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France - The achingly charming Strasbourg Old Town is one of Europe's prettiest city districts, even more so when Christmas arrives complete with a tree, decorations, and a wonderful market.

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Russia - Moscovites make a point of gazing upon the lovely Christmas tree outside the Neoclassical Bolshoi Theatre building set in the heart of Moscow.

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Portugal - Lisbon's annual Christmas tree is set in one of the city's most symbolic locations, Praça do Comércio, along the river. Get to the top of Arco da Rua Augusta for views like this one.

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USA - The big, brash, and beautiful Christmas tree decorations at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan have become a New York City festive tradition. And every year they seem to do it better.

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Belgium - The historic center of Bruges is a celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at Christmas these cultural credentials are bolstered by a traditional Christmas tree set on the Burg Square.

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Brazil - In an almost dreamlike setting, the Christmas tree located on the water of a lagoon in Rio de Janeiro stands as a festive beacon that can be admired from many points around the city.

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Taiwan - Resembling a multicolored jester's hat, Taipei's giant Christmas tree stands surrounded by equally vibrant city buildings.

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France - The unique upside-down Christmas tree at the opulent Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. Christmas shopping has never been so extravagant!

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Slovenia - Ljubljana's Old Town exudes a magical charm as snow lights appear to circle the Christmas tree in this picture-perfect scene.

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Hungary - Budapest's sapphire blue Christmas tree on Kossuth Lajos Square adds color to the Hungarian Parliament Building.

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Ireland - They've been downing Guinness at Dublin's famous Temple Bar since 1840, and the pub remains a "must see" visitor attraction. Come here at Christmas and admire the tree affixed to the facade. Do so while sober: the decor tends to blur after a few pints!

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Australia - Melbourne's Federation Square turns heads all year round. But at Christmas this location is especially alluring. Behind the tree pictured here is St Paul's Cathedral.

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USA - Standing tall in presidential grandeur on Capitol Hill is Washington, D.C.'s lofty Christmas tree.

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Malta - Star-topped mini Christmas trees tickle the toes of the Parish Church of St Peter's Chains in Birżebbuġa.

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Slovakia - Bardejov's humble Christmas tree set in front of the monumental Church of St. Aegidius. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Canada - Downtown Vancouver, with its juxtaposition of tradition and contemporary architecture, benefits from the seasonal aesthetics of a huge central Christmas tree.

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Georgia - Tbilisi's Freedom Monument is transformed into a Christmas tree during the festive season, which adds sparkle to the city's central square.

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Germany - A modest but magical Christmas tree set near the Chinesischer Turm, a Chinese-style wooden pagoda in Munich's Englischer Garten (English Garden), casts a warm glow over this winter scene.

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South Korea - Busan's Christmas tree set in the city's Seomyeon commercial district captures the festive spirit in its shimmering web.

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Monaco - A deck of illuminated Christmas trees line the entrance to the Monte Carlo Casino. But don't gamble on snowfall—it rarely occurs in this destination.

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Australia - Check out Sydney's Christmas tree display on Martin Place, the city's classy pedestrian mall many consider a "town square."

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Poland - A Christmas tree, replete with gifts, soars over Palace Square in Warsaw's Old Town, a UNESCO Word Heritage Site.

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Switzerland - Zurich's main train station not only houses the city's Christmas tree, but also the annual Christmas market.

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Thailand - A Christmas tree heightens the allure of the plush EmQuartier shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok.

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China - The annual Hong Kong WinterFest takes place at Victoria Harbour where the decorative Christmas tree is as eye-catching as the neon-lit skyscrapers surrounding it.

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Japan - The Port of Kobe boasts its fair share of tall buildings, and in winter the city's Christmas tree is also seen piercing the skyline.

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Iceland - Reykjavik's imposing Hallgrimskirkja appears to stand guard over a single Christmas tree set outside the church entrance.

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England - London's Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree is donated to the people of Britain by the city of Oslo, Norway, and has been every year since 1947.

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Russia - Framed under the arches of the fabulous Winter Palace in St Petersberg is this serene-looking Christmas tree.

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Japan - The Caretta Shiodome is an awesome mall to visit anytime of year, but during the festive season shoppers are greeted with an exceptional display of Christmas trees and Yuletide decoration.

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USA - The Grove, a favorite Los Angeles shopping, dining, and lifestyle destination, has Santa Claus and his team of reindeer flying over its 30-m (100-ft) Christmas tree.

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Philippines - Located well away from the hustle and bustle of Manilla, Ligao, a city in Albay province, celebrates its Christmas with a tree set outside the Divine Mercy Shrine. It's created using recycled materials.

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Italy - The ancient ruins of Rome provide a classical stage of sorts for this gleaming Christmas tree.

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Norway - Oslo puts up several trees at Christmas time, and it's often the simple fir trees with sparse decoration that catch the eye.  

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Lebanon - One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Byblos, located north of Beirut, displays a Christmas tree of contemporary design. The city itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Czech Republic - Prague's Christmas tree is illuminated as the traditional festive market opens at the city's Old Town Square. 

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Estonia - Christmas trees come in all shapes and sizes—and materials, too. This one in Rakvere is made of 121 old wooden-framed colored windows, cleverly constructed by local carpentry students.

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Greece - Syntagma Square in Athens has Christmas all wrapped up with this incandescent tree. It stands facing the 19th-century Old Royal Palace.

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Venezuela - Christmas in Caracas sees a tree erected in Plaza Francia, also known as Plaza Altamira. Either way, the seasonal decoration enhances the already attractive water mirror and fountain the square is famous for.

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Mexico - The 16th-century cathedral in Oaxaca de Juarez lends a historic perspective to the Christmas tree decorating the grounds.

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USA - The Walnut Room at Macy's on State Street features this giant indoor Christmas tree, which can be admired by shoppers or as part of a Holiday Traditions Tour (November-January).

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Italy - The luminosity of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City appears to mirror that of its Christmas tree.  

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Belarus - October Square in Minsk, the country's capital, is used for all sorts of parades and ceremonies. During the festive season however, a huge Christmas tree takes center stage, in front of the Palace of the Republic, itself a well-known cultural venue.

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Canada - Montreal's City Hall looks overgrown with Christmas trees, which dot the ground of this 19th-century landmark building. 

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Denmark - Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a tree greeting visitors to Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens amusement park. 

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Canada - Quebec's Quartier du Petit Champlain looks like it's been plucked out of a period drama, such is its yesteryear ambiance. At Christmas, a tree appears outside the small church to enhance the film set appearance.

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Spain - Madrid's crowded Puerta del Sol is dominated at Christmas time by a huge, sparkling tree.

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Canada - The Toronto Eaton Centre is not just a mall, it's one of the city's premier tourist attractions. At Christmas you can buy into the festive season while admiring the tree and a collection of imaginative decorations.

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Sweden - Stockholm's waterfront is endowed with a dazzling Christmas tree as if to compete with the colorful facades that line the area.

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USA - San Francisco's imposing City Hall bathed in red and green light to complement the colors of the city's Christmas tree.

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Netherlands - Amsterdam's Dam Square at night with a tree embellishing the facade of the Royal Palace.

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Germany - The sight of a Christmas tree near Berlin's iconic Brandenberg Gate remains hugely symbolic, long after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  

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Singapore - Somewhat dwarfed by the Supertrees looming up in the Gardens by the Bay nature park, Singapore's Christmas tree still manages to grow on you the more you admire it.

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Italy - Gubbio, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe, is known for the Mount Ingino Christmas Tree. The "tree"—in fact a lighting illumination set on the mountain slopes—has been named "The World's Largest Christmas Tree" by the Guinness Book of Records.

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Italy - Incongruous in its setting among some of Europe's finest examples of Renaissance architecture, this odd-looking Christmas tree, in Murano, Venice, is made entirely out of colored glass tubing.

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USA - Cities and towns across America always celebrate their Christmas with a decorative tree, and Raleigh in North Carolina is no different. Theirs stands smartly in front of the capitol building.

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Portugal -

Not to be outdone by Lisbon, Porto also puts up a tree, to stand proudly outside the city hall.

See also: The best Christmas decorations around the world

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