The opening weekend of St Albans' first German-style Christmas market attracted more than 10,000 visitors.

The market has 40 traditional wooden chalets selling traditional German Christmas decorations and luxury gifts for all the family, as well as festive food and drink.

The mayor of St Albans Annie Brewster, opened the market at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday evening (November 28).

She told the crowds: "I am extremely proud to be opening the first St Albans Christmas Market and, as I look behind me, I feel very emotional seeing how beautiful the chalets look with our floodlit Cathedral towering above them, providing such a stunning a backdrop."

Market chalet holders, many of them veterans of the UK's German-style christmas markets, have given the newest UK Christmas Market their seal of approval.

Lucie Mountain from Crepe Lucette, the pancake stall in Sumpter Yard, booked a chalet at the market.

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She said: "I attend lots of festivals and events throughout the year, and I have never seen queues like I had over the weekend. St Albans Christmas Market has completely exceeded my expectations. The cathedral background is absolutely stunning and the atmosphere is so festive."

Lesli Good, culture and heritage services manager at St Albans council, said: "We are incredibly pleased about the turn-out and the support for our first Christmas Market.

"We wanted to do the city proud with our first Christmas Market, because we are somewhat of an expert on markets after 1,000 years of a regular street market, and so the expectations were high. We are thrilled that we have met them."

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

The market runs until December 21 and is the only German-style Christmas Market in Hertfordshire.