a massive tree covered in gold baubles, and at night they reflect the light beautifully. You have a few shops and cafés and restaurants in the Galleria, so if you want to try out the new Costa festive drinks, this is the best place for it!
It also has a lovely Christmas market full of food stalls and little presents to get ideas for your loved ones.
WHAT NOT TO DO: WINTER WONDERLAND
I may receive some frowns about this, but I will make the statement again and again: to me, Winter Wonderland is really not worth the hype. Don’t get me wrong, the rides and shows can be fun, but there’s just too much going on there. I went once a few years ago, and felt so overwhelmed by the sheer amound of people and noise there. I am thinking that as it gets closer to Christmas, the crowds are even larger, so not ideal in my opinion. I would rather go to an actual Christmas market and forget the fun fair side. There are families, huge groups of people, and I found it all very unpleasant!
To experience that type of Christmas entertainment in London, I would rather recommend going to Christmas markets like the one in Southbank, which still has a beautiful carousel overlooking the London Eye and holds a food market with a wide variety of stalls from all over the world. The one near London Bridge is great too. You still have a lot of crowds but it is a much more regulated flow of people, and the Christmas experience is even better in my eyes.
What is your favourite town to see at Christmas?
Lots of love,
Julia x
