Manchester Crowned Europe’s Best Christmas Market

MANCHESTER’s Christmas Markets have topped the list of Europe’s best Christmas Markets, according to ChristmasMarkets.com.

The markets celebrated their fifteenth birthday in 2013, making it the UK’s longest running Christmas Markets as well as one of the largest, with over 300 stalls spread across nine locations in the city centre welcoming a record nine million people in 2013 and boosting the city’s festive economy by £90m - according to official figures. 

Albert Square

Top 10 Christmas Markets according to users of ChristmasMarkets.com:

1. Manchester

2. Belfast

3. Bath

4. Baden-Baden, Germany

5. Winchester

6. Graz, Austria

7. Portsmouth

8. Basel, Switzerland

9. Dusseldorf, Germany

10. Skipton

Of around 50 European sovereign states (give or take a Ukraine), the British Isles have certainly been punching well above their weight (as ever), claiming six of the top ten spots – that or the vast majority of the site’s users are British, which is more than likely the case.

Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s 'festive' spokesperson, said: “This poll confirms what we have known for 15 magical years – that Manchester is home to the best Christmas Market in Europe and the deserved holders of the UK capital of Christmas crown.

“But of course, to beat off contenders from some of Europe’s most popular Christmas destinations is a huge achievement and  testament to the months of effort that go into making the markets a wonderful attraction for the whole family. I’m already counting down the days.”

Aren't we all.

See Confidential's Manchester Christmas Markets video here.

More on the city's Christmas Markets here.

Portsmouth? Seventh? In all of Europe?