York has been crowned the UK's best child-friendly city for Christmas and the festive season, thanks to its wide array of shops, attractions and even the likelihood of snowy weather.
A new study compared a host of city breaks across the UK, looking at factors including the number of sweet shops and toy shops available, the variety and quality of kid-friendly attractions on offer based on visitor reviews, the number of shopping centres and even the likelihood of some festive snowy weather.
York topped the list in the new rankings from holiday homes platform Ovo Network, particularly impressing with over 30 child-friendly attractions per 10,000 children available for the festive period, considerably above the national average.
This year, York is one of the cities to have Christmas markets confirmed to go ahead for 2021,
The St Nicholas Christmas Fair will run until December 23 and feature over 70 alpine chalets selling everything from Yuletide treats of fudge, chocolate and Yorkshire Gin, to gifts and arts and crafts, not to mention other highlights such as the Vintage Carousel. (You can find out more at visityork.org/Christmas ).
As for those with a sweet tooth, there's a reason why York is in our top picks of the best UK breaks for chocolate fans.
The city of York has plenty of ties to the history of chocolate, being the birthplace of famous brands such as KitKat. The York's Chocolate Story attraction is a must-visit for families, and you can even enjoy walking tours such as the Chocolate Trail created by Visit York.
York wasn't the only city to impress in the Ovo Network's findings.
The Scottish capital of Edinburgh took second place in the rankings thanks to its impressive number of toy shops and child-friendly attractions.
We've got a guide on the best things to see in Edinburgh from Edinburgh Castle to a street said to have inspired Harry Potter's Diagon Alley.
This festive season Edinburgh's Christmas market is running until January 1, with over 77 stalls as well as attractions such as the Christmas Tree Maze and a Santa's Grotto. You can find out more at edinburghschristmas.com.
You can check out the top 15 best UK child-friendly cities for Christmas below.
UK's best child-friendly cities for Christmas
- York
- Edinburgh
- Oxford, Wrexham
- Norwich
- Cambridge, Milton Keynes
- Glasgow
- Dundee
- Lisburn
- Bournemouth, Swindon
- Cardiff
- Belfast
- Newport
- Leeds
- Brighton
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
You can find out more about the study on ovonetwork.com.
If you're looking for more inspiration for the festive season, you may want to bookmark our Christmas markets page which we regularly update with the latest discounts, updates and other news that we think you'll want on your radar.
Oh, and for some major festive dreaming, why not bookmark a trip to one of the world's most festive hotels where you'll find everything from epic decorations to suites that will leave you feeling like you've stepped into a winter wonderland. Oh, and there's even one hotel that celebrates Christmas all year long.
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