Let’s Enjoy the Festive Season Together: Tips and Wishes From the RateHawk Team

Laurence Caplea Senior Sales Manager, Romania

Gastronomic tour through Romania

In December, I will go to visit all the Christmas fairs of the most important cities in Romania: Bucharest, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Timișoara and Craiova. My country is surrounded by mountains and during the winter the landscape is covered in snow and beautiful lights. Each of these cities has created a special place in the center with curtains of lights and a huge Christmas tree. Each city has special dishes that will make your mouth water (sarmale, ciulama, fasole cu ciolan, mămăligă cu brânză și ou, ciorbă de afumătură în pâine).

I wish our partners good health, a positive attitude, joy in their hearts and clients with money to spend for the holidays. And if you want good tips, you should book accommodation in Romania from RateHawk and visit all the Christmas fairs with me. We will give you Christmas magic and the chance to bring out the little boy or girl inside them!

Victor Magalhaes
Business Development Manager, Portugal

Christmas lights in Portugal

I live in Praia de Mira (near Coimbra in the country’s center) but my hometown is Oporto (located 120 km further north). My parents and other relatives will be at my house to spend Christmas with us, and then I will travel to Alentejo in the south of the country on New Year’s Eve to spend the night with some friends. I love Alentejo because it reminds me of my childhood, and it’s the perfect spot to escape all the noise and commotion of the big cities.

In Portugal, Christmas is mostly a family period spent at home. We don’t usually travel, but if you visit my country, you must check out the Christmas lights (each city has its own ones telling a different story) as well as the Feiras de Natal (Christmas fairs). In certain villages — mostly medieval ones like Óbidos — we have Christmas fairs where you can find all sorts of things related to Christmas, like decorations, food, pastry and all kinds of gifts made by local artisans.

I wish our partners a wonderful Christmas and a 2023 in which all their hopes and dreams come true!

Davide Amaro
Regional Director of Southern Europe

Chocolate churros in Madrid

I live in Madrid, my parents and other relatives will travel from Italy to Spain to spend Christmas and New Year with me and my family.

If you visit Madrid during the holiday season you must try “chocolate con churros” – a cup of thick, delicious hot chocolate served with a sweet fried dough snack. This is an old traditional treat and my family’s favorite place to have it during Christmas is at Chocolatería San Ginés, in business since 1894! There must be a reason…

I wish you great relaxation after a long year spent chasing all possible opportunities during the market’s recovery. I hope you can travel for your own pleasure and stay with the people you love the most.

Darya Romanova
Head of Business Development,
Baltics & Nordics

Gingerbread in Latvia

I live in Riga, but my hometown is Liepaja. It is said that Liepaja is the place where the wind was born. However, this year I’m going to Iceland for Christmas, where people also say that the wind was born. So, I have at least two challenges for myself for these holidays: to see the northern lights and check the wind’s citizenship.

If Liepaja or Riga is your Christmas or New Year destination, be sure to visit our Christmas markets to feel the real holiday spirit and to taste gingerbread or Piparkūkas cookies.

I wish you all sincere happiness, prosperity and beautiful winter holidays with the people closest to your hearts!