After long weeks of dull gray skies, the bright and cheery Christmas markets that will soon be popping up across Europe will be more than welcome. While shopping for décor, seeking out presents for loved ones and imbibing mugs of warming mulled wine are sure-fire pleasures of the season, at times we demand a little something extra from our holiday outings. For an experience beyond that of the usual Christmas market visit, consider embracing a new activity or attending a special event.

Travel back in time: Not all Christmas markets are set in the here and now. The town of Deventer in the Netherlands hosts its annual Dickens Festijen Dec. 14-15. More than 950 characters straight from the pages of Charles Dickens’ works, from Scrooge to Oliver Twist, orphans to office clerks, make an appearance. The fest takes place from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. both days. With over 125,000 visitors anticipated, be prepared and dressed appropriately for the inevitable long waiting times. Admission is free. Online: dickensfestijn.nl

Just south of Stuttgart is found Esslingen, home to a Christmas market with a medieval theme. From Nov. 26 through Dec. 22, dozens of stands set up in the market square ply handicrafts alongside rustic food and drink as glass and candle-making workshops show how things used to be done. Online: tinyurl.com/2rbf9wjz

Show your skating prowess: Burning off all those sweet treats and keeping limbs limber are just two of many great reasons to incorporate a spot of skating into a Christmas market visit. Those whose goal is to keep things scenic will appreciate the rink on Heidelberg’s handsome Karlsplatz. Those craving space can make way to Wiesbaden’s Bowling Green, home to what’s billed as the largest mobile ice rink in Germany. Should even that prove inadequate for one’s pirouettes, there’s always Vienna’s Ice Dream, four expansive rinks connected by romantic pathways running over and under one another.

Take the high view: When a city’s Christmas market unfolds in the shadow of a massive church or cathedral, it’s often worth those extra steps to procure a bird’s-eye view of all the activity down below. Christmas markets just begging to be looked down upon include the one set up at the foot of Cologne’s Cathedral, and another steeple worth ascending is that of Ulm’s Minster, the highest church tower in all the world (although construction work makes a trip to the tip-top impossible at present).

Feast on chocolate or other sweet treats: One of Baden-Württemberg’s most beguiling cities becomes all the sweeter Dec. 3-8, as the ChocolART fair spreads its cocoa-y goodness across the student town of Tübingen. Chocolatiers from around the world selling their wares against the backdrop of medieval half-timbered facades is a treat for taste and sight in equal measure. Online: chocolart.de

Those immune to chocolate’s dark pleasures could satisfy a sweet tooth by means of a visit to Dresden on Dec. 7, the date dedicated to the city’s famed festive fruitcake known as the Christstollen. A parade and the serving of pieces cut from a massive Stollen weighing in at several tons count as highlights of the day. Online: dresdnerstollen.com/de/stollenfest

Ride the attractions: Amusement parks and folk fests are not just summertime pastimes in a surprising number of places. Defying not only cold but gravity is possible at the Hamburger DOM, a thrice-annual funfair whose winter edition runs in Hamburg through Dec. 8. London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is another place to get one’s thrill on; a Five Peaks Pass allows brave riders to take on the park’s most adrenaline-inducing rides including the Munich Looping, The Hangover, Aeronaut Starflyer, Airborne and Blizzard for the set price of 45 UK pounds, about $57, through Jan. 5. Online: hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

See the nativity brought to life: The story of Jesus’ birth in the manger reclaims its central spot in festivities when portrayed by actors and live animals. Christmas at the Castle in Reichsburg Cochem, a massive castle just a stone’s throw from the Mosel, is the site of a reenactment of Christ’s coming to mankind Dec. 14-15. A 25-minute guided tour through the castle’s courtyard shows Mary and Joseph’s search for room at the inn with a stop at a shepherd’s camp, the archangel’s proclamation of Jesus’ birth and the star guiding the Three Wise Men to the spot. Online: tinyurl.com/628xwzh6

Those based in Italy have several possibilities for visiting presepi viventi, or living nativity scenes. In a tradition brought to the land by Saint Francis of Assisi back in the early 13th century, the town of Greccio continues to stage its version of Christ’s birth on dates spanning Nov. 30 and Jan. 5, 2025. Another evocative retelling of the tale take place in the caves of Matera in the region of Basilicata on dates between Dec. 7 and Jan. 5, 2025. Online: tinyurl.com/5h2dnbpn