13 fantastically festive European Christmas markets

Jessica Baldwin

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Yes, temperatures are plummeting across Europe and its most beautiful parks and piazzas are bracing themselves for a cavalcade of carousels and carols, perhaps even a dusting of snow!

Some of Europe's best Christmas markets © Irina - Adobe Stock Image

Germany may well have kick-started the great Christmas market tradition back in the Middle Ages, but today you're spoilt for choice when it comes to picking where to go, with everywhere from Amsterdam to Zurich getting a fun festive glow-up.

Whether you fancy shopping for artisan stocking fillers in medieval town squares, riding snow-covered Ferris wheels above twinkling cities or pirouetting your way around the continent's most magnificent ice rinks, we have the perfect European Christmas market for you.

Book your festive escape: find great value deals on Christmas market breaks across Europe with something for budget from the likes of TUI^*, Jet2holidays^* and easyJet holidays^*.

Colmar, France

Even on the dullest of days, arriving in the Alsatian wine capital of Colmar feels like falling into a fairytale; a riot of pinch-me pretty flower-flanked canals cloaked in half-timbered houses and lost within the region's famous vineyards.

Admittedly, at Christmas, it plays second fiddle to Strasbourg's historic all-singing, all-dancing tourist magnet of a market^*. But what it lacks in rib-crushing crowds it makes up for in groan-worthy food and snow globe scenes.

Hunt out sweet souvenirs and local artisan scran in its six markets; a bag of Bredele (traditional Christmas cookies) makes the perfect stocking filler. Plus, thanks to a busy festive calendar, there are more than 100 events to dip in and out of at will.

Head to the Little Venice district to watch cherry-cheeked children belt out Christmas classics from their boats.

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Gdansk, Poland

Once the Baltic coast's richest port, today artsy Gdansk delights with Hanseatic merchant houses, world-class museums and a rich maritime history.

In summer, the city acts as the glorious gateway to the spectacular Polish Riviera, providing tourists with a hefty dose of history and culture before they fly-and-flop on its picture-perfect amber-strewn beaches.

But forget sun-drenched shorelines, Christmastime is when Gdansk is at its most magical.

The lights of Gdansk’s pretty Christmas market © Patryk Kosmider - Adobe Stock Image

As the snow sweeps in, the vibrant city is festooned in twinkling lights and peppered with dazzling illumination; this year there are 160 to find.

Peruse everything from amber jewellery and handmade ceramics to nostalgic nutcrackers in the market, dip into the city's free festive performances and stuff yourself silly on pierogis (Polish dumplings).

Make sure you give St Mary's Basilica, the world's largest brick church, a good ogle along the way.

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Cologne, Germany

Fancy festive market-hopping around one of Germany's coolest cities? Having opened its first Christmas market in 1820, Cologne was admittedly a little late to the party - especially by German standards.

Despite its tardy start, today, the city offers a bevy of elaborately themed winter wonderlands to explore. You'll find mythical stilted creatures strolling the fantastical Market of Angels, performing pirates running riot beneath Harbour Market's glorious Ferris wheel and a magical ice rink at Heinzels Winter Fairytale (a market dedicated to Cologne's mythical 'brownies').

The Market of Hearts, Cologne © Mikhail Markovskiy - Adobe Stock Image

But for the ultimate festive money shot, head to the 'gram-worthy Market of Hearts, where a bejewelled spruce stands beneath the city's arresting UNESCO-listed cathedral.

Here, you'll find a sea of red-topped cabins draped in glittering lights, overflowing with artisan produce, handmade candles and intricate lace creations, not to mention over 100 free festive events.

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Copenhagen, Denmark

The design-led Danish capital may radiate Scandi cool, but it's Copenhagen's ability to foster cosy moments, even on the darkest of days, which sets it apart.

'Hygge' (cosiness) lurks all around this salt-whipped city, particularly at Christmas; from sipping steaming gløgg with new friends to warming up in a candlelit café after a Viking-esque ice swim.

For pure unadulterated holiday fun, head to historic Tivoli Gardens^*, rumoured to be the original inspiration behind Disneyland. At Christmastime, the world's second-oldest amusement park transforms into a colossal winter wonderland. Hit the ice before tucking into a warming risalamande (Danish rice pudding) and don't miss the magnificent sound of the Tivoli Youth Guard.

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Budapest, Hungary

Arguably one of the world's most beautiful cities, Budapest is chock-full of UNESCO-listed sights, grand cafés and general gothic splendour.

From mid-November lights, illuminations and yuletide stalls flood the budget-friendly destination's ancient streets. Vörösmarty may be the city's oldest Christmas market, but nearby St Stephen's Basilica gets our vote.

As well as stalls piled high with trinkets and handicrafts, there's also a picture-perfect ice rink haloing its bedecked spruce, plus a light show beaming straight onto one of Hungary's largest churches.

Grab a sugar-dusted chimney cake in Budapest © Dar1930 - Adobe Stock Image

Got a sweet tooth? Sniff out a sugary chimney cake, a lengthy, swirly cinnamon-laced treat. The best thing about choosing Budapest for your Christmas trip? With over 100 hot springs dotted around the city, you're never far from a snowy soak for the ultimate winter warmer.

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Lille, France

This cultural melting pot of a city boasts a gawk-worthy medieval centre, world-class arts and arguably the best beer in France. Just 82 minutes from London via Eurostar makes this Franco-Belgian centre as easy as it is affordable.

Plus, it ticks the box for the whole family. Just a short stroll from the station you'll find Grand Place, home to a fabulous Ferris wheel offering panoramic views of Lille in its Christmas finest, whilst visitors to Place du Théâtre can hop aboard its century-old merry-go-round.

History buffs find joy in the Old Town's fabulous French and Flemish façades, whilst arty types should hotfoot it to Palais des Beaux-Arts, easily one of France's best art galleries. Warm up with a carbonnade flamande (a boozy beef stew cooked with gingerbread) at a cosy estaminet.

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Krakow, Poland

With world-class museums and a UNESCO-listed Old Town, a festive trip to snowy Krakow is as cultural as it is Christmassy.

Reassuringly, Cracovians need little excuse to celebrate, with festivals dedicated to everything from leg-stomping sea shanties to dashing dachshunds. But as advent descends on the city, all eyes fall on the fairy-lit stalls illuminating Europe's largest medieval town square^*.

Main market square, Krakow © Patryk Kosmider - Adobe Stock Image

Peruse displays of cosy hand-knitted socks and sweet wooden toys before hunting out the city's flamboyant 'szopki' nativity scenes, proudly displayed in frosty shop windows.

Warm up with a piping hot grzaniec galicyjski (mulled wine) served straight from the barrel or venture beneath the cobbles to one of the Old Town's legendary cellar bars.

Don't miss Wawel Cathedral; it's a veritable treasure trove of Byzantine frescos, grand sarcophagi and royal crypts offering incredible views of the city.

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Zagreb, Croatia

To do this year's event justice, you'll need comfy shoes and an elasticated waistband. Over 20 different markets will take over the Zagreb's main squares and promenades, offering everything from ice skating and horse-drawn carriages to fireworks.

There are also a dozen augmented reality toy-themed 'time machines' to discover; a nostalgic nod to the toy factory which once resided in the city. Being Croatia, incredible food is a given, with acclaimed restaurants and celebrity chefs taking to the streets.

Warm up with some steaming sarma (stuffed sour cabbage rolls) and a stiff rakija (fruit brandy). Craving retail therapy but wary of tourist tat? Choose 'Made in Zagreb' products to ensure authenticity; paprenjaci (honey and black pepper biscuits) make great stocking fillers.

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Tallinn, Estonia

With its labyrinth of cobbled streets, brimming with medieval façades and fairytale turrets, wandering Tallinn's UNESCO-listed Old Town feels like walking through a Disney set.

The Christmas market in Tallinn's ancient Town Hall Square © Dimbar76 - Adobe Stock Image

Follow the festive thrum to the gothic town hall, where around 60 snow-topped cabins overflow with handknitted woollies, luxurious furs and handmade decorations.

At its heart is a towering spruce, so big it takes 3km of lights to do it justice. Legend has it, it's the world's first-ever Christmas tree. While the children ride the carousel, devour a sizzling blood sausage and a hot Vana Tallinn (a local spiced rum liqueur) - keep your eyes open for Santa, the main man often swoops in as night descends.

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Bolzano, Italy

Forget Rome, the pretty pastel-painted South Tyrolean city of Bolzano is Italy's 'Capital of Christmas'. Snuggled into an Alpine basin near the Austrian border, the bilingual city is an exciting melting pot of languages, traditions and tastes.

Considered the gateway to the Dolomites, it's Ötzi, Bolzano's 5,300-year-old iceman, which attracts tourists the rest of the year.

However, at Christmas, Bolzano's market welcomes almost a million festive shoppers. Festooned in glittering lights, Walther Square buzzes with 80 stalls, piled high with authentic crafts, Alpine delicacies and steaming cauldrons of spicy mulled wine.

Peckish? Feast on smoky speck and rich, fruit-laden zelten cake or head to one of the city's restaurants, many offer fixed-price festive menus. Jump aboard a cable car into the mountains to enjoy the spectacle from on high.

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Bled, Slovenia

Bled may seem like a wild card but, surrounded by snowy summits and watched over by a medieval castle, the Christmas market which fringes crystal-clear Lake Bled ticks every winter wonderland box.

Peruse the string of chalets selling everything from hand-felted slippers to Slovenian delicacies, like potica (a sweet, swirly nut roll). Buying for a foodie? You can't go wrong with a pot of Slovenian honey!

Children shopping for chocolate treats © Famveldman - Adobe Stock Image

Grab a photo in the gigantic Christmas chair in front of the market's enormous Christmas tree or test your love on the 'wheel of romance'. If you're lucky enough to be in town on Christmas Day, check out the ritualistic 'sinking of the bell' and witness an enormous, illuminated bell sink into Lake Bled's tranquil waters.

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Vienna, Austria

With a plethora of all-singing, all-dancing Christmas markets^* springing to life against a backdrop of frozen Baroque palaces, Vienna's grandiose streets certainly celebrate Advent in style.

Expect epic ice skating, world-class concerts and some of Europe's most glamorous stalls. Crunch your way along the icy streets to UNESCO-listed Schönbrunn Palace.

Christmas decorations on sale at Vienna's Christmas market © Nataliia - Adobe Stock Image

The Habsburgs' summer residence is the most atmospheric spot for devouring sweet buchteln buns whilst taking in exceptional live music, whilst 18th-century Belvedere Palace, bursting at the seams with Klimt masterpieces, offers spectacular views across the city.

If you think Christmas is big here, you should see New Year, when a 12-hour street party descends on the city and locals waltz their way into the new year.

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Basel, Switzerland

Set astride the gushing Rhine at the point where three countries collide, the multicultural city of Basel hosts one of Switzerland's best Christmas markets^*. Feel free to eat your body weight in raclette and waffles, as you'll soon burn it all off hiking between the city's two markets.

Start in the city centre, in Barfüsserplatz, where garland-strewn huts display everything from nostalgic toys to jewellery.

Warm up with an apple fritter dusted with spiced sugar before wandering through the fairy-lit old town to historic Münsterplatz. Dominated by its striking twin-towered cathedral, it's home to an impeccably decorated Christmas tree and countless festive stalls.

Before you call it a night, head to the Pfalz viewing terrace for a bird's-eye view of the Rhine and the glittering old town.