Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park is a popular festive family treat. But a word of warning: never ever visit the attraction on a Saturday lunch time. It is unbearable. Hyde Park Corner underground station is beyond it's capacity, the pathways are so crowded that it takes an hour to walk from one end to the other, and you have to queue to do any activity.

But aside from the blanket of people covering this corner of London's biggest park, the seasonal festivities on offer are pretty spectacular. The ice-skating is particularly popular, with barely any room on the rink to move. There are theme park-style rides ranging in size from the slow but beautiful traditional carousel to the plunging drop of the Power Tower. There are also many fairground games offering gullible visitors the chance to win a naff cuddly toy! (Generation Game, anyone?).

But by far, the best of all is the Christmas Market. Styled in a similar manner to the well-known and much loved German Christmas markets, there is a wonderful array of delights on offer. And this seasonal food and drink is more than just some roasted chestnuts. There is the Bavarian Village with its bratwurst and beer, fairground staples such as donuts and chips, and of course, what Christmas fayre is complete without our favourite, mulled wine.