It’s that wonderful time of the year once again where city squares, parks and piazzas transform into winter wonderlands full of pine trees, gingerbread, ice skating and fairground rides. Christmas markets are about to throw open their stalls and welcome celebrants for a fun weekend away – and the top destinations have been announced.
In a study by Planet Cruise the must-visit Christmas markets of 2023 have been declared so you can choose which works best for you and your family. The research took into account elements of the experience like the number of stalls, the opening dates and TripAdvisor reviews and ratings, and how often people search for them.
Luckily for those who don’t want to fly abroad two British Christmas markets right here in the UK made the top 10 list, while those looking to travel a bit further can opt for winners in the United States, Germany and Poland.
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For the second year in a row the top spot was bagged by Bryant Park Winter Village in New York City. Positioned in Manhattan, it’s free to enter the park’s 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink – and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a Christmas episode of Friends!
With 180 stalls in the village from a wide range of vendors you can enjoy seasonal food options like chocolate s’mores and festive cocktails, as well as handcrafted gifts and apes-themed outdoor areas. The market opens especially early too and already started accepting holidaymakers from October 27.
Don't fret though – there's heaps of time to explore as it stays open until March 3 2024. Unfortunately for us Brits it can be pricy to get to New York, but Skyscanner puts the starting cost at £242 – and there are heaps of holiday deals that can help keep the costs down.
In second and third place were two German cities– which makes sense as it's the home country of Christmas markets. Second place was bagged by the Marienplatz market in Munich which is open from November 27 to December 24.
The market is lit up by glowing stalls and a Christmas tree decked in 2,500 lights. Here’s also plenty to enjoy food-wise from mulled wine and mead to roasted chestnuts, traditional grilled sausages and sweet biscuits and cakes plus there are plenty of stalls and even carol singing.
Plus, there’s the fun Krampus Run each year – a 500 year old tradition where locals dress up in scary costumes as the punisher of bad children ‘Krampus’ and race across the city. It’s a sight to behold! You can book flights to Munich from £57 for a return on Skyscanner.
In the third top spot was Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The market is open on November 23, November 24 and November 25 and entrance is totally free. It has a huge lit up tree and sits in the shadow of the gorgeous cathedral and flights cost from a tiny £28.
There are a number of Christmas markets in Cologne so you can hop between them and find your favourite – but the one by the cathedral was ranked the best of them all. A canopy of lights stretching from the tree lights your way and you can get stuck into traditional cheese dumplings, pancakes, craft beer and fancy coffee.
The two UK Christmas markets that made the top 10 will come as no surprise as Blenheim Palace in Woodstock took the sixth spot Winter Wonderland in London came in seventh place. Blenheim Palace Christmas market is simply gorgeous to behold with the palace lit up with colourful displays and stalls spreading out before it in The Great Court.
It's free to enter with a pre-booked ticket and boasts stalls selling a range of ceramics, textiles, homewares, leather goods, jewellery, toys, stationery, bags, hats and more. Plus there's an illuminated trail to follow in the grounds and loads of food to dig into.
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is absolutely huge with sections selling gifts from stalls, plenty of sausages and churros on offer, a bierkeller style drinking zone for beer lovers and, of course, an enormous fairground full of rollercoasters, rides and stall games. Winter Wonderland is not free to enter unless you go off-peak – tickets at busier times start from £5 and fair rides cost extra.
Top 10 Christmas markets worldwide
- Bryant Park, New York, USA
- Marienplatz, Munich, Germany
- Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany
- Krakow’s Rynek Główny Central Square, Kraków, Poland
- St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
- Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, United Kingdom
- Winter Wonderland, London, United Kingdom
- Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany
- Rynek of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
- Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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