Europe’s calmest Christmas city breaks

As Brits across the county prepare for Christmas day at home, millions will catch flights during the festive season (22nd December to 2nd January) to spend the holidays abroad. While some are jetting off to visit family and friends, others seek a calmer Christmas escape on the continent.

For those yearning to enjoy the festivities in a beautiful, quieter location that is easy on the senses, the experts at Lotus Car Rental have created a list of Europe’s top 5 calmest Christmas city break destinations. 

The rankings are compiled from research into the sensory stimuli of cities popular with tourists, looking at several data points covering air quality, noise levels, light pollution, built-up area size, annual airport passengers, population size, density, and traffic.

Skansens Julmarknad, Stockholm – 24th November-23rd December 2024

Stockholm, home to Skansens Julmarknad Christmas Market, one of the oldest in Sweden, tops our list as the most relaxing European Christmas city break.

Started in 1903, visitors to the historic Skansens Julmarknad market can enjoy local delicacies like warm Swedish Christmas bread and waffles, handcrafted goods and mulled wine.

And, with the cleanest air in Europe, visitors to this cosy open-air market can breathe deeply. Perfect for those looking for a slower sensory experience, tourists can stroll across this wondrous city without too many loud distractions, as Stockholm ranked fifth lowest for sound pollution in Europe.

And, those staying outside the centre don’t need to worry about getting caught in too much traffic when they hire a vehicle as the average 10km journey across the city takes 15 minutes 30 seconds, the fastest time in Europe. 

Copenhagen, Denmark – Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market 15th November 2024-5th January 2025

Copenhagen, Denmark, came in as our second most relaxing European Christmas city break. Those visiting this Scandinavian metropolis will want to take a trip to the infamous Tivoli Gardens, a magical amusement park said to have inspired fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen and the location of a wonderous Christmas market.

Visitors will benefit from Copenhagen’s fresh air, the fourth cleanest in Europe, while exploring Tivoli Gardens’s 1,000 trees, illuminated by more than a million twinkling Christmas lights.

Unwind with a delicious Æbleskiver (a small pancake-like doughnut) while finding your inner calm at this fun-filled market surrounded by festive rides.

Vienna, Austria – Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz – 15th November-26th December 2024 

The third calmest European city break this Christmas is the capital of Austria, Vienna, host of the Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz (Christmas market at Rathausplatz).

The biggest Christmas market in the city, Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz offers a serene experience. With around 99 stalls to explore, offering decorations and toys made by local merchants, local sweet and savoury culinary delicacies and an ice rink. 

Vienna ranked in the top 10 least densely populated, built-up, light-polluted and humid locations, taking the title as the location with the best rates of hearing among the population (as an indicator of noise pollution). 

Calmest European City Break Locations

The full findings from Lotus Car Rental’s Sensory Cities: The Most and Least Overwhelming Places to Holiday can be found here: https://www.lotuscarrental.is/blog/sensory-cities-the-most-and-least-overwhelming-places-to-holiday 

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