Love a festive fair? Here’s how to plan an adventure to the best Christmas markets in Europe

Maybe it’s the mulled wine talking, but there are few things on earth more magical than a Christmas market. And Europe is something of a master in the art. Whether you’re hunting down cakes in Cologne or sipping on punch by a Viennese palace, the continent’s finest cities know how to put on a festive display.

Partly, this is about the setting – castles, cathedrals and medieval squares festooned with garlands of lights. But, it’s also to do with substance. In Europe’s best Christmas markets, you’ll find everything from freshly-baked lebkuchen (cake) to scented candles and exquisite hand-blown baubles. Throw carol singers, horse-drawn carriages and crackling bonfires into the mix and it’s the perfect recipe for a Christmas market. Here are some of the best to put on your radar this festive season.

Salzburg, Austria

Flanked by Hohensalzburg Fortress and the city’s mighty Baroque cathedral, Salzburg Christmas Market in the heart of the Old City delivers serious wow factor. Mosey around stalls selling candles, artisan jewellery, fine Austrian coffee and more, in the shadow of a giant Christmas tree and hundreds of twinkling lights that stretch across Residenzplatz Square. Visitors can also expect choral concerts and nativity scenes in this six-week-long spectacle (starting at mid-November) dating back to the 15th Century.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

With Slovenia‘s capital, Ljubljana, holding all the beauty of an old town, the backdrop to the Ljubljana Christmas Market is reason enough to visit. Better still, with the city’s green credentials, the biggest festive market in the country is also one of the most sustainable. Small local businesses have stalls lining up on Prešeren Square, while zero waste products and organic Slovenian cuisine can be found along the side of the Ljubljanica River. There’s free music concerts, as well as a magical forest to explore. The market runs from the end of November until the beginning of January.

Cologne, Germany

Germany does a fine line in Christmas markets and Cologne is home to some of the country’s best. Make a beeline for Weihnachtsmarkt in front of the city’s imposing cathedral, where rustic huts encircle a towering Nordmann fir, decorated with 50,000 lights for December. Shop for delicate glass baubles, wooden carvings, bagfuls of sugared almonds and more, in an atmosphere that brims with festive magic. At least six other events, including a queer Christmas market and a harbour market by the Rhine, makes Cologne the gift that keeps on giving.

Reykjavík, Iceland

A relatively modern Christmas market to add to Iceland‘s collection is the Hlemmur Mathöll Food Hall. While there are other Christmas markets in Reykjavik, this one is worth a visit for its focus on food, with pop-up events and fresh produce stalls. It’s open year-round, but at Christmas, it very much becomes festive themed. There’s restaurants and food shops throughout, as well as wine bars and a Scandi kitchen. Meanwhile outdoors, there’s pop-up markets, Christmas trees and mulled wine. Open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Vienna, Austria

Few Christmas markets rival the ceremony that come with Vienna’s cityscape. With its canvas of Baroque palaces and imposing squares, the capital offers up a dream setting for fairytale wonderment. Start your ode to all things festive at the Viennese Dream Christmas Market in front of City Hall, where carol singers and ornate chocolate carvings await. Punch aplenty is promised at Belvedere Palace, and the beautifully decorated stalls around Vienna’s Former General Hospital are a show in themselves. In the creative neighbourhood of Spittelberg, you’ll find objects d’art and design pieces, while hearty helpings of Vanillekipferl (traditional crescent-shaped biscuits) set the scene at Schönbrunn Palace.

Rovaniemi, Finland

If Christmas is something you’d like to enjoy beyond the festive period, you can head to Finland‘s Santa Clause Village in Rovaniemi, which is open 365 days of the year. While Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, the village sits at the point that crosses into the Arctic Circle, making it a gateway to the area. It’s the ‘official’ home town of Santa Claus, with reindeer and husky rides, snowmobile tours, an Elf School, a forest and an abundance of Christmas market stalls. Visit in winter and you might just see the Northern Lights, too.

Munich, Germany

Munich is a proud participant in Germany’s grand old tradition of Christmas markets, and visitors here will be spoilt for choice when it comes to conjuring up some goodwill. The heart of the action lies in Marienplatz (St. Mary’s Square), with hundreds of stalls and elaborate Christmas sculptures spilling out from the neo-gothic facades of Neues Rathaus. For a quieter and more evocative vibe, don’t miss the Chinese Tower Christkindlmarkt. This lovely market comes with carriage rides through English Garden, Munich’s iconic urban park. Wherever you go, bear in mind that a glass or two of glühwein is practically mandatory.

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