Europe's best Christmas markets to visit in 2026, according to travellers
Travelers have ranked the top European Christmas markets for 2026, with Craiova, Romania, taking the top spot. The list highlights the festive offerings and unique attractions of various cities across the continent.
Why it matters
Serves as a guide for tourism trends and highlights the economic importance of seasonal cultural events in Europe.
As we get deeper into autumn, it feels as if we’ll blink and Christmas will be upon us. With the festive season comes new opportunities to book a winter trip away, and a favourite must-do for many travellers is to visit a Christmas market.There are more than 1,500 in Europe alone, and this year more than 800,000 travellers have voted for their favourites via the European Best Destinations platform. A total of 20 were included in the final ranking, and we’re taking a closer look at the top five to give you some inspiration on where to go to shop, drink gleuwein and get into the festive spirit in 2026. European Christmas markets: The top picks by travellers Craiova, RomaniaYou might never have heard of Craiova, but the Romanian city has pipped far more famous Christmas markets to the top spot.
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