Walking in (Hyde Park’s) Winter Wonderland // London
Dublin is currently rainy and miserable due to the leftovers of Storm Jonas and getting warmer the day. So, I can’t stop thinking about drier and colder weather not too long ago during my Christmas trip, and how much I want to go back!
I already gave a bit of a spiel about my wonderful Christmas holiday in London. Bbut I thought I’d hone in on one particular activity a little more that was a highlight of the trip. And that is Winter Wonderland in Hyde park – an absolute necessity for anyone visiting London over the holidays.
With carnival rides, ice villages, Bavarian beer gardens, market stalls, and food offerings, it’s the perfect way to spend a crisp day in the capital city, and definitely a fun thing to do in London if you’re there around Christmas!
Even though I had seen so much about this “market” online, I really wasn’t prepared for just how big it was when I actually walked in. When we got there, we walked around and browsed the Bavarian Market section to see what vendors were selling. We made mental notes of items we wanted to come back for later once we had looked at everything. But when that time actually came, we got lost and couldn’t find those booths again. It was like a labyrinth!
I also wasn’t expecting it to be so much more than just a market. The market area sold a variety of gifts and trinkets at Bavarian-style booths. But even within that area were several German bars and food stands. So once we finished wandering the Bavarian village section (and grabbed some food of course – a giant pretzel, to be exact), we found our way to some carnival rides.
Now, as much as I loved this whole day, I will admit that I found the rides a bit expensive.
We rode 2 rides: a roller coaster that was actually terrifying and a ferris wheel that was a bit boring.
Still, I’d say that doing a few rides is worth it if you’re into that sort of thing. As for me, I’m into a different kind of fun.. and that’s why after the carnival rides we went to the ice bar. Yep, that’s right – Winter Wonderland also had an “Ice Kingdom” (naturally) complete with an ice-skating rink, ice bar, and ice village.
What I loved about this place wasn’t only the variety of activities, but also the variety of people. Winter Wonderland was filled with both locals and tourists. As to be expected, there were more families during the day and a rowdier crowd after dark, ready for some live music and German beer.
We got there mid-afternoon and stayed until the early evening, and there was never a dull moment. Well, except for when we were on the ferris wheel, which seemed to have taken us around about 34564675 times before it finally ended. We got to see cute families and kids looking like they were having the time of their life. Then at night, more people our age started to arrive. With them, more beers and mulled wines being consumed, more live music, and more dancing.
I highly suggest visiting this attraction if you’re in London for the holidays! It runs from late November to early January. So, you have plenty of time to check it out over the holidays. We went after Christmas, and it wasn’t too crowded, and it was a great buzz!
