The holidays are in full swing, and Europe is definitely the place to experience their magic.
Across the continent, travelers will find Christmas markets showcasing sparkling lights, exotic foods, and bountiful gifts to fill the socks of your favorite. While you may be familiar with some well-known Christmas markets, such as the Vienna Christmas Market, which is visited by around 3 million visitors a year, or the Leipzig Christmas Market, one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, HomeToGo wants to help you become more familiar with some smaller, hidden gems.
HomeToGo’s experts gathered internal search data this season to create a shortlist of small European towns to highlight their unique markets. The team explains in its methodology that the cities included must “not be on the list of the 100 most searched destinations in the country in which they are located” and “have a maximum population of 100,000.”
Once the destination shortlist is complete, the team examines internal interest data and accommodation costs for winter travelers at each location. It assigns a numerical value to each data point and calculates the winner.
After analyzing the data, the team named the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, the winning market.
“While the Spanish metropolis may not be the preferred location for a Christmas market trip, this destination is full of undeniable festive charm in December,” the team shared in the survey results, noting that the median price of a holiday home here during December is $136 per night. Indulge in Galician cuisine and browse carefully crafted gifts under the twinkling lights of the Christmas market. Stroll the cobblestone streets of the incredible Old Town and take in the views. The ancient city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its majestic cathedral dates back to the 13th century.”
HomeToGo, named Chimay, in the Walloon region of Belgium, is second because the median price of a vacation home is just $211 per night. The results show that the market here has 70 stalls, and the scenery is spectacular, even for casual browsing.
The markets in Swinburg, Denmark, Canterbury, United Kingdom, and Spanish Xabia prove that sometimes, the best gifts—or at least the market—can be found in small packages.
