Best Christmas Markets Across Europe

Magic Christmas lights at Brussels Grand Place Belgium, Europe

Chalets serve warming tartiflette, glühwein, thick hot chocolates and waffles – discover the difference between the two waffles styles, Liege and Brussels waffles, by trying both, naturally.

brussels.be

Christmas tree in the iconic "Grand Place" (literally "Big Square") in the centre of Brussels. Built mainly between 1696 and 1704 the square has beautiful façades, with a mixture of baroque and Renaissance architecture. During Christmas evening, there's a light festival at dusk, as well as christmas markets.

Vienna, Austria

You're spoilt for choice with Christmas markets to explore in Vienna, with festivities springing up in every square and palace gardens across the city and over 20 official markets. The Viennese Dream Christmas Market is the largest, held on the square in front of the city hall, with light installations, plenty of mulled wine and choirs singing carols at the weekends. Visit both the Schönbrunn Palace and Belvedere Palace for smart markets in the palace grounds.

Hot punch (mulled wine, but also mulled amaretto, gin or even mulled Aperol) will keep your hands warm. Try langos – fried dough topped with sour cream and grated cheese, and hot kartoffelpuffer – freshly fried crispy potato pancakes. For something sweet, kaiserschmarrn is shredded fluffy pancakes served with plenty of icing sugar.

austria.info

Austria, Vienna, Christmas market in Karlsplatz at night — Vienna, Austria, Christmas market in Karlsplatz at night

Lisbon, Portugal

Sweet aromas of roast chestnuts fill the air in the Portuguese capital from 11 November (St Martin’s Day). Grab a paper cone and wander the steep, cobbled streets, joining locals in corner kiosks as they shot cherry liqueur (ginja). Rossio Square comes to life in December with wooden huts in its Christmas market, as does the old Campo Pequeno bull ring, that hosts exclusively Portuguese artisans between 30 November-4 December. The technicolour designs of Conserveira de Lisboa’s tinned fish make pretty stocking fillers to take home for loved ones, as do pastéis de nata scented lip balms and hand creams from Lisbon beauty brand Benamôr.

visitlisbon.com

Krakow, Poland

Only a two hour flight from most UK airports, Krakow offers a picture perfect Christmas market experience. The Krakow Christmas market is centred in and around Krakow’s Main Square with over 80 huts, plus a main stage for festive entertainment. Foodies will find mulled beer alongside mulled wine, spiced beetroot soups, hot sausages and tender roasted pork knuckles. Pierogi (Polish dumplings) are a must try, with stalls selling wide varieties of fillings.

Christmas market at the Main Market square of Krakow

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges brings the fairytale festive charm with medieval buildings, winding streets and boats floating down the canal. Bruges' Christmas markets are known as 'Winter Glow' celebrations and two markets take over the city in December: the Market Square offers traditional Christmas market charm and the Simon Stevin Square is filled with crafts to buy for souvenirs. As well as the markets, there is ice skating, a magical lights trail and decorations throughout the city.

The air is filled with the scent of fresh waffles and stopping into tiny chocolatiers for treats to take home is a must. Combine a trip to Bruges with stopping in Brussels for double the Christmas market fun.

visitbruges.be

Cityscape and main square in Bruges (Belgium), Belfry Tower

Arras, France

If you're craving a quick Christmas weekend getaway this December, look no further than the charming historic town of Arras. A mere 2-hour journey from London will transport you from the hustle and bustle of city life to the enchanting Christmas markets with more than 140 stalls nestled across three magnificent Flemish-Baroque-styled squares. These markets, while not the largest in Europe, boast a delightful array of attractions for all ages – from a vintage carousel and ice rink for the kids, to delectable local treats like chicory conserve, honey and craft beers.

Don't miss out on indulging in some frites, especially since Arras made history by hosting the world's first French Fries World Championships on 7 October, promising to become an annual tradition after its resounding success.

arraspaysdartois.com

Bled, Slovenia

A misty Lake Bled and the tiny, church-topped island at its centre form the backdrop to one of Slovenia’s most romantic Christmas markets, the Winter Fairytale, open from 23 December-5 January only. Walk beside the forest-lined lake, following a route marked by flickering fire torches and watch a team of divers ceremonially recover the lake’s sunken bell on Christmas Day then hit the market stalls to track down festive gifts, and food and drink typical of Slovenia’s Gorenjska region.

Try a golden fried potato snack called pocrt krompir, or a slice of potica – a swirly cake made from paper-thin sweet dough and creamed nuts, rolled as tight as a pinwheel biscuit – but leave room for Bled cream cake, a neat little square made from layers of butter puff pastry, vanilla cream and whipped cream.

bled.si

Riga, Latvia

The air is sweet with roast almonds, mulled wine and glazed gingerbread at Riga’s Old Town Christmas Market. Way back in 1510, the Latvian capital was one of the first two cities in the world (the other was Tallinn) to display a Christmas tree in the way we do today – the supposed spot, in Cathedral Square, is where the festive market now stands.

Little wooden huts sell everything from hand-knitted mittens to carved wooden spoons and piping-hot “grey peas”. Despite the uninspiring name, the latter is actually a delicious combination of sticky-sweet onions, Latvian peas and crispy bacon, fried together until fragrant. You can also eat sausages with sauerkraut and drink hot cocktails made with Riga Black Balsam (a herbal liqueur made from vodka infused by black pepper and valerian).

vzt.lv/

A Christmas market with wooden chalets and people stood around in coats and hats

Black Forest, Germany

Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market takes place, as the name suggests, in a geological chasm beneath a railway viaduct in Germany’s Black Forest. Among its 40 or so snow-capped cabins are those selling everything from cuckoo clocks to cherry-topped Black Forest gâteau, Black Forest-smoked trout and venison, and flammkuchen – a German-style flatbread topped with bacon, onion and cheese.

To drink, it's all about a theatrical glass of feuerzangenbowle: mulled wine topped with a square of rum-soaked sugarloaf which is set alight as it’s served. While you shop, frosty blue lights bounce off the Höllentalbahn railway line 40 metres above you, and for a special treat you can hike to the Christmas market via the Löffeltal walk, a 3km trail starting from Hinterzarten village (there are shuttle buses back, if you’re knocked out by all that feuerzangenbowle).

hochschwarzwald.de

Trento, Italy

Split across Piazza Fiera and Piazza Cesare Battisti, Trento’s Christmas market is so dedicated to local produce and sustainability (there’s a ban on plastic bags) that the city has earned itself the reputation of Italy’s Città del Natale. Browse nearly 100 stalls selling regional specialities, including dried orange slices, local sheep’s cheese, grappa and mostarda di rosa canina, a Christmassy condiment made from rosehip berries and winter spices.

Go hungry – there are shallow-fried potato pancakes called tortel di patate to try, as well as polenta wedges, panettone and apple strudel (a nod to the city’s previous life as part of the Austro-Hungarian empire). Sit and eat awhile, enjoying (if you’re lucky) views of the snow-dusted Dolomites beyond the city.

visittrentino.info

A Christmas market with people looking at stalls

Bilbao, Spain

Traditional Basque products hog the limelight at Bilbao’s Santo Tomás Fair, held on December 21 every year (officially the first day of Christmas in this part of Spain). Buy homemade cider, cheese, chorizo, honey and ever-so-slightly-sparkling txakoli wine from local farmers, then hit the street-food stalls for corn flour tortillas, txistorra pork sausages and rosquillas – cake-like ring donuts, often dipped in chocolate and dusted in icing sugar.

There’s always an exhibition of farm animals and plenty of live music to enjoy, including those from bertsolaris (singers of bertso, a Basque form of musical verse) and txalapartaris (they make rhythmic music using wooden sticks and planks).

tourism.euskadi.eus

Bologna, Italy

The Fiera di Natale is Bologna’s biggest wintertime celebration, running right through until January 7. On New Year’s Eve, amidst the bustle of Piazza Maggiore’s street market, a statue of an old man (or an old woman on leap years) is burnt to symbolise the ousting of the old and beginning anew. Stalls are set out underneath the gaze of San Pietro Cathedral, selling ornate Christmas decorations, handmade nativity scenes, roast nuts, chocolate-dipped orange peel and torrone (citrus-scented nougat, studded with almonds). Plus you’ll discover Bologna’s version of panettone: a dense fruit cake made with brandy, dried figs and cocoa, then brushed with alchermes or saba liqueur (a sort of syrup made by slow-cooking wine in copper cauldrons).

bolognawelcome.com

A town square with a Christmas tree with lights on

Angers, France

An illuminated ferris wheel, vintage merry-go-round, ice-skating rink and colourful light show (projected onto Angers Cathedral) makes this French market ideal for families. Even Santa Claus shows up each year, to receive the keys to the city from the Mayor of Angers.

Stalls are set out on the Place du Ralliement in front of the Grand Theatre selling food and drink typical of the Loire Valley – pommes d’amour (like toffee apples, but coloured red), nougat, vin chaud, gingerbread houses and warm galettes – while the nearby Maison du Vin offers tastings and sales of 70 local Loire Valley wines until 6:30pm most evenings. Better still, at a corner kiosk, you can get any purchased gift-wrapped in pretty paper.

marchedenoelangers.com

A Christmas market stall with lots of gingerbread in various shapes

Torun, Poland

Head to the Polish city of Torun if you want to get your Christmas market fix away from the crowds. Warm nippy hands around firepits, drink mulled wine spiked with warm honey, watch old movies in the Market Square and snap a photo with a life-size nutcracker. Food-wise you can indulge in everything from dried sausages to oscypek, a smoked sheep’s milk cheese that’s served warm with cranberry sauce.

Whatever you do, don’t miss the peppery gingerbread – Torun has been making it in traditional moulds since the 14th century. Buy beautiful, intricate examples of the craft, or simple heart-shaped gingerbread cookies filled with plum jam. You can even learn how to make your own during the Christmas period, at the Museum of Torun Gingerbread.

jarmarktorun.pl/

Four gingerbread cookies in the shapes of trees and stars and dusted with white icing sugar

Tallinn, Estonia

Estonia's enchanting Christmas markets in Tallinn beckon as snow blankets the landscape. Dating back to 1441, when the Brotherhood of the Blackheads introduced the first Christmas tree to Tallinn's town square, this tradition continues to captivate. From 1 December, 2023, to 7 January, 2024, Tallinn's medieval Old Town and Tartu host festive markets blending holiday cheer with Estonian charm.

Discover over 100 stalls in the UNESCO Old Town, offering hand-knit woollens, crafted woodwork and festive decorations. Indulge in traditional Estonian treats like black pudding and sauerkraut, and savour the magic from 10am to 10pm daily – an unforgettable blend of history, tradition and holiday joy.

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