It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas tree season, but some firs are bigger than others.
The honor of the tallest Christmas tree in the world belongs to the California towns of Fort Bragg and Willits, according to a study that was shared with Travel + Leisure by Playcasino.com, which reviews the online casino industry. The area’s more than 200-foot beauty is actually a living redwood, decorated by the Skunk Train, which transports passengers through the forest to marvel at the tree’s sheer height.
The two-hour Christmas tree train runs through Dec. 31 and includes the chance to sip “warm cocoa, snack on cookies, play merry games, and groove to cheerful tunes as the train winds its way through my forest home.” Tickets start at $68.35 and include the option to upgrade to a “VIP” experience with advanced boarding, priority concessions, and a commemorative gift. Even dogs are welcome to indulge in the festive fun.
The second-tallest tree was Rio de Janeiro’s 197-foot-tall Árvore de Natal da Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, an artificial tree atop a floating platform in a lagoon, which is lit with 900,000 LED lights, according to the study. It delights travelers just as T+L named Brazil the destination of the year for 2026.
That was followed by the 180-foot-tall artificial tree in Ermesinde, Valongo, Portugal, which sits in the middle of a park and is artificially lit.
Set in the Weihnachtsmarkt Christmas market in Dortmund, Germany, the nearly 150-foot-tall tree took fourth place on the list. The tree boasts 138,000 LED lights and a 13-foot-high angel on top, according to the market. In addition to marveling at the tree, visitors can shop for crafts, Christmas decorations, “unusual toys,” and more at the market’s 250 different stalls.
The steel-frame, 148-foot-tall tree in Vigo, Spain, rounded out the top five, according to the report.
Aside from the redwood tree in California, the only other Christmas tree in the United States to make the top 10 was in Commerce, California. The 115-foot, fresh-cut tree is installed at the Citadel Outlets just outside Los Angeles.
While undoubtedly famous, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree only measures 75 feet tall with a diameter of 45 feet. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in sparkle thanks to 50,000 colorful LED lights and a Swarovski star make up of 3 million crystals and 70 glass spikes.
To come up with its list, Playcasino.com analyzed social media photos, city tourism statistics, and official height records for trees around the globe.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure