Europe is famous for its Christmas markets held in incredible cities across the continent. As we edge closer to the end of 2024, many people will be looking for a last minute trip to round off the year, or planning ahead for holidays in winter 2025.
From traditional and historic markets to cities that transform into winter wonderlands ever year, there's plenty to see and do across the continent. And many can be reached in a matter of hours from Liverpool.
The ECHO recently reported how one European city is perfect for a Christmas trip. A great place to visit all year round, Poznan was previously named among the best Christmas markets in Europe by Forbes, as well as having "the most beautiful Christmas ice rink."
But independent travel agency Iglu Cruise has recently used Tripadvisor data to reveal the highest-rated Christmas markets in Europe. Using a sample of 40 of the biggest Christmas markets, the team calculated which markets had the highest percentage of "excellent," or five out of five-star visitor reviews.
The highest-rated Christmas market in Europe is Esslingen, Germany, which has a rating of 72.2%. But a handful from the top 10 can also be flown to from Liverpool John Lennon Airport - you can find out more below.
Krakow
In second place, with a score of 71.4%, is Krakow Christmas Market in Poland. The city, which looks like it's plucked out of a fairytale with its own castle, stunning architecture and cobbled streets, is marked a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It was formerly Poland's royal capital and has managed to preserve much of its historical buildings, having managed to miss much of the WWII destruction. Located in the Old Town in the main square in Krakow, the Christmas market is typically open from late November to Christmas Eve, making it a perfect destination for anyone looking to experience a touch of Christmas in Poland.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of local crafts, artisanal goods, and Christmas decorations. The flight time to Krakow from Liverpool John Lennon Airport is around two hours and 30 minutes.
Travellers can fly direct from Liverpool with Ryanair and now this winter with Jet2, who are offering festive flights and breaks to Krakow operating between November 29 to December 16, with twice-weekly services (Monday and Friday) available during this period.
We found flights from Liverpool to Krakow on December 3 at 3.45pm and returning on December 6 at 10.05pm for £77. You can find out more here.
Prague
Prague Christmas Market received a score of 70%, making it the fourth highest-rated in Europe. A must visit in the city is the Old Town and the grand Astronomical Clock and you can also take in the open-air gallery of Baroque statues on the romantic Charles Bridge, as you cross the Vltava river on your way to Prague Castle.
And while Prague is a beautiful city all year round, its true charm comes out in the winter months - with its Christmas markets, cobblestone streets and fairy-tale architecture. Held annually in the heart of the city, the main market is located in Old Town Square, though there are some at Prague Castle too.
Visitors can enjoy traditional Czech cuisine and svařák, a Czech mulled wine, served with cinnamon, cloves, and citrus. The flight time to Prague from Liverpool John Lennon Airport is around two hours.
Since October, easyJet has been offering a thrice-weekly service to the historic city. But you can also fly to Prague with Jet2. We found flights from Liverpool to Prague on December 2 at 12.20pm and returning on December 5 at 12pm for £133. You can find out more here.
Salzburg
In ninth place is the Salzburg Christmas Market in Austria, which scored 52.4%. Fans of The Sound of Music will be in seventh heaven in the city as the Christmas Day staple was filmed in and around Salzburg.
You can head to Mirabellgarten (free entry) where Maria and the children sang Do-Re-Mi, or you can belt out all the classics on one of the specialist Sound of Music bus tours.
And there is plenty more to see and do in Mozart’s picturesque hometown of Salzburg. As for the festive season, the market features stalls selling handmade crafts, ornaments, and gifts, many of which reflect the region’s culture and heritage.
You'll find everything from beautifully crafted wooden toys and decorations to candles, ceramics, and intricate glass ornaments. The flight time to Salzburg from Liverpool John Lennon Airport is around two hours and 10 minutes.
At the time of writing, we could only see flights to be away over the Christmas period so far from Liverpool with easyjet, departing on December 21 at 11.05am and returning on December 28 at 4.35pm for £148. You can find out more here.
Vienna
If it's too last minute for you to plan a Christmas getaway for this year, you can already plan ahead for 2025 as another highly-rated Christmas market in Europe is Vienna, Austria, which has an excellent score of 62.7%. Renowned for its rich history, cultural heritage, stunning architecture and vibrant arts scene, Liverpool John Lennon Airport described Vienna as one of Europe’s "greatest and most underrated city breaks."
Located next to the beautiful Gothic City Hall, the Vienna Christmas Markets provide a majestic backdrop for the festive stalls, complete with twinkling lights, elaborate decorations, and towering Christmas trees. In August of this year, Jet2 announced its 'biggest ever' Christmas markets programme from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
In response to strong demand for Christmas Market getaways, Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks will operate a mini-series of dedicated trips to Vienna from the Speke airport for the first time in winter 2025. The flight time to Vienna from Liverpool John Lennon Airport is around two hours and 30 minutes.
We found flights with Jet2.com for next winter from Liverpool to Vienna. They depart on December 7 at 1.55pm and returning on December 11 at 7.55pm for £187. To find out more, click here. To find out more about Vienna, visit the Liverpool John Lennon Airport site here.
