What country is the Christmas Capital of the world?
This city in France is known as the Christmas Capital of the World 🎅🏼 If there's one place you need to travel to for Christmas, it is Strasbourg, France 🇫🇷 Strasbourg is only 2 hours by train from Paris and you have to add it to your travel bucket list 🙌🏼 Here are the best Christmas spots around Strasbourg ⬇️
"Strasbourg, capital of Christmas" is exceptionally renowned. Every year, close to two million visitors flock to the Alsatian capital to experience its enchanting market. For over a month, Strasbourg is imbued with a festive, spiritual ambiance with few parallels anywhere else in Europe.
Strasbourg is one of the most multilingual cities in France. French is the official language, but German is taught in schools, Alsatian (a regional Germanic dialect) is still spoken by elders, and English is widely used in EU institutions.
Strasbourg (UK: /ˈstræzbɜːrɡ/ STRAZ-burg, US: /ˈstrɑːsbʊərɡ, ˈstrɑːz-, -bɜːrɡ/ STRAHSS-boorg, STRAHZ-, -burg; French: [stʁasbuʁ]; German: Straßburg [ˈʃtʁaːsbʊʁk]) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace.
Today around 16,000 Jews reside in Strasbourg but their history is similar to the rest of France and Europe with several expulsions, accusations, forced-baptisms and deaths. Alsace became part of France in 1648, but Jews still did not have civil rights until after the French Revolution.
You'll see destinations like Vienna, Strasbourg, Hallstatt, Tallinn, and Gdańsk — each with its own way of celebrating the holidays. Whether you love Christmas markets, peaceful old towns, or just that winter atmosphere, these are the towns you'll want to add to your 2025 travel list.
Solvang has been named the #1 Best Christmas Town in the U.S. in the 2025 TZR (The Zoe Report) Jet-Set Readers' Choice Awards, earning the top spot among festive destinations nationwide. Solvang has been named the #1 Best Christmas To...
Santa Claus Village is located in Rovaniemi, Finland, the official hometown of Santa Claus. Santa Claus has made Lapland in Northern Finland his home for centuries, and the Arctic Circle is close to his heart because many Christmas secrets are rooted in this magical place.
The best specialties to bring back from Strasbourg include Alsatian pottery, embroidered table linens, gingerbread (pain d'épices), bredele cookies, regional wines like Riesling or Gewurztraminer, and hand-carved wooden souvenirs. These are typical products found in artisan shops and local markets.
Craiova, Romania, has been crowned the Best Christmas Market in Europe for 2026, surpassing some of the continent's most iconic festive destinations. The title was awarded after Craiova secured a record breaking number of votes in the annual competition organized by European Best Destinations.
Norway. Norway tops the list as the European country with the most Christmas spirit. The Christmas season here is characterized by cold mornings, crystal clear landscapes, reindeer, lots of snow and cookies. The main Christmas celebration takes place on December 24th and is known as Julaften.
Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macau), the Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, the Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, the Sahrawi Republic, ...
Crowned the least Christmassy town in the UK was… Luton. The city scored the lowest on the festive spirit score, making it home to the Grinchiest of souls in the country. Second place went to Bradford, followed by Southampton in third.
Castle Combe is often called the prettiest village in England and one of the most beautiful towns in the Cotswolds. Walking through this village truly feels like stepping back in time; no new houses have been built here for over 400 years, so it has kept its authentic, old-world charm.
For a magical UK Christmas, consider bustling cities like London, Edinburgh, and York for grand markets and lights, charming historic towns like Bath and Chester for traditional markets, or scenic retreats in the Cotswolds, Lake District, or Scottish Highlands for cozy countryside charm, with options ranging from ice skating and Santa trains to festive pubs and winter walks.
Visitors take a selfie in front of an illuminated Christmas tree at Cathedral Square in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and the 2025 Christmas Capital of Europe. Grand Duke Gediminas founded Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, in the 14th century.
The majority of the Jews in England live in and around London, with almost 160,000 Jews in London itself and a further 20,800 in nearby Hertfordshire, primarily in Bushey (4,500), Borehamwood (3,900), and Radlett (2,300).
Islam is the second-largest religion in France after Christianity. As of the most recent estimates, it is followed by approximately 10% of the population aged 18-59 in 2019-2020—according to data from INSEE. Grand Mosque, Paris. Mainly French.
Israel has the largest Jewish population, with over 7 million people, followed by the United States, which has the second-largest community, with approximately 6 million Jews, making these the two countries where the vast majority of the world's Jewish population lives. France and Canada also have significant Jewish populations, with tens of thousands or more, but Israel and the U.S. are the clear leaders.
