Christmas · Late November to Christmas Eve
Christmas markets in Europe
Wooden stalls, mulled wine, lights and nativity scenes: the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe, from Alsace to Vienna, and why each one is worth the trip. Almost all of them open in late November and close on Christmas Eve or shortly after.
Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Germany and Austria, where the tradition was born
Advent markets are German in origin: this is where you’ll find the oldest ones and those that keep the tradition best.
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GermanyNuremberg
The Christkindlesmarkt is one of the oldest and most famous in the world: gingerbread, Nuremberg sausages and little figures made of prunes. Every year it’s opened by the Christkind from the Church of Our Lady.
From the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas Eve
What to see in Nuremberg -
GermanyDresden
The Striezelmarkt, with almost six centuries of history, is one of the oldest in Germany. Stollen, the fruit loaf sold at every stall, was born here, and there’s a giant Christmas pyramid.
From late November to Christmas Eve
What to see in Dresden -
GermanyCologne
Several markets at once: the most famous at the foot of the cathedral under a canopy of lights, another by the harbour and another in the old town, all within walking distance.
From late November to late December
What to see in Cologne -
GermanyRothenburg ob der Tauber
A walled medieval town that looks made for Christmas, with its Reiterlesmarkt in the market square and Christmas decorations on sale all year round.
From late November to late December
What to see in Rothenburg ob der Tauber -
GermanyMunich
The Marienplatz market in front of the neo-Gothic Town Hall, a medieval one and several more around the neighbourhoods, with the Alps close by to extend the trip.
From late November to Christmas Eve
What to see in Munich -
AustriaVienna
More than ten markets: the Town Hall one with its ice rink, the one at Schönbrunn Palace and Spittelberg’s among narrow lanes. Some stay open until New Year.
From mid-November to late December
What to see in Vienna -
AustriaSalzburg
The market in Cathedral Square, with the fortress as a backdrop, and Advent singing. Very close by, in Oberndorf, Silent Night was sung for the first time.
From late November to late December
What to see in Salzburg
France and Belgium
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FranceStrasbourg
It calls itself the capital of Christmas: its Christkindelsmärik, dating from 1570, is one of the oldest in Europe and fills the centre around the great fir tree in Place Kléber.
From late November to Christmas Eve
What to see in Strasbourg -
FranceColmar
Several markets spread around an old town of half-timbered houses and canals, with decorated Alsatian villages nearby such as Riquewihr and Kaysersberg.
From late November to late December
What to see in Colmar -
BelgiumBrussels
Plaisirs d’Hiver: stalls from the Bourse to Sainte-Catherine, a big wheel and the sound-and-light show on the Grand-Place with its great tree.
From late November to early January
What to see in Brussels -
BelgiumBruges
A market in the Markt square and an ice rink, in a city of canals that’s even prettier in winter.
From late November to early January
What to see in Bruges
Central and Eastern Europe
Fairy-tale settings and some of the markets that have grown most in recent years.
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Czech RepublicPrague
The one in Old Town Square, with the astronomical clock and the great tree, and the one in Wenceslas Square: trdelník, mulled wine and carols.
From late November to early January
What to see in Prague -
HungaryBudapest
The ones in Vörösmarty Square and at St Stephen’s Basilica, with light projections on the façade and an ice rink. Very popular, and one of those that stay open after Christmas.
From mid-November to early January
What to see in Budapest -
PolandKraków
Wooden stalls in the Main Market Square, one of the largest in Europe, and Kraków’s nativity scene competition (szopki), part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, in early December.
From late November to late December
What to see in Kraków -
EstoniaTallinn
A market in Town Hall Square, in a medieval old town that looks like a fairy tale under snow. Tallinn claims to have put up one of the first public Christmas trees in Europe.
From late November to early January
What to see in Tallinn -
CroatiaZagreb
Advent in Zagreb fills the city with stalls, concerts and ice rinks, from Zrinjevac Park to the Upper Town.
From late November to early January
What to see in Zagreb
United Kingdom, Denmark and Switzerland
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United KingdomLondon
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, the Southbank market by the Thames and the lights on Oxford Street and Regent Street.
From late November to early January
What to see in London -
United KingdomEdinburgh
A market in Princes Street Gardens, with a big wheel and an ice rink below the castle, running into Hogmanay, the city’s great New Year’s Eve celebration.
From mid-November to early January
What to see in Edinburgh -
DenmarkCopenhagen
Tivoli Gardens dresses up for Christmas with markets and thousands of lights, and in Nyhavn there are stalls beside the colourful houses on the canal.
From mid-November to late December
What to see in Copenhagen -
SwitzerlandBasel
For many, the most beautiful Christmas market in Switzerland, in Cathedral Square and Barfüsserplatz.
From late November to late December
What to see in Basel
Frequently asked questions
When do the Christmas markets in Europe start?
Most open in late November, around the first Sunday of Advent, and close on 23 or 24 December. Some, like several in Vienna, Budapest and Brussels, stay open until early January. Check each one’s dates before you book.
Which is the most beautiful Christmas market in Europe?
It depends on what you’re after: Strasbourg and Colmar for the Alsatian atmosphere, Nuremberg and Dresden for tradition, Vienna for sheer number and Prague and Budapest for the setting.
Are there Christmas markets in Spain?
Yes: the best known are the one in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor and Barcelona’s Fira de Santa Llúcia, next to the cathedral.
What do you eat and drink at a Christmas market?
Spiced mulled wine (Glühwein or vin chaud), gingerbread, grilled sausages, roast chestnuts, Stollen in Germany or trdelník in Prague, among other things.
What should you wear to the Christmas markets?
A warm coat, hat, gloves and comfortable waterproof shoes: you spend a long time outdoors, often below freezing in Germany, Austria or Eastern Europe.
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Reviewed 19 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Jorge Franganillo (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.