Lights, camera, action!

Countless Christmas markets, cheery street decorations and a sea of bright lights – London has a lot to offer visitors at Christmastime. It’s no wonder, then, that the city has been the site of many a festive movie.  

If you’d like to feel like part of the 2003 rom-com Love Actually, head to Grosvenor Chapel in west London, not far from the famed Hyde Park. It’s here that the characters Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet (Keira Knightley) tie the knot.  

Another romantic comedy filmed in London: Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), in which our eponymous heroine, played by Renée Zellweger, tries to get her love life under control. Bridget lives right across the street from Borough Market, one of the city’s oldest fresh food markets, which is decked out for the festive season – the perfect destination for foodies. If you’re looking to recreate the romance of Bridget and Daniel’s (Hugh Grant) first kiss, take a stroll down Shad Thames. What was once a series of warehouses during the Victorian era is now one of London’s most beautiful streets, not far from Tower Bridge.  

Don’t feel like facing the holiday bustle of central London? Why not take a day trip to Belvoir Castle? Just three hours north of London by car, the castle is where Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980) was filmed – it’s here that young Cedric is meant to take on the mantle of his grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt. Another delightful day trip southwest of London: the charming village of Shere, where they shot romantic comedy The Holiday (2006). With its traditional old cottages and stunning natural surroundings, it’s the perfect place to escape the big city – just like Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) does in the film. 

When it comes to classic Christmas movies, there’s no getting around the Big Apple. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) is a crowd favourite. Part of the film takes place at Rockefeller Center. The commercial complex is an icon of Christmastime New York City: every year, the tree at Rockefeller Center is trimmed with more than 50,000 coloured lights. After Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) accidentally catches the flight to New York, rather than Miami, his mother (Catherine O’Hara) finds him here for the perfect happy ending. The Rink at Rockefeller Center is another familiar movie backdrop. It’s where Buddy (Will Ferrell) has a romantic first date with his crush, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) in the 2003 comedy Elf.  

An absolute must on any trip to New York: a walk through Central Park. Pinebank Arch is the perfect spot for a snowball fight – just ask Buddy the elf! Bethesda Fountain is also nearby. For those in search of the perfect Christmas gift, Macy’s on 34th Street is a shopper’s paradise. The fabled department store is also where Miracle on 34th Street (1947) was filmed. Little Susan (Natalie Wood) goes to Macy’s to meet Santa – but is Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) actually the real thing, as he claims to be? The building’s façade is particularly worth a visit, as it is festooned with lights for the Christmas season.  

 

Candy canes, butter biscuits, chocolate Santas – Christmas is the season for anyone with a sweet tooth. What film captures that spirit better than Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory? The story follows Charlie (Peter Ostrum), a poor boy who finds one of five coveted Golden Tickets to visit Willy Wonka’s (Gene Wilder) legendary chocolate factory.  

The original 1971 film was shot at a decommissioned gasworks in the Moosach neighbourhood of Munich. To save money, the American production moved the shoot to Bavaria Studios in southern Germany. Although the gasworks – which were transformed into the scrumdiddilyumptious set – came down a few years later, chocolate lovers visiting Munich aren’t left wanting. Check out any of the city’s many chocolateries, and if you have always longed to drink from Willy Wonka’s chocolate fountain, visit Café & Chocolaterie Götterspeise for a cup of French hot chocolate.  

More traditional treats like crêpes, chocolate-dipped fruit skewers and Lebkuchen can be found at any of Munich’s Christmas markets, like the Tollwood Winter Festival on the Theresienwiese. Those who like it savoury are in good hands too: a vast selection of international dishes leaves nothing to be desired.  

 

 

‘Oh, Franz’ – ‘Oh, Sissi!’: almost 70 years after it first aired, the 1955 film Sissi remains a cult classic. It is broadcast in Germany and Austria every year at Christmas. Those who wish to follow in the footsteps of the Austro-Hungarian empress should book a trip to Vienna and Salzburg. Empress Elisabeth, far better known as Sissi, spent much of her youth at Possenhofen Castle on Lake Starnberg, about two hours from Salzburg. The film, however, was shot at Fuschl Castle, just outside the Austrian city. Another spot not far from Salzburg: the Upper Austrian town of Bad Ischl. Here you will find the Kaiservilla, the summer residence of Sissi and her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph I. It was also used for filming. The villa’s magnificent rooms are still on view today, with a guided tour.  

Learn more about the film at ‘Sissi in the movies’, a permanent exhibition at the Furniture Museum Vienna. Original film props, recreated film scenes and lots of interesting background information take you back in time. The imperial wedding was held in the Austrian capital as well, at the Augustinerkirche (Augustinian Church). For financial reasons, these scenes in the film were shot at the Michaelerkirche (St Michael’s Church). Fans of the royal family should take advantage of Christmastime in Vienna and visit Schönbrunn Palace, once the home of Empress Sissi. A tour of the sumptuous interiors can’t be missed.