If you’ve ever watched a Christmas romance — whether it’s Christmas Inheritance or A California Christmas  — you know this story: a career-driven protagonist, too busy for Christmas, is forced to go to a small town where the holiday reigns supreme, and is eventually charmed into letting go and loosening up. It’s a tale as old as Santa himself, and Netflix’s Spanish holiday rom-com 1000 Miles from Christmas (A mil kilómetros de la Navidad) is taking its own spin on the Christmas town narrative. 

In the film, Raúl (Tamar Novas), a grumpy auditor who has only known terrible Christmases, is sent off on a quick pre-Christmas job to Valverde, a small mountain town whose entire economy depends on the local fudge factory, Yuletide Fudge (La Navideña). Every year, they put on a living Nativity scene, and this year they hope to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by putting on the largest living nativity scene in history. All the while, Raúl is confronted by this wave of holiday cheer — from the lights decorating the streets to the Nativity set piece he accidentally runs his car through, ultimately finding cheer and solace in the Christmas spirit. 

Unfortunately, while there’s a town called Valverde in Spain, the Valverde as presented in 1000 Miles from Christmas doesn’t seem to exist in real life. But there are many towns around the world that revolve around Christmas, and take the holiday just as seriously as 1000 Miles’ fictional one. Here are five that should be on all Christmas fans’ must-visit lists:

Santa Claus, Indiana

Not to be confused with Colorado Springs’ The North Pole-Santa’s Workshop park or Texas’ annual Santa’s Wonderland festival, Santa Claus, Indiana, is a very real town that declares itself “America’s Christmas Hometown.” The town typically hosts multiple holiday parades, Christmas fireworks, a massive arts and craft show, and a “Treemendous Christmas in the Village” exhibit at the Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum. And, according to a local news story by WISH-TV, the Indiana town gets thousands of letters to Santa a year. The town’s Christmas shop also sells decorations year-round and the local theme park is called — you guessed it — Holiday World.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Rothenburg ob der Tauber has hosted an annual Christmas market for the past 500 years, and is really a picture-perfect holiday setting — thanks to its well-preserved medieval architecture. The town is also home to a Christmas museum, which explores the origins of the holiday, and the Kathe Wohlfahrt shop, known worldwide for its Christmas decorations. According to the town’s tourism website, the Wohlfahrt shop employs 200 people year-round, making Christmas vital to the town’s financial well-being.

North Pole, Alaska

There’s no guarantee that the real Santa lives in North Pole, Alaska, but if he did, he’d probably feel right at home. North Pole is a very real city, and it’s reportedly covered in candy cane-themed decorations all year. Among its many holiday attractions, the most popular is Santa Claus House: Part Christmas store, part post office, the Santa Claus House sells personalized letters from Santa, written on official Santa Claus stationery, which you can have sent to your loved ones throughout the year. North Pole is also reputedly the host of the world’s largest Santa Claus statue. 

Colmar, France

In Colmar, France, they go all out for Christmas, right down to covering the entire town with lights. The decorations are so popular, the town actually keeps them up all year, turning them on Friday and Saturday nights. The town itself looks like the perfect Christmas village, replete with cottages and medieval churches (think Belle’s hamlet in Beauty and the Beast). But at Christmastime, Colmar puts on not one, not two, but six Christmas markets, including one set up specifically for children. 

Montreux, Switzerland

The lakeside town of Montreux has everything from ice skating to a literal castle, and Christmas there is one big celebration. Families can enjoy the Castle Chillon, which hosts craft workshops and other activities for kids, before strolling the Lakeside Christmas market, which features “150 lit chalet stalls.” But the real attraction is the town’s very own Santa Claus House: Situated on a mountaintop and accessible by train (yes, like The Polar Express), the Santa House offers Santa meet-and-greets, an array of holiday gifts and countless photo-ops.

Collage images: North Pole, Alaska: Santa Claus House; Colmer, France: Pel_1971/istock; Rothenburg ob der Tauber Westend61/Getty; Montreux, Switzerland Luca Florio/Wikimedia Commons; Santa Claus, Indiana: Nomadjim/Wikimedia Commons