Ferris wheel, gourmet chalets, jugglers, makeup workshops… everything is there to amaze the little ones (but also the older ones!).
Every year, Christmas markets compete for public attention. In 2025, one of them will surpass all the others with a spectacular lead and even take the spotlight away from the cities which usually hold the upper hand. In fact, searches related to Christmas markets jumped 247% in one month, a sign that the organization of the holidays begins much earlier than we think and that curiosity about seasonal events has taken on an unexpected extent.
This general increase does not tell the whole story, however. Because, in detail, certain markets are experiencing an impressive boom, to the point of redistributing the usual ranking. Even Strasbourg, often presented as the “Capital of Christmas”, is overtaken. Data compiled by SIXT travel specialists reveals an unexpected hierarchy, dominated by a city whose progress exceeds anything that previous rankings had shown.
In this list, Arras climbs to second place thanks to an increase of 827%. Its market is spread across its emblematic squares, Grand’Place and Place des Héros, two settings which already naturally give the impression of being ready for the holidays. Regional specialties remain a major asset, as does the indoor ice rink, which has become one of visitors’ favorite landmarks. In a different register, Metz completes the top three with an increase of 542%. Its market is based on several sites spread across the city, mixing traditions, decorations and gourmet stands. Visitors come to look for the famous Christmas pyramid, the wooden chalets and the Saint-Nicolas parade, which continues to attract large audiences.
Other cities are also seeing a notable increase in interest, even if they remain more moderate than that of the leading trio. Colmar progresses by 422%, Toulouse by 413%, Nantes by 375%, Paris by 361%, Reims by 303%. Strasbourg, which many still imagined would crush the competition, posted an increase of 105%, sufficient to confirm its popularity, but too weak to compete this year. At the end of this frantic race, one market crushes all the rest of the ranking with a meteoric rise of 881%, that of Lille.
Among the reasons for its success, the city has created a setting that particularly impresses children. The Ferris wheel installed on the Grand’Place dominates the facades and offers a view that literally transforms the city into a postcard landscape. Downstairs, the illuminated rides immediately attract the youngest, while the chalets scattered around Place Rihour multiply the little discoveries: animated characters, decorated windows, makeup workshops, sweet smells which punctuate the route. Open since November 19 and scheduled until December 30, the market attracts nearly a million visitors each year and is unsurprisingly established as the unmissable event of 2025.
