Europes 10 best Christmas markets, according to travelers and youve never heard of most of them
Oh, Tannenbaum!Americans may still be recovering from Thanksgiving, but Christmas is already in full swing across the pond in Europe, where a festive array of seasonal markets have quickly become the focal point in city after city, from the Atlantic to the Adriatic.Extravagant decorations, traditional crafts, local and seasonal foods (and drinks, of course) are just the start, with each event putting their own unique spin on what will often be one of the most important — and the most anticipated — local happenings of the year.And according to one newly-released ranking that aims to award the best holiday celebrations on the continent, the Christmas market scene in countries like Germany — perhaps the best-known to American travelers — is just the beginning of the fun, with all sorts of obscure spots edging the famous cities off, or at least far down the list.
More than 750,000 travelers and locals voted in Best Christmas Markets in Europe survey, which was launched back in 2009.According to them, the number one spot for 2025 — which managed to snag more than 90,000 faves — is the pride of a lesser-known Baltic Sea port town just a short drive from the Russian border.The runner-up is equally — if not more — off the beaten path, hosted by the seventh-largest city in a Black Sea-facing country that pulls off what’s reportedly the largest festival of its kind in all of Europe, bringing 280,000 square-feet of good cheer to a pretty historic town center.
Are you for a glass of mulled wine — and maybe a night of skating under the stars to a 1980’s pop soundtrack, if you’re lucky? Here are the best of the best.A charming pair of nutcracker hosts, a vintage, Venetian-style carousel, theater, dance and singing performances in the streets, and loads of crafts and art and light canopies and more — that’s December as usual in the Polish port city, with an old town that’s appealing all year long, if you can’t get here before year’s en...