With Christmas Day just around the corner, Brits are searching for ways to maximise their festive fun – and there is no better way to get into the seasonal spirit than to visit a Christmas market.
Nothing compares to the warm feeling of wandering around traditional wooden chalets and huts in pursuit of the perfect stocking filler with the atmospheric smell of mulled wine in the air.
Britons travel far and wide in search of the best place to spend the festive period, and the travel experts at Saga Cruises have compiled a list of Europe’s best Christmas markets – and some may be closer than you think.
Examining data from TikTok, the research analysed the number of hashtag views associated with each Christmas market over the last three years to determine each Christmas market’s popularity.
1. London, UK
London has been voted the city with the best Christmas markets in Europe after averaging a whopping 15 million views on TikTok.
READ MORE: Beautiful French town cheaper than Paris home to incredible Christmas market
Hyde Park’s expansive Christmas offering, London’s Winter Wonderland, is jam-packed with festive things to do such as ice skating and circus shows.
Held annually, Winter Wonderland runs from mid-November to early January.
2. Manchester, UK
In second place, narrowly behind London, is Manchester Christmas market after accumulating a staggering 14.7 million TikTok hashtag views.
Accommodating 225 stalls in the centre of the city, Manchester’s Christmas Market offers visitors a diverse range of food, drinks, crafts, and seasonal gifts.
Celebrating its 25th year this year, the market takes place until December 21.
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3. Edinburgh, UK
Keeping up the UK’s dominance on the list, Edinburgh is the third most popular destination for Christmas markets in Europe with 13.7 million TikTok hashtag views.
The Scottish capital completely transforms its city centre into a traditional winter wonderland, complete with amusement park rides and live outdoor events.
This year, Edinburgh’s Christmas Market runs until January 6.
4. Krakow, Poland
Boasting 5.8 million TikTok views, Krakow is the fourth most popular Christmas Market in Europe.
Only a two hour flight away from most UK airports, Krakow is a convenient and popular location for British tourists – and ranks as the best Christmas market beyond the UK.
Krakow’s most prominent market is set in Krakow’s main square and features charming wooden stalls as well as ice skating opportunities.
Karolina Turowska is a travel writer who has lived in Krakow for over five years and she says the best time to visit the Krakow Christmas market is in the evening or late afternoon.
“As the sun sets, the atmosphere rises, becoming more ethereal and brighter with lights. Although the market is busier at this time of day, the crowd adds to the cheery festive spirit,” Karolina said.
“The blacksmith’s stall is my personal favourite,” Karolina continued, “they sell metal goods adorned with beautiful decorations like flowers and dragons. I’ve heard that this year you will be able to buy a horseshoe with your name on it.
“Polish honey, jars of jam, and other preserves are also top-notch. And no trip to the market would be complete without sampling the local grilled cheese (‘oscypek’) with cranberry sauce. It’s also worth visiting local restaurants for mulled wine as they quite often serve these at lower prices.”
5. Basel, Switzerland and Strasbourg, France
Tied in fifth position are the Swiss city of Basel and the French city of Strasbourg, both amassing an impressive 3.6 million TikTok hashtag views each.
Strasbourg is the home of France’s oldest Christmas market, dating back to 1570, and is backdropped by the city’s breathtaking Cathedral.
Meanwhile, Basel Christmas Market is well known for being one of Switzerland’s most picturesque and extensive markets.
The Top 20 most popular European Christmas markets:
- London, United Kingdom – 15 million TikTok views
- Manchester, United Kingdom – 14.7 million TikTok views
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 13.7 million TikTok views
- Krakow, Poland – 5.8 million TikTok views
- Basel, Switzerland/Strasbourg, France – 3.6 million TikTok views
- Birmingham, United Kingdom – 3.5 million TikTok views
- Munich, Germany – 3.3 million TikTok views
- Prague, Czechia – 2.9 million TikTok views
- Cardiff, United Kingdom – 2.9 million TikTok views
- Colmar, France – 2.2 million TikTok views
- Vienna, Austria – 2 million TikTok views
- Budapest, Hungary – 1.8 million TikTok views
- Zurich, Switzerland – 541,700 TikTok views
- Cologne, Germany – 338,700 TikTok views
- Zagreb, Croatia – 263,200 TikTok views
- Tallinn, Estonia – 242,400 TikTok views
- Dublin, Ireland – 152,000 TikTok views
- Bruges, Belgium – 107,800 TikTok views
- Helsinki, Finland – 68,000 TikTok views
- Bratislava, Slovakia – 39,200 TikTok views
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