It’s always too early to use the ‘C’ word, but now is exactly the right time to plan a trip to one of Europe’s fabulous Christmas markets.
We’ve been to a few over the years – this is what we thought.
1. Vienna, Austria
Classical architecture, classical music, classical Christmas market style. Austria does a very good spectacle every December.
Highlights are the market and ice rink outside the Rathaus. The market at Schönbrunn Palace is also impressive and the mulled wine is there is the best we’ve had anywhere. As a double-bonus, it snowed the day we visited the Palace, so we spent the early evening playing in the extensive gardens.
Unsurprisingly, Vienna is both busy and expensive, so plan accordingly.
Vienna takes top spot in our ranking because of the sheer number of markets and their quality. Plus it snowed when we visited which always earns extra marks.
Dark tourism bonus: Visit Zentralfriedhof Cemetery to see the final resting places of Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Schubert and Falco.
Where to stay? Countless choices, but we were at Hotel Urania.
2. Zagreb, Croatia
One of the markets we still talk about regularly, Bratislava was a pleasant surprise. Smaller, less-crowded and much more oriented towards the locals, we really enjoyed this one.
Probably not one of the cities you would automatically think of when planning a Christmas market trip – and that’s a real shame. Zagreb boasts a multi-award winning festival that stretches from the train station across the city, up to the castle nestled on the hill above.
Zagreb as a city didn’t thrill Linda – but the plentiful markets more than made up for it. Food and drink is plentiful and cheap. There’s loads of present potential. And also the biggest, most complex ice rink we’ve ever seen.
Where to stay? We were lucky enough to rent an apartment near the famous funicular. Unfortunately, it no longer appears to be available.
3. Lake Bled, Slovenia
Beloved by Instagram influencers, Bled is a beautiful place to spend a few days relaxing. They also host a tiny Christmas market on the lake shore during December.
There’s a handful of local Slovenian food options, including kremšnita, the local cream pastry. But it’s the scenery that steals the show at this market.
We strongly recommend staying a day or two to explore the area. You can also take in the views (and get the best pictures) before the tourist buses arrive each day. You can walk around the entire lake in about an hour – but you’ll want to stop frequently to take unforgettable photos.
Dark tourism bonus: Villa Bled was the lakeside holiday home of Yugoslavian dictator Josip Broz Tito where he entertained many other heads of state and Hollywood stars.
Where to stay? There’s a few hotels in the town proper, but we chose an to stay Čarman House, about 15 minutes walk out of town. It has a stunning view of the island.
4. Nuremberg, Germany
Nuremberg claims to have one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe and they may be right. This is probably the most traditional of all the markets we’ve visited. There’s even a nightly visit by the Christmas angel – a tradition that has existed for hundreds of years.
Every stallholder must prove that their goods are not only handmade, but also sourced from the local area. When buying presents, you can be sure you’re not getting a Temu knock-off. But the prices reflect this fact.
The market is extremely busy at night which may present a problem for those with mobility issues.
Despite having an excellent market, Nuremberg ranks high on this list for the rest of the city and its history too. It’s a fascinating place to visit.
Dark tourism bonus: Seeing the Zeppelin Field and Kongressehalle in person is chilling.
Where to stay? Cheapest options are slightly outside the city centre. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel Nurnberg City West.
5. Winter Wonderland, London, UK
Europe’s largest Christmas market is hosted every year in Hyde Park. Winter Wonderland is spread over acres and boasts fairground rides, ice rinks and beerhalls alongside more traditional chalets and huts.
There is usually something for everyone, not least because many of the stalls sell non-traditional goods. In previous years we have sampled llama and zebra burgers for instance. Linda also enjoys the Viking’s Blood mead.
The market is often very busy and very expensive, even for the most basic items and foods. Since Covid, visitors have had to pre-register for (free) tickets to gain access to the market, so check out the website before leaving home.
Where did we stay? London is a basic day trip for us. However, we did once stay at the wonderful COMO Metropolitan Hotel which faces Hyde Park.
6. Ljubljana, Slovenia
The capital of Slovenia is another underrated gem. There’s plenty of classical architecture, an imposing castle on a hill and Christmas markets stretched out in all directions.
Since adopting the Euro, Slovenia isn’t as cheap as it used to be. However, your budget will still go a lot further here than in Austria or Germany.
Best of all, it’s a relatively short coach ride to Lake Bled, allowing you to do two markets in one trip.
Where to stay? We stayed in the Kollman Rooms and Apartments hotel, not far from the famous triple bridge.
7. Bratislava, Slovakia
One of the markets we still talk about several years after our visit, Bratislava was a pleasant surprise. Smaller, less-crowded and much more oriented towards the locals, we really enjoyed this one.
There is a stage featuring all manner of entertainment, such as a children’s choir and local folk music. Well worth a look. Food and drink is very cheap too, making this a great option.
Vienna is a short(ish) train ride away, so you can do a day trip to either city to suit your budget. Probably a good idea as we’re not sure what else there is to do in Bratislava.
Where to stay? Plenty of local options but we were only here for the day.
8. Munich, Germany
Bavaria and Christmas markets seem inextricably intertwined. So why not visit the capital of both?
Munich is an interesting city at any time of year, but it really comes alive in December. The main pedestrianised areas are filled with hundreds of market stalls offering endless diversions. The space outside the Rathaus is particularly pretty.
Munich Christmas Market is famous for its handmade Nativity scenes. Yes, they are expensive, but they are also wonderfully detailed – a lot of hard work goes into every figure.
The market is also a good excuse to visit the world-famous Hofbrauhaus for an enormous stein of Munich helles lager.
Munich and Nuremberg are separated by a short, cheap rail journey. Another good option if you want to do a two-centre city break this Christmas.
Dark tourism bonus: A short bus ride from the city centre, Dachau Concentration Camp is a sobering must-see.
Where did we stay? On our last visit, we stayed at Maison Schiller. The hotel itself is very nice, but it’s in a slightly sketchy part of town.
9. Lübeck, Germany
It’s been many years since we visited and things are bound to have changed considerably – and at the same time, not at all. Lübeck was our first ever day trip abroad with the family, back in the days before Air Passenger Duty when 11 of us could fly to Germany for £22 return. Sadly the annual ice sculpture show shut down several years ago.
The annual Christmas market is still largely concentrated around the Marienkirche in the picturesque old town. It is also extremely busy and probably not very accessible for anyone with mobility issues.
Located a short train ride from the larger, more famous markets of Hamburg, Lübeck makes an interesting alternative – or a good day trip if staying in Hamburg.
Where did we stay? We didn’t…
10. Birmingham, UK
We’ve never been massive fans of Birmingham as a place to visit. However, if you’re in town in December, the market is a useful diversion.
The market is extremely busy and the anti-terror gates used to filter foot traffic in and out of the market seems to make things worse. But if you’re desperate for a Christmas market fix, Birmingham might do it for you…
Where did we stay? Initially we were at the cheap but window-less Bloc Hotel. After being snowed in, we moved over to the far superior Malmaison.
Top tip: You can save a little money by visiting Christmas markets earlier in December. The closer you get to Christmas Day, the more expensive plane tickets become as people return home for the big day.
Future Christmas Market Trips
Once we’re fully mobile, we intend to restart our Christmas market trips. Here’s where we will be going:
- Salzburg – The annual Krampus run is near the top of our bucket list.
- Gdansk – Any excuse to visit this amazing city.
- Dresden – We did have a trip to the oldest Christmas market in the world – but it was cancelled because of the other ‘big C word’.
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