Five best Christmas markets in Europe to visit from France to Italy
Fans of these festive affairs may cite Nuremberg, Munich or Frankfurt as the places to go but plenty of other countries embrace the tradition too.
Germany is famous for its Christmas markets, where city squares are awash with cute cabins selling everything from gingerbread and tree decorations to gluhwein and apfelkucherl (a delicious apple and donut combo).
Venture beyond Germany’s borders, however and you’ll find many other European countries have their own version of these festive affairs. Read on for inspiration.
1 Roros, Norway
This is the wildcard entry, the off-the-beaten-track adventure you’ll be recalling for years. Most visitors make a beeline for the yuletide markets of Trondheim or Oslo, but if you’re hankering for a white-Christmas feel, the tiny town of Roros delivers. This preserved copper-mining hub is of storybook calibre, with colourful timber buildings, inhabitants navigating snow-laden lanes on sparks (kick-sledges) and stories of “nisse”, elf-like Christmas creatures. Visit the market and it will become clear why it was used as a setting for Norwegian Netflix hit Home for Christmas. On the menu are reindeer burgers and glogg (Norway’s aurally clunky version of gluhwein), which you can sip while perusing local knitwear stalls or exploring by horse-drawn sleigh while snuggled beneath sheepskin rugs. It’s cold (minus 5C), short on sunlight (about five hours daily), but for a Disney Frozen experience set in a twilight snow globe, it’s a winner.
2 Bruges, Belgium
Slide aside momentarily Strasbourg; there’s another showstopper on the Christmas hit list. Digging further east you’ll stumble into the jewel box of Bruges, serving as the backdrop for one of Europe’s most romantic markets. Like Strasbourg, Bruges’ magical allure reaches its peak in December, with its pretty half-timbered houses and swathes of lights festooning winding cobbled streets and canals. For the fifth consecutive year this UNESCO Heritage-listed town is upping the ante with Winter Glow, a 2.5km walking trail connecting interactive light installations (one glows to the beat of your heart). It’s an atmospheric complement to the Markt Square and Simon Stevinplein markets and a floating ice-skating rink on the river (the Vorst Winter Bar adjacent serves a stomach-warming Sint-Michielse sausage). The fairground attractions of the world-famous Brussels Winter Wonders an hour away are happily absent, making this feel like the real Noel deal.
3 Montreux, Switzerland
Christmas markets date back to medieval times, their origins rooted in German-speaking areas. Which is why Switzerland and Austria in particular host so many, featuring traditions and offerings that are resoundingly hyper-local. Among the assortment is the Montreux Noel, a standout example nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva. Its drawcards include the location, with the snow-capped Dents du Midi mountains shimmering in the background, the 1km string of log-cabin stalls (track down Apfelringe, thick slices of deep fried, battered apple with warm vanilla custard) plus an airborne, singing Santa driving his sleigh along a zipline thrice daily. It’s even possible to meet the big man in residence atop the 2049m-high Rochers-de-Naye peak, via a cogwheel train from Montreux station.
4 Strasbourg, France
Watching ice skaters twirling on a pop-up rink under the Grand Sapin, the light-wreathed 30m Christmas tree in Strasbourg’s Place Kleber, is like being in a fairytale. Combine the heady scent of vin chaud (called gluhwein just 4km away in Germany) with the medieval half-timbered houses framing the square, and this vignette is inimitable, much like charming Strasbourg itself. The city’s Marche de Noel is one of the oldest in Europe (dating from 1570); more than 450 years later it’s also one of the largest, with about 300 chalets across a dozen locations. Electronic Santas have snuck into the largest market, at Place Broglie, so instead head to Square Louise Weiss, an enclave of small-batch Alsatian producers known as the Irreductibles Petits Producteurs d’Alsace. Here you’ll feast on bredeles (star-shaped spice cookies), pain d’epice (gingerbread) and biodynamic Alsace wines.
5 Bolzano, Italy
There’s more to Bolzano than meets the eye, and the Christmas markets here are the best in Italy (judged on atmosphere and evidence of local customs) thanks to its former history as part of Austria and its current special status. Located in the autonomous province of South Tyrol, where German is an official language, this is the confluence of Italian and German-Austrian culture. As a result, Bolzano dishes up the uniquely flavoured Il Mercatino di Natale di Bolzano, a dash of Mediterranean dolce vita peppered with hardy Germanic undertones unlike anywhere else. The local Bolzani lean into their Christmas markets with gusto. There are dozens of wooden stands selling wool accessories, toys and ornaments around Piazza Walther. Snack on zelten (a regional fruitcake), speck combined with the buttery Stelvio alpine cheese, or shop for Bavarian-style loden coats before skiing the Dolomite slopes. On December 5, you’ll cross paths with the Krampus, a masked folklore figure who spends Advent terrifying children who have misbehaved – you’ll hear his bell before sighting his horns.
