For regional and country websites, go to www.towd.com. This list was prepared for the Dec. 6, 2013, edition of Stars and Stripes.
Austria TRÖPOLACH: Uni of Snow, ski season opener geared to students, through Dec. 8.
VIENNA: Voice Mania, international a cappella festival, highlights singing across many styles of music, through Dec. 8.
SALZBURG: Advent concerts at the Grand Festival Hall, tickets necessary, through Dec. 18.
SALZBURG: Winterfest, festival for contemporary circus, tickets necessary, Volksgarten, through Jan. 6.
VIENNA: Indoor Marathon, Wiener Messe, Dec. 15.
VIENNA: Christmas in Vienna, Gala Concert, Grand Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus, Dec. 21.
Belgium NAMUR: Salon du Vin, wine and gastronomy fair, tickets necessary, Namur Expo, through Dec. 8.
BRUGGE: December Dance, international dance festival, through Dec. 15.
LIEGE: Christmas Village, country’s largest, through Dec. 30.
DURBUY: Christmas market and skating rink, Parc Baudouin et l’Allée verte, weekends only, through Dec. 15 and daily Dec. 20-Jan. 3.
BRUGGE: Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival, theme for 2013 is Disney movie “Frozen,” through Jan. 5.
BRUSSELS: Winter Wonders, Christmas market and skating rink, between Grand-Place and Marché aux Poissons, through Jan. 5.
ROTTERDAM: Bridges Run Rotterdam, 15 km route through city, Dec. 8.
ROTTERDAM: Sprookes Parade, starts 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13.
GHENT: Glimps Festival, music fest showcasing lesser known artists and talented newcomers, Dec. 13-14.
BASTOGNE: commemoration of liberation of the city and nut market, Dec. 14-15, includes 7, 13 and 22 km walks of defensive area from 8 a.m. and tossing of nuts from the town hall balcony at 4 p.m. Dec. 14; parade of military vehicles, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15.
ESSEN: Christmas Beer Festival, Heuvelhal, Dec. 14-15.
Czech Republic PILSEN: Christmas carol singing, Republic Square, Dec. 11.
Denmark COPENHAGEN: Oriental bazaar style Christmas market, freetown of Christiania, through Dec. 20.
COPENHAGEN: German style Christmas market, Højbro Plads, through Dec. 23.
AARHUS: Christmas in Den Gamle By traditional celebrations in historically recreated village, tickets necessary, through Dec. 30.
COPENHAGEN: Christmas in Tivoli Park, Russian theme, admission fees charged, though Dec. 31.
England BATH: Bath Film Festival, through Dec. 8.
LINCOLN: Christmas Market, through Dec. 8.
BIRMINGHAM: Frankfurt Christmas Market, through Dec. 22.
WINCHESTER: Christmas Market, through Dec. 22.
LONDON: Southbank Centre Christmas market, through Dec. 24.
LONDON: Christmas at Kew Gardens, through Jan. 5.
LONDON: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, with rides, attractions, skating rink and circus, through Jan. 5.
LONDON: The Great Christmas Pudding Race, costumed runners race in Covent Garden, Dec. 7.
LONDON: Chocolate Festival, Southbank Centre, Dec. 13-15.
LONDON: International Horse Show, Olympia, tickets necessary, Dec. 16-22.
BRIGHTON: Burning the Clocks, lantern procession and fireworks, Dec. 21.
EXMOUTH: Christmas Day Swim, starts 11 a.m., Dec. 25.
LONDON: The Peter Pan Cup, race open to Serpentine Swimming Club Members only, Hyde Park, Dec. 25.
France PARIS: Salon du Cheval, horse expo and show, through Dec. 8.
RENNES: Rencontres Transmusicales de Rennes, indie music fest, Exhibition Park, through Dec. 8.
LYON: Festival of Light, installations across city, through Dec. 9.
PARIS: Salon Saveurs de Plaisirs Gourmands, gourmet food festival, Espace Champerret, tickets necessary, through Dec. 9.
PARIS: Africolor Music Festival, concerts and cinema, Le Cap, through Dec. 22.
PARIS: Village de Noël, Champs-Elysées, through Jan. 5.
ISOLA: Rock On Snowboard Tour, gear testing and parties, Dec. 7-8.
NANCY: Feast of St. Nicholas, street party, Dec. 7-8.
PARIS: Nautic, international boat show, Porte de Versailles, Dec. 7-15.
RIBEAUVILLE: Medieval Christmas market, Dec. 7- 8, 14-15 and 21-22.
EPERNAY: Habits de Lumiere, street festival in the Champagne region, Dec. 13-14.
AIX-EN-PROVENCE: Le Marche des treize desserts, food stalls offer cakes and desserts, Dec. 16-24.
Germany HAMBURG: Hamburg DOM, volksfest, through Dec. 8.
TÜBINGEN: Chocolart, through Dec. 8.
ESSLINGEN: Middle Ages and Christmas market, through Dec. 22.
GENGENBACH: Advent calendar, one of world’s largest, new window in city hall building opens daily at 6 p.m., through Dec. 23.
MUNICH: Tollwood Winter Festival, through Dec. 31.
BERLIN: Winterwelt, Potsdamer Platz, through Jan. 4.
BAMBERG: Nativity Trail, creche scenes in churches and throughout city, through Jan. 6.
RUST: Europapark open for winter season, through Dec. 23 and Dec. 26-Jan. 6.
HAMBURG: Christmas Parades, start from Mönckebergstraße, Dec. 8, 15 and 22.
MUNICH: Krampus Runs, runners in archaic costumes at city’s Christmas market, Dec. 8 and 22.
MUNICH: Night of the Proms, classical music concerts, Olympiahalle, Dec. 13-15.
STUTTGART: SEMF, Stuttgart Electronic Music Festival, Messe, Dec. 14.
FRANKFURT: International Horse Riding Show, Festhalle, tickets necessary, Dec. 19-22.
MUNICH: ADAC Supercross, Olympiahalle, Dec. 20.
WIESBADEN: Fire Party, celebrates solstice, starts 4 p.m., Schloss Freudenberg, Dec. 21.
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN: Biathlon, Dec. 27.
Hungary BUDAPEST: Art Market Budapest, International Contemporary Art Fair, Millenaris Cultural Center, through Dec. 21.
BUDAPEST: Advent in Budapest, winter festival with cultural program, Városháza Park, through Dec. 24.
Ireland CORK: Cork Christmas Celebration, Christmas village and market, through Dec. 23.
WATERFORD: Winterval, Christmas festival, through Dec. 23 and Dec. 27-31.
WESTPORT: Winter Wonderland, meetings with Santa and Christmas spirit in 18th century house, weekends only, tickets necessary, through Dec. 24.
DUBLIN: Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, Dec. 12-23.
DUBLIN: New Years Eve celebrations, including Procession of Light and Countdown Concert Dec. 31 and Big Brunch Jan. 1.
Italy MILAN: L’Artigiano in Fiera, crafts expo, Fiera Milano, through Dec. 8.
NAPLES: Showcolate, chocolate expo, Piazza del Plebiscito, through Dec. 15.
COUNTRYWIDE: Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8.
SIRACUSA: Procession of Santa Lucia, Dec. 13.
Luxembourg CITY: Christmas market, Place d’Armes, through Dec. 24.
CITY: Winterlights, festival of lights and animation with markets, street entertainment, and shows, through Jan. 12.
Netherlands ZWOLLE: ice sculptures based on fairy tales and ice hotel, through Dec. 26.
MAASTRICHT: Winterland, with skating rink, live music, more, through Dec. 30.
AMSTERDAM: Light Festival, through Jan. 19; includes Illuminade, illuminated artworks along a walking route, Dec. 12-Jan. 5.
GOUDA: Candle Night, with lit candles, Christmas caroling and festivities, Dec. 13.
DORDRECHT: Christmas market, Dec. 13-15.
DEVENTER: Dickens festival, old fashioned Christmas market, Dec. 14-15.
AMSTERDAM: Electric Guitar Heaven, festival, Conservatorium, Dec. 15.
AMSTERDAM: Tangomagia, festival of Argentinian tango, Dec. 26-30.
Portugal ÓBIDOS: Vila Natal, Christmas village, through Jan. 1.
Scotland EDINBURGH: Edinburgh’s Christmas, features shows, rides, attractions and Christmas market stalls, throughout town, through Jan. 5.
EDINBURGH: Santa Run, charity race, Dec. 8.
AVIEMORE: Christmas Eve torchlit procession, Dec. 24.
KIRKWALL: The Ba’, historical street ball game, Dec. 25.
Spain LEÓN: Purple Weekend Festival, celebrates music and culture of the sixties, through Dec. 7.
MADRID: Cocina y Saborea, gastronomy fair, Madrid Fairgrounds, tickets necessary, through Dec. 8.
SEVILLE: International Horse Fair, through Dec. 8.
SEVILLE: Festivity of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8.
CARTAGENA: International Film Festival, Dec. 9-14.
ZARAGOZA: International Comic Convention, Dec. 13-15.
BARCELONA: Buff Epic Run, race through obstacle course, Dec. 22.
MALLORCA: Song of the Sibyl, medieval religious folkloric singing, Dec. 24.
Sweden STOCKHOLM: Christmas market, Kungsträdgården, through Dec. 22.
GOTHENBURG: Liseberg Christmas Market, Sweden’s largest, through Dec. 29.
COUNTRYWIDE: Lucia celebrations, childrens procession, Dec. 13.
Switzerland DAVOS: Songbird Festival, singer and songwriter festival, through Dec. 21.
MONTREUX: Christmas market, through Dec. 24.
LAUSANNE: Festival Lausanne Lumières, artistic installations incorporating light as a design element, through Dec. 31.
FRIBOURG: Sankt Nikolaus celebrations, in honor of city’s patron saint, parade at 5 p.m., Dec 7.
VEYTAUX: Medieval Magic, market and medieval village at Chillon Castle, admission charged, Dec. 7-8, 14-15 and Dec. 21-22.
GENEVA: Escalade, annual remembrance of attack on city ramparts in 1602, Dec. 13-15.
CRANS-MONTANA: Freestyle Festival, snowboarding championships, extreme sports films and concerts, Dec. 14.
BASEL: Christmas Tattoo, massed pipes and drums, Dec. 17-19.
ZURICH: Lichterschwimmen, floating candles on the Limmat River, Dec. 19.
ZURICH: Christmas Tattoo, massed pipes and drums, Dec. 20-22.
Wales SWANSEA: Christmas market, through Dec. 16.
CARDIFF: Christmas market, through Dec. 23.
CARDIFF: Winter Wonderland, skating rink and giant swings, City Hall lawn, through Jan. 5.
SWANSEA: Waterfront Wonderland, skating rink and fairground, through Jan. 6.
CAERPHILLY: Medieval market, Dec. 7-8.
ABERGAVENNY: Christmas Food & Drink Fair, Market Hall and Brewery Yard, Dec. 8.
TENBY: Boxing Day Swim, Dec. 26.
