Tomorrow is Christmas, all merry and bright! But, the festive season would not be the same without beautifully-decorated trees. According to the American Christmas Tree Association, 94 percent of consumers display at least one Christmas tree in their home. Cities too, make Christmas trees the centerpiece of their celebrations. You may already be settled in at your 2024 holiday destination, but it doesn’t hurt to start thinking about festive places to visit next year! Here are some of the marvelous Christmas trees you can see around the world if you travel during the holiday season.
Vilnius, Lithuania
If you visit the capital of Lithuania at Christmastime, head to Cathedral Square. The city puts up a lovely tree, and each year it has a different theme. For example, in 2019 the theme was “chess.” The huge tree was lit to resemble the king piece, with pawns at its base and other pieces surrounding it. Another year, the theme was “time,” and the tree was decorated with colorful clocks. In 2022, Vilnius celebrated its 700-year anniversary by turning the Christmas tree into a three-tiered cake.
Strasbourg, France
As mentioned in last year’s article The Best Christmas Markets In Europe, Strasbourg AKA the “Capital of Christmas” has an impressive tree in Kléber square. Typically around 30 meters tall (98 feet), the “Grand Christmas Tree” is often the tallest decorated Christmas tree in Europe. Workers spend over 100 hours cutting, transporting, erecting, and decorating the tree with lights and baubles.
New York City, New York, USA
Rockefeller Center attracts millions of visitors at Christmastime. Its nearly 80-foot-tall tree is a holiday beacon that has been bringing joy to New Yorkers since the 1930s. It is decorated with at least 50,000 LED lights and crowned with a star made out of Swarovski crystals. With the iconic tree, famous ice rink, talented Rockettes, and more, the Big Apple is an exciting place to spend Christmas.
London, UK
London is full of beautiful Christmas trees (in Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, etc.) but the one inside St. Pancras train station is one of the most creative. Every year the theme changes. In 2015, the tree was made entirely of Disney stuffed animals. In 2022, the tree was inspired by the London skyline and featured iconic monuments and skyscrapers. This year, St. Pancras partnered with Universal and built the tree to look like The Emerald City in its new movie Wicked.
Gubbio, Italy
Gubbio’s Christmas “tree” is very unique, and it is arguably the largest in the world. Instead of the traditional evergreen, the city streams lights down the slope of Mount Ingino in the shape of a Christmas tree. The display features over 2,000 feet of colored lights. The tree spans over 750 meters (almost half a mile) reaching up to the Basilica of the Patron Sant’Ubaldo, where it is topped with a shooting star.
Taipei, Taiwan
The fact that Christmas is not a national holiday in Taiwan makes its tree even more impressive. The Christmasland festival in New Taipei City’s Citizen Plaza, features a dynamic Christmas tree with a variety of sound and lighting effects. This year’s tree is shaped like a giant angel, and it is one of the tallest trees in Asia.
Mexico City, Mexico
The Plaza de la Constitución (informally known as the Zócalo) is a hub during the holiday season. Residents and visitors in Mexico City flock to see the massive Christmas tree and the historic Metropolitan Cathedral behind it. This year the tree and the buildings around the square are decorated with poinsettias, stars, and piñatas.
Paris, France
Admittedly, we are Francophiles. But honestly, France deserves to be on this list twice. The artistic tree in Paris’ Galeries Lafayette department store sits in the very center of the store underneath the iconic stained-glass dome. Like others on this list, the design changes annually. The current tree has 20,000 programmable lights imitating a firework display. Another year, the tree was made up of massive cakes and candies. Once, the tree featured an inflatable astronaut Santa Claus. Back in 2014, the store even hung an 80-foot tree upside down!
West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Perhaps the quirkiest Christmas tree of them all is the one in South Florida. Since there are no evergreens (and lots of beaches), locals opt to build a festive sandcastle named Sandi. Each year, skilled sand sculptors shape 700 tons of sand into a 35-foot-tall tree. Accompanied by lights and music, the carefully-crafted sand tree is a sight to behold.
The above are just some of the amazing Christmas trees you can visit. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section. We, the Borderless Pair, wish you a very merry Christmas!