Christmas Lovers Must Visit These 10 Festive Worldly Destinations
If you’re a Christmas fanatic and can’t get enough of this festive holiday, you should start saving up for a worldwide whirlwind trip next year and check out these 10 incredible places that celebrate Christmas in a big way.
People compiled this fantastic list of destinations and while some are familiar, like Rockefeller Center in New York City, others you might not have heard of, like Santa Claus, Indiana.
Top on the list is London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Every November, an amazing carnival is set up here, converting the massive park into a winter wonderland. There’s a Ferris wheel, an ice bar, a huge ice rink, and plenty of yummy holiday treats to sample.
Next up is Santa Claus, Indiana, and its Santa-Palooza celebration. Everyone in this town of fewer than 3,000 residents pitches in to honor its namesake during the holidays, although it’s considered America’s Christmas hometown year-round. They set up an incredible light display and Christmas-themed events. There’s even a group of townsfolk who sweetly volunteer to respond to the letters the town receives from children searching for Santa.
The North Pole is too far away for most people, but Santa Claus Village at Rovaniemi, Finland, comes in second as a perfect alternative. Located in the region’s northernmost area, the residents there take their geographic position just inside the Arctic Circle quite seriously. They establish an amusement park every year and you can see the breathtaking Northern Lights from there, too.
10 Destinations Around the World Every Christmas Lover Needs to Visit Once https://t.co/dElErGgbz3
— People (@people) December 25, 2018
Zurich, Switzerland, puts on Circus Conelli on the small island of Bauschanzli in the middle of the Limmat River. The event is marvelous.
Christkindlmarket in Chicago, Illinois, offers the vibes of a traditional European Christmas market in the heart of the Midwest. At Chicago’s Daley Plaza, the Christmas market offers holiday treats, ornaments, and other heartwarming gifts.
Rockefeller Center in New York City is bustling with guests there to see the spectacular tree that’s lit up in stunning fashion. It also offers live musical performances and is adjacent to the famous ice skating rink as well as Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes perform their annual “Christmas Spectacular” show.
Salzburg, Austria, has an amazing flare in the offseason, but during the holidays, it becomes a captivatingly quaint tourist draw. There are multiple Christmas markets set up, but the biggest component of this Christmas celebration is the “Krampus” runs where people dress up in frightening costumes and parade through the town doling out punishments to misbehaving children.
The city of love is magical any time of year, but during the holidays, Paris, France, opens up an ice skating rink under the Eiffel Tower. It takes the romantic hot spot up a notch and morphs it into an even lovelier place to visit.
Three Kings Day Celebration in Barcelona, Spain, actually begins on Jan. 5. The city goes crazy commemorating the arrival of the three kings to Bethlehem. They are fireworks, explosive cannons, huge parades with elephants and camels, and a hilarious swimming competition among people dressed up as Santa.
Cities across Europe invite tourists and locals to their special Christmas markets every holiday season, but the ones in Cologne, Germany, are extra special. There are eight different markets set up along the mesmerizing Rhine River for shoppers to peruse.
So start saving up and pack your bags for next Christmas for an incredible jet-setting trip around the world to hit up these special places. Or maybe make it a goal to visit one every year and ring in the holidays like no other.
