Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland promises Christmas festivity in the form of bright lights, food, drinks, music, games, rides and endless fun.

I was keen to see what all the fuss was about after around a decade of seeing pictures on social media of friends visiting. Somehow I'd never been, until now that is.

It's a place that holds some appeal for all kinds of groups of people: families, teenagers, colleagues, couples. There's nothing better than a Christmas market to get you into the festive mood and Hyde Park no doubt does that for plenty of its visitors.

Having visited Birmingham's Christmas market many times, Winter Wonderland had a lot to compete with for me.

Birmingham's Christmas market is one of the biggest in the UK and one of the most traditional.

For me, the traditional feel of a Christmas market like the ones you would find in Germany or Austria, really add to the charm and excitement of visiting.

Winter Wonderland has pockets of the authentic feel, but sadly it seems mostly lost on the huge site.

However, some more modern aspects of the site did catch my attention. There's a huge Apres Ski style area which, while it's not traditional, definitely brought a modern and fun element to the market.

The market is so large it has maps to guide you through its organised sections. Really, it feels more like a theme park than a Christmas market.

Walking around the site, there's a huge range of food options from bratwurst sausages to pizza, burgers or even Chinese cuisine.

There's plenty of churro stands and hot chocolate stalls around which often tend to be fan-favourites.

I did purchase some churros with Nutella for £10, a little pricey but unsurprisingly so.

If you're looking to enjoy a drink at the market, you can buy a pint of Bavarian Gold for £7.95.

You'll also need to pay a £5 deposit for your stein, but don't panic, you'll get this back if you return it.

For a classic mulled wine, you'll be set back by £7.40.

If you're looking to enjoy a hot chocolate with Bailey's, you'll have to fork out an eye-watering £11.

Winter Wonderland is an exciting place to visit and it's no wonder so many people want to make the trip each year but for the price, I'd argue there's better places to spend your money.

While I did enjoy my visit, I can't say I'll be rushing back next year and in my opinion, Birmingham or Oxford's Christmas markets are much better.