Crunchy leaves cover the ground, it’s getting darker earlier and there’s a chill in the air. That means one thing: autumn is coming to an end and the festive season will be here before you actually take those ironic ugly Christmas sweaters out of storage. While some travelers dream of stepping inside a snow globe and playing the main character in a Hallmark movie, others prefer a less over-the-top take on holiday travel. The Yuletide theatrics have a time and place (late December, obviously), but it doesn’t mean a seasonal escape needs to be all twinkling lights, larger-than-life nutcrackers and Fraser fir pageantry.
The problem with basing yourself in a full-blown winter wonderland is that there’s not much else to do but sip mulled wine or cocoa, shop for ornaments and listen to caroling. An urban sprawl is the ideal alternative to storybook villages and snow-dusted mountain towns verging on theme parks. Travelers can still ogle bedecked trees and savor sweet treats (every bakery worth its salt whips up gingerbread and iced sugar cookies in the shape of snowflakes), but that’s interspersed with museum hopping and dining at renowned restaurants—many of which serve seasonal specials.
Whether you want to dial it up (or don’t), our favorite festive-ish city breaks offer the perfect mix of merry and metropolitan.
AloJapan.com