Where's the most Christmassy place you've been worldwide

[shinychandelier]

I mean really really Christmassy, Christmas trees/decorations and generally can't escape the Christmasness.
Ideas anyone? 🎄

Levi in Lapland! Magical

Lapland, definitely! No Santa I bring my children to see this year will ever to compare to Lapland! A bucket list definitely!

Edinburgh Christmas market with the ice rink, reindeer and ice sculptures nearby. You can't beat it after nightfall when everything is all lit up beautifully.

Rockerfeller Centre, NYC.

Lapland followed by 5th Avenue, NYC.

Oh yes lapland beautiful and is on the list. I will research Edinburgh as well.
@AliceLittle is Christmas atmosphere good in NY? I know I can read articles saying it's amazing etc but good to know first hand.

Austria with metres of real snow and proper decorations, not plastic tat.

New York - all of it in the run up from late November onwards. It's utterly magical. You know all those Christmas movies like Elf, Miracle on 34th Street etc? It's like you're in them. It's all evocative and lovely! And the stores go all out to make Christmas extra special. :D

Lapland was amazing

@LadyLanka I agree - the markets in Vienna and the Town Hall are beautiful as are the lights in the centre. As a bonus you are also near enough to visit the smaller but cheaper and still pretty markets in Bratislava, Slovakia (only an hour by direct train) and even tack on a trip to Budapest where the markets are also fabulous or Prague where the main square has the prettiest market (although busy) and both are short journeys on direct trains from either Vienna or Bratislava. I don't think they are the same as Lapland but probably more affordable!

Lapland. Was utterly beautiful. 🙂

Tallinn! Was very cold in December but snow on the ground and massive Christmas tree in town square. Basically Christmas land!

@LadyLanka I'm not excluding plastic tat tbh but interested in all kinds so thank you. Am going to get a list together later and do some research!

Berlin

I lived in Bremen north Germany for two years. It always snowed at Christmas, there were fantastic christmas markets and decorations, ancient buildings and people still put real candles on their christmas trees.

Yes NYC is great at Christmas - ice skating under all the lights at the Rockefeller Centre is a must!

5th Avenue is always beautifully decorated as well.

We last went out about a week before and took half empty cases and bought quite a few presents out there :-).

Like a pp I'd also recommend Vienna. They have a massive Christmas market and the architecture is breathtakingly beautiful.

In the UK Edinburgh and York have great Christmas markets/decorations and are lovely destinations.

Not been to Lapland so can't compare against the above, but my guess is what experience you're after "pure Christmas" vs a place that's Christmassy but with lots of other things to see/do that's the deciding factor.

Prague's Christmas markets are lovely.

Another vote for Vienna. Christmas markets with Gluwein in the snow - hard to beat.

Love this thread as often go travelling to cold places late December early Jan. Did one gorgeous trip to Helsinki and a husky farm near Russian border. Not Christmassy but wintry and beautiful. Very special. Romania another year which was similar. Bremen and Tallinn sound fab. Vienna and Edinburgh are beautiful cities though haven't been there at Christmas time. Thinking of a trip again this year not sure where.

Apologies, post a little off topic!

Oh what a gorgeous thread. I bloody love Christmas.

Brugge was very festive

New York

Done Prague, Berlin & Bruges at xmas, Bruges was my fave. Heard good things about Colmar, what to do Lapland when dc are older

Salzburg during the first week of December. It was pure heaven. Christmas market, mulled wine, ice rink, snow and frost, Mozart, incredible scenery, chocolate... one of my favourite places on earth.

Leeds
Madrid