By the end of November, stalls in the central square (Hlavne námestie) are selling Slovak foods and the air is thick with mulled wine. The city has a 10th-century castle, a cathedral and squares lined with buildings dating back to the Hapsburg era. For flights and three nights’ a...

Tallinn in Estonia has a picture-perfect one in the medieval Town Hall square featuring everything from fine knits to roast pork. Three nights at the Kalev Spa costs from £359 per adult and £98 per child (www.balticholidays.com). The Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, has a l...

To truly experience peace on Earth this Christmas, head to Enna in central Sicily and stay at the tranquil Poets’ Corner – the seven-bedroom, four-bathroom former holiday home of the aristocratic Grimaldi family. It sleeps 12 and was designed as a

. The Parque das Nações on the northeastern riverfront has the Oceanarium, the largest aquarium in Europe, home to 25,000 fish, birds and mammals, and is strikingly designed with a two-storey aquarium that features wildlife from across the globe. Travel from