Yzabelle Bostyn
AT 57 metres tall, Granada, Spain claims to be home to Europe’s biggest Christmas tree, but so does Portugal and Italy, so who really comes out on top? The Olive Press investigates.
Nevada Shopping Centre, just outside Granada, has taken the top spot for the tallest tree in Spain, using a whopping 9,500 lights, 2,400 LED strips and 2,635 metres of luminous thread to create an animated festive spectacle.
Installation of the tree started in September as the shopping centre prepared to host not only the biggest tree in Spain, but the whole of Europe, or so they claim.
The tree was crowned after a tough competition saw a small town in Cantabria, Cartes, erect a 55 metre giant. Close behind were Vigo, Galicia, with a 40.5 metre tree and Badalona, Catalonia with a towering 40 metre structure.
However, Nevada Shopping Centre is not the only place in Europe claiming to have the continent’s biggest tree.
The Portuguese capital, Lisbon, held the Guinness World Record for ‘Europe’s Tallest Christmas Tree’ for many years, with its 76 metre structure.
Located in Praça do Comércio, the tree is so big that punters can walk through the structure to enjoy the lights from all angles.
Portugal also claims another record, for largest living christmas tree. Solar Branco Eco Estate on the Azores Islands is home to a 30ft, 150-year-old tree, adorned with almost three miles of string lights.
Meanwhile, Gubbio, Italy has held the title of ‘World’s Largest Christmas Tree’ since 1991 with its huge light show.
It’s not exactly a tree, however, as the town lights up nearby Mount Ingino with a display, big enough to cover 30 football fields.
About 2 and a half hours from Rome and Florence, the tree has been switched on by many famous faces, including Pope Francis.
It’s no surprise that Germany, home to some of the best Christmas markets in the world, also has one of Europe’s most impressive trees.
Near Dusseldorf, Dortmund Christmas Market has a 45 metre tall installation composed of 1,700 red spruce trees.
Arranged using a huge metal structure, the tree weighs a whopping 39916.129 kg.
In hopes of usurping Germany as host to the best Christmas markets in Europe, Strasbourg, France, has one of the biggest real trees in Europe.
Located in France’s oldest Christmas market, Strasbourg’s tree is always grand and this year, the specially selected fir measures 27 metres tall.
Christmas is a time of tradition, and Norway never fails to gift one of their towering trees to London, where it stands in Trafalgar Square.
A token of thanks for the UK’s support during World War Two, the tradition turned 75 last year with a 20 metre tall tree. This year it is set to be just as spectacular.
So, according to the Guinness World Records, Europe’s largest ‘tree’ is in Gubbio, Italy. But if you’re looking for Europe’s largest 3D Christmas tree structure, head to Lisbon.
If you’re traditional and want to see a real tree, find Europe’s largest uncut Christmas tree in the Azores islands.
On an international level, the USA is famed for its elaborate trees and the country has held the Guinness World Record for ‘World’s Largest Real Christmas Tree’ for over 70 years.
Northgate Shopping Centre in Seattle, erected the huge 64.6 metre tree in 1950 and has held the record ever since.
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