The most magical Christmas markets to visit in Europe in 2026

Good for: tipples

The ornate spire of Nuremberg’s Schöner fountain overlooks this market square fragrant with gingerbread (and bratwurst, the city’s most famous culinary export). Families pitch up to pose for photos with golden-haired ‘angels’ who work the crowds. After hours, the grown-ups prop up the bar with take-home mugs of glühwein and the local smoked beer.

📍 Discover more of the best Christmas markets in Germany

Location: Hauptmarkt, 90402 Nürnberg (Nuremberg)

Opening dates: Nov 27-Dec 24, 2026

Good for: scotch!

Edinburgh is one of those cities that feels a little bit Christmassy all year round (at least to us tourists). But once the weather turns and the Christmas lights come out, this city is one big winter Wonderland, with an epic Christmas market stretching all the way from East Princes Street Gardens down to the Royal Mile. There’s eggnog, mulled wine, fairground rides and the likes, and this year will see a new illuminated trail in the East Princes Street Gardens, as well as a number of brand-new markets around the city to extend the fun.

Location: Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 2HG

Opening dates: Nov 14-Jan 3, 2027

Good for: handmade toys and trinkets

Vörösmarty tér is Budapest’s oldest and most traditional Christmas market, held in the city’s main square, near the Danube river. There are 100-or-so stalls, selling toys, trinkets and more, as well great local food on offer: goulash, strudels, and more hearty, warm offerings. Grab a mulled wine and settle in for the evening – there’s a daily schedule of live jazz, folk, blues and more which starts late afternoon and goes on into the night. 

📍 Discover more of the best Christmas markets in Budapest

Location: Vörösmarty tér (Vörösmarty Square), Budapest

Opening dates: Nov 13-Jan 1, 2027

Good for: stunning city views

Paris doesn’t need Christmas lights to look as gorgeous as it does (the French capital is known as the City of Light, after all), but the city looks even better when decked out for the festive season.  More than a dozen Christmas markets are dotted throughout Paris, but our pick is the one in Tuileries Garden, which stretches across the garden’s entire north edge from Rue des Pyramides to Place de la Concorde. Escape from the crowds by hiding out in the champagne bar and then riding on the giant Ferris wheel, which boasts excellent views out over the city. Tres chic!

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Location: Pl. de la Concorde, 75001 Paris

Opening dates: Nov 12-Jan 3, 2027

Vilnius is postcard-pretty all year round but the Lithuanian capital transforms into something truly special during the Christmas season. As one of Europe’s lesser-known winter city breaks, the markets here aren't as packed with tourists, so you can wander along all the quaint wooden handicraft stalls lining the cobbled town square at your own pace, with some mulled wine to hand.

Address: Main market at Cathedral Square

Opening dates: Nov 28-Dec 27, 2026

Good for: amusement park cheer

Located in the city’s Liseberg amusement park, Gothenburg’s Christmas market comes with a healthy dose of Disney-esque magic. Watch a Swan Lake ballet on ice, wander the market for glögg (Swedish mulled wine) and artisan goods and don’t miss Liseberg’s rides and activities. Not to forget the huge Christmas tree, which is huge and celebrates classic minimalist Scandi design. 

Location: Liseberg Amusement Park, Gothenburg

Opening dates: Nov 14-Dec 30, 2026

Good for: An award-winning Advent adventure

The Croatian capital has sneakily become one of the most exciting Christmas destinations in Europe over the last few years, largely on the back of its now-famous Advent in Zagreb celebration. The entire city gets in on the act, with markets, music, entertainment, and dazzling decorations covering its squares and parks. The illuminated trees of Zrinjevac are a highlight, while the bustling Ban Jelačić Square provides a worthy focal point for the festivities. Food more than plays its part, as does mulled wine, although it might be wise to go easy on the latter before donning the skates and gliding over the ice at one of the city’s rinks. Who says the Alps have all the Christmas magic?

Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Dates: November 28, 2026–January 7, 2027

Good for: over-the-top festivities

Bigger doesn’t always mean better, but when it comes to Christmas, often more is more. And that’s exactly what you get with Vienna during the festive season, particularly if you head to the ‘Christmas World’, nestled in under the grand gaze of the Austrian Capital’s twinkling city hall. There are more than 100 top quality stalls dotted around here during December, with plenty of Christmassy festivities to get stuck into.

Location: Rathausplatz, 1010, Wien

Opening times: Nov 13-Dec 26, 2026

Good for: Alsatian charm

Where better to celebrate the festive season than the so-called Capital of Christmas? Not content with being one of the great political centres of Europe, Strasbourg stands tall among the continent’s Christmas markets and has done so since 1570, when its famous Christkindelsmärik was first held. The half-timbered houses and cobbled lanes of the city shine brighter at the most wonderful time of year, with stalls packed with handmade decorations and regional treats such as bredele, little Alsatian Christmas biscuits, and flammekueche, a thin tart topped with cream, onions, and bacon that is every bit as delicious as it sounds. The humongous Christmas tree on Place Kléber is the cherry on top, twinkling like tomorrow doesn’t exist.

Location: Strasbourg, Alsace, France

Dates: November 27–December 24, 2026

Good for: snacks

The wooden kiosks go up at Münsterplatz, a cobbled town square facing the baroque cathedral where ninth-century King Charlemagne is buried. This market is one of the nearest European ones to London – accessible in less than four hours by train from St Pancras – and it specialises in a distinctive anise-flavoured gingerbread called printen. Vendors also dish up mulled-wine-flavoured candy and a crisp-edged potato fritter called kartoffelpuffer that gives a latke a run for its money.

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Location: Münsterplatz, 52062 Aachen. 

Opening dates: Nov 20-Dec 23, 2026

Best for: going all-out

She’s mighty expensive, but what London doesn’t offer in budget options she makes up for in ridiculous, over-the-top, all-out Christmassy-ness. The English Capital’s infamous Winter Wonderland, held in Hyde Park, is one of the hottest events in the city’s Chrimbo calendar. And there’s a hell of a lot to do: find not just market stalls but rides, DJs, ice skating and more. Entry is around a fiver but be warned: once you’re in, your money starts to dissapear into thin air. 

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Location: Hyde Park, London

Opening dates: Nov 19-Jan 3, 2027

Good for: boozy drinks  

Crowned by a giant advent wreath, this market is one of the best in German-speaking Switzerland. Drawing thousands of locals every year thanks to its friendly atmosphere, the market itself is cosy and full of tradition, with more than 70 market stalls selling handmade crafts, souvenirs and Santa-shaped gingerbreads. The best bit? Lucerne Weihnachtsmarkt’s unique collectible mugs, which can be refilled at any of the market’s spiced mulled wine stands.

Location: Franziskanerplatz, 6003 Lucerne

Opening dates: December 3-21, 2026

Good for: a huge tree

Photograph the gabled buildings of Town Hall Square while you can. After the sun goes down and the lights blink on at Tallinn’s market at 3pm, it’s all about the massive Nordic tree, a feature since 1441 – years before any other European nation began putting them up. Between hot wine, Baltic cheese and the traditional black pudding with sauerkraut, you can pay a visit to Santa positioned fireside in his plush grotto. Bonus twofer: hop the No 19 ferry at the port, and you could be at Helsinki’s Christmas market in Senate Square within two hours.

Location: Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square), Tallinn

Opening dates: Nov 20-Jan 6, 2027

Good for: sunshine

Jesus wouldn’t have wanted you to freeze your whatsits off in his name. In Andalusia, where temperatures hover in the mid-teens winter-long, you can skate around an ‘ice rink’ beneath palm trees dusted with fake snow or ride a camel down Avenida de la Constitución to view the famously elaborate nativity scenes. Locals make the pilgrimage at the beginning of the market to see musicians serenade the Virgin Mary at the cathedral, with the Moorish Giralda tower in the background.

Location: Plaza Nueva, 41001 Seville

Opening dates: Dec 4-Jan 5, 2027

Good for: an underrated UK trip

Manchester might not be the first place you think of when you hear ‘Christmas markets’ – but this city comes alive at Christmas, just not in the same ‘in your face’ way as some of the others in Europe. And for 2026, Manchester’s main Christmas market is once again on Albert Square (sorely missed last year), with 200+ ski chalet style huts selling bratwursts, Yorkshire pud wraps, steaming hot strudels, gluhwein and plenty of sweet treats. It’s sure to be a great time.

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Location: Albert Square

Opening dates: Nov 6-Dec 22, 2026

Good for: a funfair

For six weeks, Copenhagen’s most fashionable fairground becomes a carnival with Hans Christian Andersen-themed funfair rides and nightly tree-lighting ceremonies. Get your glögg from candlelit wine bar Nimb and your traditional apple-filled æbleskiver doughnuts from the Waffle Bakery. If Copenhagen’s cabbage-stuffed pork sandwiches aren’t your thing, a new gourmet food hall offers burgers, pizza, tacos and Chinese street food.

Location: Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 Copenhagen

Opening dates: Nov 13-Jan 3, 2027

Good for: artisan goods 

Venice’s spectacular Christmas market is dedicated to its artisans and, throughout December, amounts to one of the city’s finest attractions. Selling everything from Christmas ornaments and Murano glass decorations to traditional Italian sweets like almond nougat and panettone, Campo Santo Stefano is transformed into a Christmas village filled with craftsmen and food producers. With just 30 boutique shops, this market emphasises quality bespoke goods over tacky festive tat.

Location: Campo Santo Stefano, Venice

Opening dates: Nov 28-Jan 6, 2027 (approx)

Good for: shops

When the steam from a dozen kielbasa grills dissipates, get a good look at the medieval city walls, the ombré-effect brick tower and the enormous Renaissance bulk of the Cloth Hall. Amid Krakow’s treasures, sellers at the market put out kitsch displays of glass baubles, ceramic figurines, furry hats and a thousand flashing gadgets. All the while, white horses and their carriages stand by to whisk you around town.

Location: Rynek Główny (Main Market Square), Kraków

Opening dates: Nov 27-Jan 6, 2027

Good for: choice

Colmar’s sixteenth-century half-timbered streets already deliver a fairytale vibe. But with six Christmas markets taking over virtually the entire town, it’s like a nativity scene has come to life. Artisan huts strung with lights and stocked with Alsatian crafts cluster around the Gothic Dominican church, the medieval Maison Pfister and Colmar’s own Little Venice canal district. Don’t miss spiced vin chaud at the market in Place Jeanne d’Arc.

Location: Colmar, France

Opening dates: Nov 23-Dec 29, 2026

Good for: fairytale vibes

Wood-cabin stalls fill Simon Stevinplein square for Bruges’ Christmas market, set between medieval townhouses that look like they’re straight from a picture book. Bop to the strains of Europop as you shop for crystal ornaments, hand-knitted woollies and waxy cheese. The kiosks facing Steenstraat offer tasters of jenever gin and waffles drowned in whipped cream. Or warm up with deep steaming bowls of mussels and Flemish chicken stew at nearby bistro Poules Moules.

Location: Grote Markt & Simon Stevinplein, Bruges

Opening dates: Nov 20-Jan 3, 2027

Good for: its ginormous tree 

Germany’s known for its epic Christmas markets – after all, both Nuremberg and Aachen make this list – but one of the country’s lesser-known (but no less spectacular) editions is to be found in Düsseldorf. Despite being a much smaller city than Berlin or Munich, Düsseldorf doesn’t have one Christmas market but five, making it feel like the entire city centre is one giant Chrimbo celebration. The giant Christmas tree makes for Insta-worthy photo opportunities, but there’s also an ice-skating rink and a giant Ferris wheel – perfect for capturing beautiful views of the city from above.

Location: Düsseldorf, Germany

Opening dates: Nov 19-Dec 30, 2026

Good for: a snow-free Christmas 

Believe it or not, some people don’t like slipping and sliding around on snow at Christmastime – but that doesn’t mean they don’t love some seasonal cheer (hello Aussies!). The Christmas market in the Madeiran capital of Funchal is perfect for that kind of Christmas: the pedestrian streets of Avenida Arriaga are awash with vendors selling exotic flowers and a huge range of edible goods. From mandarin and aniseed liqueurs to vinha d’alhos – pork marinated in wine – it’s a treat for your tastebuds. And, crucially, no snow.

Location: Avenida Arriaga, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Opening dates: Dec 1-Jan 10, 2027