Vienna: European Champion of Christmas Markets 2025 – A festival for all the senses!

Vienna: European Champion of Christmas Markets 2025 – A festival for all the senses!

What an award for Vienna! In the current Christmas Market Index 2025, published by Accor, the capital takes first place as the best European travel destination for the Advent season. With an impressive 94 total points, Vienna clearly stands out from the competition. Picturesque Strasbourg and lively Brussels follow in second and third place. But what makes the Vienna Christmas market so special?

As the ranking shows, Vienna not only scored points in terms of tradition, but also in terms of atmosphere and experience. The city shows its best side, especially at the town hall square, where festively decorated stands and ice skating areas dominate the scene. The Vienna Christmas market has an eventful history and was mentioned in documents as early as 1296, making it one of the oldest Advent markets in Europe. It's not just about shopping for gifts, but also about the festive atmosphere that permeates the streets.

The ranking and its criteria

The evaluation of the Christmas market index is based on publicly available data from cities, tourism offices and organizers and evaluates six essential criteria: tradition, visitor numbers, variety of offerings, experience factor, social media presence as well as price and accessibility. Tradition and visitor numbers in particular had the greatest weight in the evaluation. So it is not surprising that Vienna emerged as the winner.

• Straßburg – Platz 2: bekannt für seine romantische Altstadt mit Fachwerkhäusern und der majestätischen Kathedrale.
• Brüssel – Platz 3: bietet das Event „Winter Wonders“ mit atemberaubender Lichtshow, einem Riesenrad und vielfältigen Ständen.
• Köln – Platz 4: der Kölner Weihnachtsmarkt punktet mit der Kulisse des Doms und der Nähe mehrerer Märkte.
• Dresden – Platz 5: der Striezelmarkt reicht bis ins 15. Jahrhundert zurück und ist bekannt für seine Traditionen rund um Schnitzkunst und Backwerk.
• Zürich und Salzburg: Beide Städte haben ebenfalls ihren Platz im Ranking gefunden und bieten besondere Erlebnisse, von wetterfesten Zonen in Zürich bis zur festlichen Kulisse Salzburgs.
• Montreux und Brügge: Beide Städte überzeugen durch interessante Angebote und historische Kulissen.

A Christmas market for everyone

The good news for all Christmas market fans: The best times to visit are between mid-November and just before Christmas, and Advent weekends are particularly popular. Popular markets are often fully booked weeks in advance, so make your plans well in advance. For those who come with the family, it is advisable to start early and also plan breaks.

Christmas markets are a centuries-old tradition in Europe that grew out of the need to stock up on supplies for the winter. The markets that emerged back then have developed further over the centuries. Today they attract millions of visitors, not just in Vienna, but in many European cities, from Prague to Helsinki, where over 6,400 markets are visited annually.

So this year, when the frost clears the air and the lights twinkle, Vienna will once again shine as the centerpiece of the pre-Christmas spirit. Discover the magic of the Vienna Christmas market and let yourself be carried away by the atmosphere!

For more details on the rankings and market information visit: Day ticket, Press portal and CN Traveller.