/Should we top the markets list?

MANCHESTER’S Christmas market is in the running to be named the best in Europe.

A competition, run by the prestigious European Best Destinations organisation, will see one city take home the coveted title of European Best Christmas Market 2018 next month.

Zagreb in Croatia was named European Best Christmas Market 2017 last December, while Manchester’s Christmas market also made it into the top 20 last year - the only market in the UK to make the list.

More than 70 markets vied to take part in the contest for 2018, but only 25 have been selected for the shortlist, including Manchester, which is again the only market in the country to make the cut.

Germany has the most nominations with markets in Rothenburg, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Aachen and Dresden in the running.

France, meanwhile, has Strasbourg, Montbéliard, Amiens, Metz and Colmar.

Markets in Zagreb in Croatia, Tallinn in Estonia, Helsinki in Finland, Brno and Prague in the Czech Republic, Madeira in Portugal, Graz in Austria, Budapest in Hungary, Brussels in Belgium and Bern and Basel in Switzerland have also made the shortlist.

European Best Destinations was set up to help promote the best tourist destinations in Europe.

The public will be able to vote for which destination they want to be crowned the winner, from Friday, December 1 until Monday, December 11.

Voting opens on Friday at europeanbestdestinations.com/ christmas-markets