A Christmas market is not like a traditional Sunday market. It’s not somewhere you go for an hour or two to stock up on cheap ingredients and trinkets. It’s a holiday destination in itself, with music, dancing, entertainment, rides, games, and more. These markets are also held in large town squares or amusement parks, allowing for hundreds of stalls and thousands of visitors.
Not only are they well worth a visit if you find yourself in one of the cities below over Christmas, but it could be worth planning your holiday around such a visit.
Every Christmas, travellers from all over the world descend on Europe’s biggest towns and cities for their Christmas markets. These tinsel-clad, cosy markets are awash with the sights and smells of the season, from mulled wine and hearty street food to homemade trinkets and more.
There are Christmas markets in most major European cities, and this is our pick of the best. The dates below are for the 2026/27 season and show each market’s overall run. Opening days and daily hours vary, and some markets close on certain days, so check the organiser’s own website for the day you plan to visit.
Prague, Czechia
🗓️ Dates: 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 (Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square markets) 📍 Location: Old Town Square
Highlights
The mediaeval city of Prague is one of the best places to spend the season. There are markets across the city, including Wenceslas Square, but the Christmas market in the Old Town Square, complete with a massive Christmas tree, is the biggest and best.
Krakow, Poland
🗓️ Dates: 27 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 📍 Location: Main Market Square (Rynek Główny)
Highlights
Located in the huge Main Square, a mediaeval marvel surrounded by amazing architecture and strewn with lights, the Krakow Christmas market attracts visitors from all over. What's more, it’s not uncommon for Krakow to snow over Christmas, making for the perfect festive setting.
Bruges, Belgium
🗓️ Dates: 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 📍 Location: Markt and Simon Stevinplein
Highlight
Despite the hordes of tourists that descend on Bruges every year, it still maintains a quaint, peaceful, and enchanting vibe. It feels like there are chocolate shops every few feet in this city, so it’s no surprise that the sweet stuff is one of the stars of the show at the Bruges Christmas market.
Vienna, Austria
🗓️ Dates: 13 November to 26 December 2026 📍 Location: Rathausplatz (City Hall Square)
Highlights
Located in front of Vienna City Hall, this is one of the biggest and most impressive Christmas markets in Europe. It’s a majestic location made even more impressive by the hundreds of stalls (selling food, drink, homemade gifts, toys, and more) and thousands of twinkling lights.
Gothenburg, Sweden
🗓️ Dates: 14 November to 30 December 2026, on selected days only, with paid admission (check Liseberg’s opening calendar) 📍 Location: Liseberg
Highlights
One of the hottest spectacles in Gothenburg over the Christmas period is at Liseberg, an amusement park. It’s a large and classy affair, and while you need to pay to enter, it’s worth every penny.
Cologne, Germany
🗓️ Dates: 16 November to 23 December 2026 (closed 22 November) 📍 Location: Roncalliplatz, in front of Cologne Cathedral
Highlights
There are multiple Christmas-themed markets in Cologne around this time of year, with one of the best being at the Cathedral, which showcases festive gifts, food, and more.
Salzburg, Austria
🗓️ Dates: 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027 📍 Location: Domplatz, Residenzplatz and parts of Kapitelplatz
Highlights
Although it is always a magical winter destination, Salzburg really comes into its own during Christmas, with those snow-capped mountains and roofs providing the perfect backdrop for wooden stalls strung with warm orange lights.
Tallinn, Estonia
🗓️ Dates: 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 📍 Location: Town Hall Square
Highlights
The Estonian capital goes all out with its Christmas markets. The schedule in the run-up to Christmas is packed with traditional dancing, parties, festivals, and musical performances.
Copenhagen, Denmark
🗓️ Dates: 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (paid entry to Tivoli; check its calendar for the day you visit) 📍 Location: Tivoli Gardens
Highlights
Tivoli Gardens is a magical place any time of the year, but it really comes alive at Christmas. It’s a fairy tale in the land of Hans Christian Andersen, and you can drink your fill of mulled wine as you explore the festive stalls and lights.
Winchester, UK
🗓️ Dates: 20 November to 22 December 2026 📍 Location: Winchester Cathedral’s historic Close
Highlights
Featuring wooden stalls and artisanal goods, this is a British Christmas celebration with all the charm of an Austrian or German market.
Brussels, Belgium
🗓️ Dates: 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 📍 Location: Grand-Place, the Bourse, Place Sainte-Catherine and other city-centre sites
Highlights
Winter Wonders is a massive Christmas event that spans a wide area and includes over 200 chalets, as well as an ice rink, lights, music, food, and more. It's a family-friendly destination, and there’s something new and exciting around every corner.
Strasbourg, France
🗓️ Dates: 27 November to 24 December 2026 📍 Location: Place Broglie and other city-centre market sites
Highlights
This popular Christmas market dates back to the 16th century. It’s a cosy little market influenced by a mixture of French and German cultures, with food and drink inspired by both of them.
Lille, France
🗓️ Dates: 18 November to 30 December 2026 (closed 25 December) 📍 Location: Place Rihour
Highlights
Although it’s much smaller than the other Christmas markets on this list (it has fewer than 100 stalls), the Lille Christmas market is quaint and beautiful, with a large Christmas tree and lots of freshly baked treats and mulled wine.
London, UK
🗓️ Dates: 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on Christmas Day (book a timed entry slot in advance) 📍 Location: Hyde Park
Highlights
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is one of the highlights of the festive season. This family-friendly destination is decked with scores of stalls selling everything from homemade candles and ornaments to decadent cups of cocoa. There are also plenty of rides to keep the kids busy while providing a change of pace from the usual Christmas shopping.
Budapest, Hungary
🗓️ Dates: 13 November 2026 to the early hours of 1 January 2027 (craft stalls and the little railway finish on 28 December) 📍 Location: Vörösmarty Square
Highlights
A fairground, great food, decorated stalls, and strings of warming Christmas lights: welcome to Budapest at Christmas!
Milan, Italy
🗓️ Dates: 1 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, as scheduled by Milan city council (check final visitor information for opening hours) 📍 Location: Around Piazza del Duomo
Highlights
Sitting in the shadow of the Duomo cathedral, this Milan Christmas market is full of Italian treats and festive goodies, as well as seasonal souvenirs.
Madrid, Spain
🗓️ Dates: Late November to 31 December 2026 (exact opening day not yet published) 📍 Location: Plaza Mayor
Highlights
A great place to pick up some handcrafted ornaments for your tree. These include traditional Belén figures, used to make nativity scenes. This Madrid Christmas market also features dance troupes and choirs.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
🗓️ Dates: 17 December 2026 to 2 January 2027 (closed 31 December) 📍 Location: RAI Amsterdam (Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs)
Highlights
The aptly named Winter Paradise is a ticketed winter festival at the RAI exhibition centre rather than a traditional market in the city centre, with indoor and outdoor attractions, including skating, as well as festive food, drink and music. Book your ticket before you go.
Other Christmas Markets
The above are just a few of the many Christmas markets staged in European cities during any given year. If you still need some inspiration, check out the following:
- Edinburgh (East Princes Street Gardens): 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
- Gdańsk (Targ Węglowy and nearby sites): 20 November to 23 December 2026
- Geneva, Noël au Quai (Quai du Mont-Blanc): 19 November to 24 December 2026
- Berlin, WeihnachtsZauber (Gendarmenmarkt): 23 November to 31 December 2026
- Basel (Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz): 26 November to 23 December 2026
- Metz (city centre): 20 November to 30 December 2026, closed 25 December
- Zagreb, Advent in Zagreb (venues across the city centre): 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027, with each venue on its own dates
- Paris La Défense: traditional market 12 November to 31 December 2026; Le Sommet festive square and ice rink to 3 January 2027