The 21 Best Christmas Markets in Europe 2026

The best Christmas markets in Europe for 2026 are Strasbourg, Colmar, Nuremberg, Cologne, Vienna, Salzburg and Prague, with Brussels the easiest to reach from the UK by Eurostar.

Most open in the second half of November, though some in Vienna and Copenhagen start as early as 6 November, and several, including Salzburg, Prague and Brussels, keep going into the new year. Every date in this guide comes from the market’s organiser or official tourist board, and any not yet announced is marked as such.

For each market, we have added the square it is held in, whether it opens after Christmas and the simplest way to get there from the UK, plus Edinburgh for anyone who would rather leave the passport at home.

Christmas Markets in Europe 2026: Dates at a Glance

Which European Christmas Markets Should You Choose?

First-time visitors: Strasbourg – eight markets, one city

Traditional atmosphere: Nuremberg – traditional goods only

Families: Vienna – ice rinks beside the stalls

Couples: Colmar – canals and half-timbered houses

Food lovers: Budapest – lángos and chimney cake

After Christmas: Salzburg, Prague or Tallinn – open into January

Easiest from the UK: Brussels – under two hours by Eurostar

No passport needed: Edinburgh – Christmas market below the castle

Best Christmas Markets in Europe for 2026

1. Strasbourg, France

2026 dates and popular markets: all markets open Friday 27 November 2026; chalets traditionally close on 24 December

• Christkindelsmärik, Place Broglie: the original market, dating from 1570
• Autour de la Cathédrale, Place de la Cathédrale and Place du Château: Alsatian crafts
• Les Irréductibles Petits Producteurs d’Alsace, Square Louise Weiss: local producers
• Marché OFF, Place Grimmeissen: ethical and second-hand market in shipping containers
• Au pied du Grand Sapin, Place Kléber: the Great Christmas Tree

Main location: Strasbourg’s Grande Île (the old town island), ten minutes’ walk from the railway station

Best for: First-time visitors

From the UK: Eurostar to Paris, then TGV to Strasbourg (about 1 hour 46 minutes), or fly to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and take the train

Strasbourg calls itself the Capitale de Noël, and it has the history to back it: the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie dates back to 1570, making it France’s oldest Christmas market. Rather than one market there are eight, each with its own character: Alsatian crafts around the cathedral, local producers on Square Louise Weiss, and the Marché OFF on Place Grimmeissen, an ethical and second-hand market set in shipping containers.

The Great Christmas Tree on Place Kléber is the centrepiece. Chalets open from 11:30 am to 9 pm and close at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. Drinks come in a €1 (about £0.85) deposit cup you can return or donate to a local charity, and Bredle, small Alsatian Christmas biscuits, make an easy gift. The old town island is closed to traffic while the market is open, so arrive by train or use the tram park-and-ride. The city says Monday and Tuesday mornings are quietest.

2. Colmar, France

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Old Town markets (Place des Dominicains, Place de l’Ancienne Douane, Place Jeanne d’Arc, the Koïfhus and Petite Venise): 23 November – 29 December
• Food market, Montagne Verte: 23 November 2026 – 3 January 2027

Main location: Colmar Old Town

Best for: Couples and photographers

From the UK: Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Strasbourg, then a regional TER train to Colmar (around 30 minutes); or fly to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

Colmar is Strasbourg’s smaller, prettier neighbour, and plenty of visitors end up preferring it. The Colmar Christmas markets are six separate markets, all a short walk apart in an old town of half-timbered houses and canals. Around 50 chalets gather round the Schwendi fountain on Place de l’Ancienne Douane; the Koïfhus, the old customs house, holds an indoor market for craftspeople; Place des Dominicains sits beside the Dominican church; and Petite Venise has a market just for children. After dark, the old town is lit building by building to pick out its architecture.

Eat Flammekueche, a thin tart of crème fraîche, onions and bacon, with a glass of Alsace wine. On December weekends, Christmas shuttle buses (Navettes de Noël) run from Colmar to the wine villages of Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé, each with its own market. Colmar is small, so book December weekend accommodation early.

3. Cologne, Germany

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom, Roncalliplatz: 16 November – 23 December (closed 22 November)
• Heinzels Wintermärchen, Alter Markt: 23 November – 23 December
• Heinzels Wintermärchen, Heumarkt: 23 November 2026 – 10 January 2027 (closed 24–25 December)
• Markt der Engel, Neumarkt: 16 November – 23 December (closed 22 November)
• Nikolausdorf, Rudolfplatz: 16 November – 23 December (closed 22 November)
• Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt, by the Chocolate Museum: 13 November – 23 December, then a New Year market from 26 December 2026 to 3 January 2027

Main location: Cologne city centre, around the cathedral and the Old Town 

Best for: Seeing several markets in one day on a short break by train

From the UK: Eurostar to Brussels, then a high-speed train to Cologne, or fly to Cologne Bonn or Düsseldorf (check current routes)

The big draw of the Cologne Christmas markets is choice: several sit within walking distance, each with its own mug. The cathedral market is the largest, with around 140 stalls, the tallest natural Christmas tree in North Rhine-Westphalia and more than 100 free stage events. Heinzels Wintermärchen, themed on Cologne’s folklore house gnomes, has an ice rink and a Toy Alley of handmade gifts.

Eat Reibekuchen (potato fritters with apple sauce) and drink Glühwein from the Wimmeltasse, sold only at the cathedral market. Cologne suits rail travellers, couples (save the Markt der Engel on Neumarkt for after dark) and families, with children’s shows from Tuesday to Thursday. Avoid Sunday 22 November, when the cathedral, Neumarkt and Rudolfplatz markets close for Totensonntag.

4. Nuremberg, Germany

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2026 dates and popular markets:

• Christkindlesmarkt, Hauptmarkt: 27 November – 24 December (closes 2 pm on 24 December)
• Kinderweihnacht (children’s Christmas market): 27 November – 30 December
• Market of the Sister Cities, Rathausplatz: 27 November – 23 December

Main location: Hauptmarkt, Nuremberg Old Town

Best for: Traditional handmade gifts and families with young children

From the UK: Fly to Nuremberg or Munich; Munich to Nuremberg takes about 1 hour 10 minutes by ICE train

What sets the Nuremberg Christmas market apart is its rulebook: the city only admits stallholders whose goods fit the market’s tradition, so the wooden stalls sell decorations, candles, toys, nativity figures and Lebkuchen rather than mass-produced souvenirs. The opening is worth planning around.

On Friday 27 November at 5:30 pm, the Nuremberg Christkind, a young woman elected every two years to represent the market, reads the prologue from the balcony of the Frauenkirche to a packed square. Eat Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, served three in a bread roll, and take home Elisenlebkuchen and Zwetschgenmännle, little figures made from dried plums. Families should head to the Kinderweihnacht, the children’s market, which stays open until 30 December. Next door, the Market of the Sister Cities includes a stall from Glasgow, Nuremberg’s twin city. The main market closes at 2 pm on Christmas Eve, so come before Christmas.

5. Dresden, Germany

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Dresdner Striezelmarkt, Altmarkt: 25 November – 24 December (closes 2 pm on 24 December)
• Christmas market at the Frauenkirche, Münzgasse: 25 November – 24 December
• Advent auf dem Neumarkt: 25 November – 23 December, then 27–30 December, New Year’s Eve and 2–3 January 2027
• Mittelalterweihnacht (medieval market), Stallhof at the Royal Palace: 25 November – 23 December
• Augustusmarkt, Hauptstraße: 25 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 24–26 December and 1 January)

Main location: Dresden Old Town, with the Augustusmarkt across the Elbe in the Neustadt

Best for: Traditional crafts and Germany’s oldest documented Christmas market

From the UK: Fly to Prague or Berlin, then take the train (around 2¼ hours from Prague, under 2 hours from Berlin)

First recorded in 1434, the Dresden Christmas market known as the Striezelmarkt reaches its 592nd edition in 2026, and it still feels rooted in its region. More than 200 stalls fill the Altmarkt around a 14-metre wooden step pyramid, and much of what’s on sale comes from the nearby Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge): incense smokers shaped like little men (Räuchermännchen), candle arches (Schwibbögen) and hand-turned wooden figures. The market takes its name from Striezel, the old word for Dresden’s Christmas Stollen, so buy a proper Dresdner Christstollen to take home, and look out for Pflaumentoffel, chimney-sweep figures made from prunes. The Stallhof hosts a medieval market, and the Neumarkt and Augustusmarkt reopen after Christmas, so Dresden still works if you arrive in the week before New Year. The Striezelmarkt closes at 2 pm on Christmas Eve.

6. Vienna, Austria

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Viennese Christmas Market, Rathausplatz: 13 November – 26 December (ice rink until 6 January 2027)
• Schönbrunn Palace: 6 November 2026 – 6 January 2027
• Christmas Village, Stephansplatz: 6 November – 26 December
• Old Viennese Christmas Market, Freyung: 14 November – 23 December
• Art Advent, Karlsplatz: 13 November – 23 December
• Spittelberg: 13 November – 23 December
• Winter Market, Riesenradplatz (Prater): 20 November 2026 – 6 January 2027

Main location: Vienna city centre, from Rathausplatz to Stephansplatz

Best for: Families, and both early-season and post-Christmas trips

From the UK: Direct flights from London and regional UK airports

Vienna’s strength is variety: the city tourist board lists more than a dozen Christmas markets, each with its own character. The biggest, in front of City Hall on Rathausplatz, has a 12-metre multi-level carousel, a reindeer train and the Tree of Hearts, plus an ice rink that winds through the park until 6 January. For crafts, the Old Viennese Christmas Market on Freyung has been held since 1772 and sells glass decorations, ceramics and nativity figures, while all the food at Art Advent on Karlsplatz is certified organic. Spittelberg’s stalls fill narrow Biedermeier lanes. Warm up with Punsch and roasted chestnuts. Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz open as early as 6 November, and Schönbrunn, with its own ice rink and children’s train, runs until 6 January along with the Prater winter market. That makes Vienna one of the few cities where you can catch a market from early November right through to Twelfth Night.

7. Salzburg, Austria

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Salzburger Christkindlmarkt, Domplatz and Residenzplatz: 19 November 2026 – 1 January 2027 (open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day)
• Hellbrunner Adventzauber, Hellbrunn Palace courtyard: 19 November – 24 December (closed Mondays; ticketed)
• Christmas Market on Mirabellplatz, in front of Mirabell Palace: 19 November – 31 December
• Advent Market at Hohensalzburg Fortress, castle courtyard: 27 November – 20 December (Fridays to Sundays, plus 8 December)
• Ice rink, Mozartplatz: 12 November 2026 – 31 January 2027

Main location: Domplatz and Residenzplatz, Salzburg Old Town

Best for: Spending Christmas Day at a market, and music lovers

From the UK: Seasonal winter flights to Salzburg, or fly to Munich and take the train (about 1 hour 40 minutes)

The Salzburg Christmas market fills the two squares between the cathedral and the Residenz palace in the UNESCO-listed Old Town, with Hohensalzburg Fortress lit up on the hill above. It always opens on the penultimate Thursday of November and has run in its present form since 1974, though its roots go back centuries. Music sets it apart: more than 90 choirs sing in front of the cathedral during the season, and on set evenings brass players perform Turmblasen, carols played from the towers around Residenzplatz.

For UK travellers, the big point is timing: it’s one of the few major markets open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (11 am to 6 pm), and it runs until New Year’s Day. Try Bosna, Salzburg’s spiced sausage in a roll with onions and curry powder, and Jagatee, a tea punch laced with rum. Mozart’s birthplace on Getreidegasse is a short walk away.

8. Prague, Czech Republic

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí): 28 November 2026 – 6 January 2027
• Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí): 28 November 2026 – 6 January 2027
• Náměstí Míru, Vinohrady: 20 November – 24 December
• Náměstí Republiky: 25 November – 24 December

Main location: Old Town Square, Prague Old Town

Best for: Couples, and breaks between Christmas and New Year

From the UK: Direct flights from London and regional UK airports

The Prague Christmas market on Old Town Square has the setting most visitors picture: the Gothic towers of the Church of Our Lady before Týn on one side, the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall on the other, and a giant Christmas tree in the middle, traditionally switched on during the opening evening. The second main market, on Wenceslas Square, runs on the same dates ten minutes’ walk away. Expect ham roasted on a spit and carved to order, sausages, gingerbread and svařák, Czech mulled wine, alongside handmade decorations and traditional Czech crafts. Both main markets stay open over Christmas and until 6 January, so Prague is a strong pick for a Christmas-to-New-Year break.

Old Town Square is busiest at weekends and before Christmas, so visit in early December if you can. For a more local feel, try Náměstí Míru in front of the Church of St Ludmila.

9. Budapest, Hungary

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Advent Bazilika, St Stephen’s Square (Szent István tér): 13 November 2026 – 1 January 2027
• Vörösmarty Classic Xmas, Vörösmarty Square: from 13 November 2026, usually until around New Year

Main location: District V on the Pest side, a ten-minute walk between the two squares

Best for: Food lovers, and pairing markets with a spa break

From the UK: Direct flights from London and regional UK airports

The Budapest Christmas markets come in two styles, a ten-minute walk apart. Advent Bazilika, in front of St Stephen’s Basilica, has been voted Europe’s best Christmas market in the European Best Destinations poll for four years running. Nearly 150 exhibitors take part over the season, including  close to a hundred Hungarian artisans selling ceramics, jewellery, leatherwork and design pieces, and the basilica is lit with light displays after dark. Vörösmarty Square, at the top of Váci utca, is the city’s long-running craft market, with a small railway that children love.

Eat lángos, deep-fried flatbread with sour cream and grated cheese, and kürtőskalács, chimney cake rolled in sugar. Then spend an afternoon in the hot outdoor pools at Széchenyi Baths.  Advent Bazilika runs until 1 January, so Budapest also works between Christmas and New Year.

10. Brussels, Belgium

2026 dates and popular markets: all areas open 27 November 2026 – 3 January 2027

• Grand-Place: Christmas tree, nativity scene and sound-and-light show (no stalls)
• Place Sainte-Catherine and Vismet: the largest run of chalets, the Ferris wheel and a children’s carousel
• Place de la Bourse and Place de la Monnaie: food, drink and handmade gifts
• Place De Brouckère: ice rink and curling
• Tour Noire: children’s village with Santa’s Chalet

Main location: Brussels old town, from the Grand-Place to Place Sainte-Catherine, a short walk from Brussels-Central station

Best for: The quickest rail trip from London, and breaks between Christmas and New Year

From the UK: Direct Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels-Midi (from 1 hour 53 minutes), or fly to Brussels Airport and take the train into the city

The Brussels Christmas market, known as Winter Wonders, isn’t one square but a 2 km trail of 238 chalets through the old town. Start on the Grand-Place for the Christmas tree, nativity scene and free sound-and-light show on the guild houses. There are no stalls here, so walk on past the Bourse to Place Sainte-Catherine and Vismet, where most chalets and the Ferris wheel are. For gifts, look for the 33 chalets carrying the Artisan Quality Label, which vouches for where the products come from.

Eat smoutebollen (Belgian doughnut balls), waffles and frites with a Glühwein or Belgian beer. Families should head to Place De Brouckère for the ice rink and curling, and to the children’s village at Tour Noire. Bruges and Ghent are easy day trips by train.

11. Kraków, Poland

The Kraków Christmas market sets up around the Renaissance Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) on Rynek Główny, one of the largest medieval market squares in Europe, with St Mary’s Basilica overlooking the stalls. At around 80 stalls, it’s smaller than the German giants and easy to see in one visit. Time your visit for Kraków’s szopki: glittering, tower-shaped nativity scenes modelled on the city’s churches. Their makers traditionally bring them to the square on the first Thursday of December, 3 December in 2026, for the annual competition, a tradition on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2018. Fill up on oscypek, smoked sheep’s cheese grilled and served with cranberry sauce, pierogi and grzane piwo, hot spiced beer.

Kraków suits couples and anyone after a good-value city break. Check opening times around 24 December, as Polish families spend Christmas Eve at home.

12. Tallinn, Estonia

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Tallinn Christmas Market, Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats): 20 November 2026 – 6 January 2027 (open daily 10 am–8 pm, including New Year’s Eve)
• Balti Jaama Turg Christmas Market, by Balti Jaam station near Telliskivi: usually late November to late December
• Christmas Village, Estonian Open Air Museum: 12–13 December 2026 (ticketed)

Main location: Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats), Tallinn Old Town

Best for: A properly cold, medieval Christmas

From the UK: Direct flights from London (check current routes), or fly to Helsinki and take the ferry across to Tallinn (about 2 hours)

The Tallinn Christmas market fills Town Hall Square in the UNESCO-listed Old Town, beneath the spire of the Gothic Town Hall, and it comes with a claim no other market here can make. Records show the Brotherhood of Blackheads putting up a Christmas tree on this square in 1441, which the city presents as the world’s first public Christmas tree (Riga makes a rival claim).

On 29 November, the first Sunday of Advent, the mayor and the dean of Tallinn Cathedral proclaim the start of Advent on the square. Wooden stalls ring the tree, selling woollen mittens, jumpers and wooden decorations, with sausages, sauerkraut and glögi, Estonian mulled wine. Stalls open from 10 am to 8 pm daily, and hot drinks are served until 10 pm, or 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. December highs average about 1°C, so pack thermals and boots with grip.

13. Copenhagen, Denmark

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Christmas in Tivoli, Tivoli Gardens: 13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 24 December)
• Christmas Market Nytorv & Gammeltorv, by Strøget: 6 November – 21 December
• Jul på Højbro Plads, Højbro Plads: 14 November – 20 December (new for 2026)
• Copenhagen Winter Wonderland ice rink, Kongens Nytorv: usually mid-November to early January

Main location: Central Copenhagen, from Tivoli opposite Central Station to Strøget

Best for: Families with older children, and design lovers

From the UK: Direct flights from London and regional UK airports

Copenhagen’s headline Christmas market is Christmas in Tivoli, held since 1994 in pleasure gardens that first opened in 1843. Wooden huts dressed in pine branches, thousands of lights around the lake and many of the park’s rides keep going through the season. It is ticketed, so budget for entry plus a ride pass and book online ahead of December weekends.

For free Copenhagen Christmas markets, Nytorv and Gammeltorv, just off Strøget, open first on 6 November, with crafts and local food and drink producers, while the new Jul på Højbro Plads brings stalls and traditions from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Order gløgg, Danish mulled wine, and æbleskiver, round pancake puffs dusted with icing sugar and served with jam. The street markets close by 21 December, so in late December Tivoli is the one to target, though it shuts on Christmas Eve. Copenhagen suits families with older children and design lovers; eat your main meal outside Tivoli to keep costs down.

14. Berlin, Germany

2026 dates and popular markets:

• WeihnachtsZauber, Gendarmenmarkt: 23 November – 31 December
• Charlottenburg Palace: 23 November – 27 December
• Berliner Weihnachtszeit, Rotes Rathaus: 23 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Breitscheidplatz: 23 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
• Winter Market, Schlossplatz at the Humboldt Forum: 18 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
• Historischer Weihnachtsmarkt, RAW-Gelände: 12 November – 22 December

Main location: Across the city, with the main markets in Mitte and Charlottenburg

Best for: Choice, an upmarket market, and New Year’s Eve

From the UK: Direct flights from London and regional UK airports

Berlin has more Christmas markets than any other city on this list, with the official tourist board showcasing over 80 Christmas markets, so you can choose a market to suit your mood. WeihnachtsZauber on Gendarmenmarkt returns to the renovated square in 2026 with fine crafts, a daily stage programme in front of the Konzerthaus and heated tents for proper meals. Entry is €2 (about £1.70), free for under-12s and on weekday lunchtimes, and the market ends the year with a New Year’s Eve party and fireworks.

Charlottenburg Palace has the grandest backdrop and its own Christmas market orchestra, the Rotes Rathaus market adds an ice rink and an Old Berlin market alley, and the RAW-Gelände in Friedrichshain runs a medieval-themed market. Try Feuerzangenbowle, mulled wine with a flaming rum-soaked sugar cone above the pot. Berlin is big, so group your markets by area and use the U-Bahn between them.

15. Basel, Switzerland

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Barfüsserplatz: 26 November – 23 December
• Münsterplatz: 26 November – 23 December
• Märchenwald (Fairytale Forest), Münsterplatz: 26 November – 22 December

Main location: Basel Old Town

Best for: Families with younger children, and a combined Switzerland and Alsace trip

From the UK: Fly to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

The Basel Christmas market is split across two squares with different moods. Barfüsserplatz is the busier shopping market, while Münsterplatz, beside the red sandstone cathedral, is calmer and prettier. The tree on Münsterplatz is decorated with ornaments by Johann Wanner, Basel’s well-known Christmas decoration maker, and is worth seeing after dark. Families should head for the Märchenwald on Münsterplatz, where children can make candles, decorate gingerbread and watch a blacksmith at work.

Buy Basler Läckerli, the city’s spiced honey biscuits, to take home. Stalls open from 11 am to 8:30 pm daily. Basel sits on the borders of France and Germany, so it is easy to add Colmar or Strasbourg to the same trip. Switzerland uses the Swiss franc and prices are higher than in neighbouring countries, so budget accordingly.

16. Edinburgh, Scotland

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Traditional Christmas Market, East Princes Street Gardens: 14 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 25 December)
• Big Wheel and Around the World Star Flyer, East Princes Street Gardens: from 14 November 2026
• Hogmanay in the Gardens, Princes Street Gardens: 31 December 2026 (ticketed)

Main location: East Princes Street Gardens, below Edinburgh Castle and beside Waverley station

Best for: A Christmas market break without a passport, and Hogmanay

From the UK: Direct trains to Edinburgh Waverley, next to the market, from London King’s Cross and across the UK

For UK travellers, the Edinburgh Christmas market is the no-passport option, with a setting to match the continental names. The Traditional Christmas Market fills East Princes Street Gardens directly below the castle, beside Waverley station, so you can step off the train and into the stalls. Above them turn the Big Wheel and the Around the World Star Flyer, which lifts riders more than 80 metres over the gardens for a view across the Old Town.

The market runs from 14 November into the new year, closing only on Christmas Day, so you can combine it with Hogmanay, Edinburgh’s New Year celebrations. December here is milder than much of the continent, with a Met Office average high of about 7°C, but expect rain and darkness before 4 pm. Hogmanay events in the gardens are ticketed, so book those early.

17. Paris, France

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Marché de Noël Notre-Dame, Square René Viviani: 26 November – 27 December
• Marché de Noël de Paris La Défense, Parvis de La Défense: 12 November – 31 December
• La Magie de Noël, Jardin des Tuileries: usually mid-November to early January
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés, beside the abbey church: 2026 dates to be confirmed (the 2025 edition ran 25 November – 1 January)

Main location: Central Paris, with the Notre-Dame market on the Left Bank opposite the cathedral

Best for: A Christmas shopping trip by train

From the UK: Direct Eurostar from London St Pancras (from 2 hours 16 minutes), or fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly from across the UK

Paris isn’t a Christmas market city in the German sense, and it is better to say so: you come for the lit-up boulevards and department store windows, with markets as a bonus. The prettiest Paris Christmas market is the Marché de Noël Notre-Dame in Square René Viviani, just across the Seine from the restored cathedral. It is deliberately small and French, with around 40 selected exhibitors selling French-made crafts, gifts and regional food, open 10 am to 8 pm (9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays). For scale, head to La Défense at the end of Métro line 1, which hosts the largest Christmas market in the Paris region. The Tuileries market beside the Louvre adds fairground rides for children. Buy a cup of vin chaud as you go, and finish at the Christmas windows of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Paris suits shoppers and couples on a short break by train, and the Eurostar puts you in the city centre in just over two hours.

18. Bratislava, Slovakia

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Main Christmas Market (Hlavný vianočný trh), Main Square: 26 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 24–25 December)
• Christmas stage, Franciscan Square: concerts and choirs during Bratislava Christmas
• Christmas forest, Primate’s Square: trees decorated by local schoolchildren during Bratislava Christmas
• Old Town market, Hviezdoslav Square: usually late November to early January

Main location: Bratislava Old Town, around Main Square (Hlavné námestie) and the Old Town Hall

Best for: A quieter add-on to a Vienna break

From the UK: Fly to Bratislava or Vienna; trains between the two cities take about an hour

The Bratislava Christmas market is compact and local, which is exactly its appeal. The main market fills Hlavné námestie beneath the Old Town Hall, with a cultural stage on Franciscan Square next door and more stalls on Hviezdoslav Square, all within a few minutes’ walk. On Primate’s Square, local schoolchildren decorate a “Christmas forest” of trees with handmade ornaments. Come hungry: lokše are thin potato pancakes rolled around sweet or savoury fillings, cigánska pečienka is grilled pork in a bun with mustard and onion, kapustnica is the sauerkraut soup Slovaks eat on Christmas Eve, and medovina is warm mead. Stalls open from 10 am to 10 pm, close on 24 and 25 December and reopen on 26 December. With Vienna about an hour away by train, Bratislava pairs neatly with Vienna Christmas market break.

19. Metz, France

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Five market squares (Saint-Louis, Saint-Jacques, d’Armes, République, Comédie): 20 November – 30 December (closes 4 pm on 24 December, closed 25 December)
• Sentier des Lanternes, Jardin Boufflers: 22 November – 30 December

Main location: Metz city centre, around Saint-Étienne Cathedral

Best for: A quieter alternative to Strasbourg

From the UK: Eurostar to Paris, then a direct TGV to Metz, or fly to Luxembourg and take the train (check current routes)

The Metz Christmas market spreads around 130 chalets across five squares, making it a smaller, more spread-out alternative to Strasbourg. Place Saint-Louis, lined with medieval arcades, is the place for traditional crafts; Place Saint-Jacques is the food village; and the Ferris wheel on Place d’Armes gives you a view over the Gothic cathedral of Saint-Étienne. Plan one evening around the Sentier des Lanternes in the Jardin Boufflers, a free trail of illuminated lantern figures, open 5 pm to 8 pm (9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays).

Try anything made with Mirabelle plums, Lorraine’s local fruit, from tarts to liqueur, and have a slice of quiche lorraine in the region it is named after. Metz suits couples and anyone who prefers a smaller market.  Shops in the city centre also open on Advent Sundays.

20. Gothenburg, Sweden

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Jul på Liseberg, Liseberg amusement park: 14 November – 30 December, selected days only (closed 24–25 December)
• Haga Christmas Market, Haga Nygata: Saturdays and Sundays, 28 November – 20 December, 11 am–4 pm
• Kronhusjul, Kronhuset and Kronhusbodarna: 25 November – 20 December, selected days

Main location: Central Gothenburg, from Liseberg at Korsvägen to the Haga district and Kronhuset near Nordstan

Best for: Families who want rides as well as stalls

From the UK: Fly to Göteborg Landvetter

Gothenburg gives you three very different Christmas markets in one city. Jul på Liseberg, inside the amusement park, is one of Sweden’s biggest: millions of lights, around 80 stalls across themed areas including an old-style Christmas market and a Tyrolean village, an ice rink and a handful of rides kept running, among them the wooden roller coaster Balder. You need a park ticket, and it opens on selected days only.

In the old Haga district, the weekend market along cobbled Haga Nygata brings around 40 stallholders selling crafts, design and delicacies; pair it with a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) from one of Haga’s cafés. Kronhusjul fills the 17th-century Kronhuset and its courtyard workshops with crafts, design and vintage finds. Try glögg with raisins and almonds, saffron buns (lussekatter) and pepparkakor. Liseberg closes on 24 and 25 December, when Swedes celebrate at home, so visit before Christmas Eve or between 26 and 30 December.

21. Seville, Spain

2026 dates and popular markets:

• Feria del Belén, Avenida de la Constitución: usually early November to 23 December
• Nativity displays (belenes) in churches and palaces: usually early December to early January

Main location: Seville city centre, between the cathedral and the Archivo de Indias

Best for: Mild weather and a different kind of Christmas

From the UK: Direct flights from London and regional UK airports

Seville is the outlier on this list, and that is the reason to include it. Instead of Glühwein stalls, the Feria del Belén is a market for nativity scenes: dozens of craftspeople selling figures, miniature buildings and tiny accessories for the belén that Spanish families set up at home. It runs in the shadow of the cathedral and has been held for more than 30 years. The bigger draw for UK visitors is the weather: Seville’s average December high is 16.6°C, according to Spain’s state weather agency AEMET, so you can browse in a jumper rather than a parka. Add turrón and polvorones, crumbly almond shortbread, and look out for nativity displays in the city’s churches and palaces. For more mild winter options, see our guide to where is hot in Europe in December.

What’s the Weather Like at Europe’s Christmas Markets in December?

December weather at Europe’s Christmas markets ranges from mild days in Seville to below-freezing nights in Tallinn, so what you pack depends on where you are going. Most markets are busiest after dark, when it is coldest, so plan for the evening rather than the afternoon.

Before You Go: 5 Tips for UK Visitors

• Travelling over Christmas? Most traditional German markets close by 24 December. Choose Salzburg, Prague, Tallinn, Brussels or Edinburgh instead.
• Carry some local cash. Prague, Budapest, Kraków, Basel, Copenhagen and Gothenburg don’t use the euro, and some small stalls are cash only.
• Check your passport dates. For British passport holders visiting Schengen countries, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.
• Allow extra time at the border. The first time you enter the Schengen area under the EU’s Entry/Exit System, your fingerprints and photo are taken at passport control, including at St Pancras for Eurostar. Children under 12 don’t give fingerprints.
• Go on a weekday if you can. Mid-December weekends are the busiest, and many markets are quietest on weekday mornings.

Conclusion

The right market depends on when you can travel and how you want to get there. For an early-season trip, Vienna and Copenhagen open first, from 6 November;  for Christmas week itself, Salzburg, Prague and Brussels keep trading; and if you would rather skip the airport, Brussels, Cologne, Paris and Strasbourg are all reachable by Eurostar. Whichever you choose, book accommodation early, as December weekends in the most popular market towns fill up fast.

Read Also: Best Christmas markets in the World | Best Christmas market in Germany

Christmas holiday destinations | Bruges Christmas market

| Ghent Christmas market guide

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