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Top christmas markets and festive destinations

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New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
9.5
The Rockefeller Center tree stands 70 feet tall and shines with tens of thousands of lights. The tree stands above the ice rink and golden statue. Bryant Park Winter Village has a free ice rink and dozens of small shops. Radio City hosts the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes.
Highlights:
  • 🌃 Visit Times Square at night for unforgettable neon views
  • 🎭 Watch a Broadway musical in the Theater District
  • 🏙️ Admire skyline views from the Top of a skyscraper
Singapore
Tropical city-state of hawker food and gardens
9.5
Orchard Road has held a Christmas light up since 1984. Displays run along the shopping street from mid November to early January. Warm evenings mean visitors can stroll outside in shirt sleeves. Gardens by the Bay adds a Christmas Wonderland with a huge glowing tree.
Highlights:
  • 🏮 Wander through Chinatown’s temples and traditional shophouses
  • 🌳 Visit Gardens by the Bay and its iconic Supertree Grove
  • 🌆 Admire the futuristic skyline from Marina Bay Sands SkyPark
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
9.7
Millions of Japanese families order KFC chicken for Christmas after a 1974 campaign. Restaurants take orders weeks ahead and stores sell strawberry shortcakes. The Marunouchi avenue of ginkgo trees sparkles with thousands of gold lights. Roppongi Hills has a light show and a small Christmas market.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Visit the teamLab digital art museum
  • 🌆 Enjoy panoramic city views from observation decks
  • 🍣 Savor sushi at a local eatery
Munich
Bavarian capital of beer gardens and museums
8.7
The Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz has roots that go back to the 1300s. A tall tree stands before the neo Gothic town hall and its glockenspiel. Visitors can eat roasted almonds and drink gluehwein, hot spiced wine. Stalls sell hand carved nativity figures and old fashioned wooden toys.
Highlights:
  • 🌇 Climb St. Peter’s Church tower for city views
  • 🏰 Visit the grand Nymphenburg Palace and gardens
  • 🍺 Raise a stein at Oktoberfest in Theresienwiese
Frankfurt am Main
Skyline, apple wine and a rebuilt old town
8.0
A giant Christmas tree rises above Romerberg square in front of the old town hall. The market has been held on this square for centuries. Visitors can eat Bethmaennchen, small marzipan balls with almonds on top. Stalls also sell hot apple wine, grilled sausages and roasted nuts.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Visit the Städel Museum and explore centuries of European art
  • 🏘️ Stroll through the Römerberg and admire its medieval houses
  • 🌆 Climb the Main Tower for sweeping panoramic views of Frankfurt
Dresden
Baroque Elbe city rebuilt from the ruins
8.2
The Striezelmarkt in Dresden dates to 1434, making it one of the oldest German Christmas markets. Each December a giant stollen weighing several tons is paraded through the city. Bakers cut it into slices sold to raise money. Prune figures called Pflaumentoffel stand on many stalls.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Explore the Zwinger Palace and its stunning art collections
  • 🌉 Walk across the Augustus Bridge for views of the historic skyline
  • ⛪ Admire the reconstructed Frauenkirche and its breathtaking dome
Cologne
Gothic cathedral, Roman ruins and Kölsch
8.4
Twin spires of Cologne Cathedral rise above the Domplatz Christmas market. A huge tree covered in lights stands in the middle of the square. The Angel Market on Neumarkt fills with candles and hand blown glass. Visitors can buy roasted almonds and warm gingerbread hearts.
Highlights:
  • 🍺 Taste authentic Kölsch beer in a traditional brewhouse
  • 🌇 Stroll along the Rhine River promenade at sunset
  • ⛪ Climb the Cologne Cathedral towers for panoramic Rhine views
Hamburg
Port city with warehouses and the Elbphilharmonie
8.1
The Rathausmarkt market fills the square in front of the neo Renaissance town hall. A giant tree lights up the front of the town hall each Advent. Feuerzangenbowle, a hot punch poured over a flaming sugar loaf, is a local treat. Santa Pauli, a market for adults, opens near the Reeperbahn.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Climb St. Michael’s Church tower for sweeping city views
  • 🚤 Cruise the Elbe River and see Hamburg’s harbor from the water
  • 🏰 Walk through the historic Speicherstadt and admire its red-brick canals
Nuremberg
Imperial castle, gingerbread and Christmas market
7.5
A girl dressed as the Christkind opens the market from the Frauenkirche balcony. She wears golden curls and a gold crown while she reads a prologue. Stalls sell soft Lebkuchen gingerbread and Zwetschgenmaennle, figures made of prunes. Visitors drink hot spiced wine from souvenir mugs each year.
Highlights:
  • 🚶‍♂️ Stroll through the medieval lanes of Nuremberg’s Old Town
  • 🏛️ Learn about history at the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds
  • 🏰 Explore Nuremberg Castle and enjoy panoramic old town views
Leipzig
Bach, music and a lively creative scene
7.7
Bach's Christmas Oratorio premiered at St Thomas Church in December 1734. Concerts of the piece still fill Leipzig's churches each Advent. The market around the old town hall dates to 1458. Visitors can ride a Ferris wheel and eat Leipziger Lerche, a nut filled pastry.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Explore the vibrant Markt square and Old City Hall
  • 🎼 Visit St. Thomas Church, Bach's historic music site
  • 🗼 Climb the Völkerschlachtdenkmal Battle of Nations monument
Heidelberg
Castle ruin above the Neckar and old town
8.2
A ruined red sandstone castle looks down on the Christmas stalls of the old town. Stalls line Marktplatz and Universitatsplatz squares with wooden huts and lights. Visitors can skate on an ice rink at Karlsplatz. Mulled wine and baked apples warm the crowds in the narrow streets.
Highlights:
  • 🐒 Cross the historic Old Bridge and touch the bridge monkey
  • 🌉 Stroll along the romantic Philosopher’s Walk by the Neckar River
  • 🏰 Climb up to Heidelberg Castle for breathtaking city views
Lübeck
Brick towers, marzipan and Hanseatic history
7.4
The Niederegger shop has sold marzipan in this town since 1806. Its cafe serves marzipan cakes and hot chocolate near the town hall. The red brick Holstentor gate guards the old town, a UNESCO site. Christmas stalls sell marzipan figures and hand blown glass ornaments.
Highlights:
  • 🚶‍♀️ Walk the charming streets of Lübeck’s Old Town
  • ⛪ Explore St. Mary’s Church with its towering brick vault
  • 🏰 Visit the iconic Holstentor city gate and museum
Aachen
Charlemagne's cathedral and hot springs
7.2
Charlemagne's cathedral, a UNESCO site, rises above the Christmas market in the old town. Wooden stalls fill the streets around it and the historic town hall. Visitors can buy Aachener Printen, a hard spiced gingerbread, in gift tins. The smell of mulled wine and roasted almonds drifts across the cobblestones.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Tour the historic Aachen Town Hall and its frescoes
  • 🏺 Explore the Aachen Cathedral Treasury's medieval treasures
  • ⛪ Visit Aachen Cathedral, Charlemagne's royal chapel
Freiburg im Breisgau
Sunny Black Forest gateway with a Gothic minster
7.5
Christmas stalls fill Munsterplatz square in Freiburg beside the tall cathedral spire. The open work sandstone spire rises about 116 meters. Visitors can taste Black Forest ham and warm spiced wine at small huts. Stalls also sell wooden toys and cuckoo clocks while old gates frame the cobbled lanes.
Highlights:
  • 🚠 Ride the Schauinslandbahn to explore the Black Forest mountains
  • 🚶‍♀️ Wander through the charming alleys of the old town
  • ⛪ Climb the tower of Freiburg Minster for panoramic views
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Half-timbered streets and a walkable town wall
8.3
The Reiterlesmarkt, named for a small rider figure, fills the old market square. Schneeballen, crisp pastry balls dusted with sugar, are a local Christmas treat. Visitors can join a night watchman tour through the dark lanes at dusk. Half timbered houses glow beneath lit garlands and snow on the roofs.
Highlights:
  • ⚖️ Explore the Medieval Crime and Justice Museum exhibits
  • 📸 Visit the iconic Plönlein for picturesque photo moments
  • 🏰 Walk the well-preserved medieval town walls and towers
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