Manchester voted one of the best Christmas destinations in Europe for 2021
- By I Love MCR
- Last Updated 2 years ago
From world famous Christmas Markets to ice villages and festive light trails, Manchester is the UK’s capital of Christmas and no mistake.
And it’s not just us who think so.
The city was voted one of the best Christmas destinations for 2021 in top international magazine, Forbes – the only UK destination to make the top 10.
In an effort to spread a message of hope and encouragement and to help travellers with their vacation planning, the European Best Destination organization invited people from all over the world to vote for the Christmas Markets of their dreams.
Over 100,000 travellers from 121 countries answered the question: “Where would you like to spend Christmas in Europe in 2021, (health situation permitting)?”
Manchester came 10th in the list of 2021 Best European Christmas Markets, which also comprised of Basel, Bath, Brussels, Bruges, Budapest, Dresden, Edinburgh, Govone, Madeira, Malaga, Nuremberg, Poznan, Prague, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Tallinn, Tbilisi, Trier, Vienna and Vilnius.
The Manchester Christmas Markets, the ideal destination for a festive outing, are “among the largest, most original and – arguably – the best Christmas market in the UK,” says Forbes.
“Started in 1999, the first Christmas market in the UK has grown every year since, now attracting more than nine million visitors to its 300 beautifully crafted stalls spread across 10 individual sites – each with its own distinctive character and offering international food, drinks and finely crafted Yuletide gifts.”
The hugely popular festive extravaganza usually runs from mid-November right up until Christmas Eve in December, and sees a plethora of food, drink and gift stalls at a number of outdoor sites drawing thousands of people into the city centre.
People travel for miles to visit and soak up the atmosphere at Manchester’s Christmas Markets, which take over Albert Square, King Street, St Ann’s Square, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Market Street, Cathedral Gardens and Piccadilly Gardens.
The markets have been voted the best in the UK, with hundreds of stalls and chalets offering everything from homemade crafts and toys to gifts and garments.
Then there’s the food and drink – from hearty hog roasts and the obligatory whopping bratwurst sausages to local traders offering seasonal specialities and copious mugs of steaming mulled wine.
The dates for this year’s Manchester Christmas are provisional, after last year was cancelled, with an announcement expected shortly. Watch this space.
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