Bournemouth’s Christmas Tree Wonderland brings sparkle to town centre

Bournemouth town centre came alive at the weekend as Christmas Tree Wonderland returned to the town bigger and better than ever.

Enchanting, glittering Christmas trees from around the world create an illuminating trail through the town, running from the seafront, through the Square, the Triangle and Beale Place, up to Horseshoe Common and all the way to Lansdowne roundabout.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the 60-ft walk-through Christmas tree in the Lower Gardens with stunning light and audio shows every half hour; and there are five different programmes to watch. When we popped by a Star Wars theme morphed into Harry Potter and it was fab!

But all the trees are beautiful – amongst others there’s a Lucerne tree and a Bethlehem tree, and our favourite, the blue and yellow Kyiv tree, a tribute to the people of Ukraine, reminding us of the true point of Christmas. Giant polar bears and reindeer mingle among walk-through baubles and a curtain of light. And if you’re looking for Father Christmas, he’s in Beale Place and he’s huge!

Bobby’s department store in the Square has the ‘real’ Santa Claus though; if you want to see him, he’ll be wandering through the store bringing festive cheer to shoppers, and he might even let you take a photo with him and his sleigh.

Need something to warm you up? The Alpine Market and Alpine Lodge Bar has over 30 chalet-style huts of gifts, food and drink – from German Bratwurst to Yorkshire Pudding Wraps and Raclette melted cheese to Christmas Crepes, all washed down with a delicious hot chocolate or something a little stronger if you fancy it.

Or head to the new Après Terrace next to the Pavilion, where there’s more food and games – and igloo domes! And from where you can see Key West’s glittering trees light up Bournemouth Pier.

Once again, SKATE Ice Rink and Moguls Bar is open for skating under the stars and has a range of festive drinks, including the obligatory mulled wine. There’s VIP seating and Friday and Saturday nights are over-18 only, with DJs bringing the party. To book visit iceskatebournemouth.co.uk.

With all this going on, a trip to Bournemouth is sure to get in the Christmas mood!

Christmas Tree Wonderland is completely free and runs until 2nd January. Visit christmastreewonderland.co.uk for more details.

Written by Emily McGregor, Local News and Lifestyle Reporter