Europe’s best Christmas markets showcase artisans, from candle makers in Helsinki to jewelery designers in Košice.
Catherine Roberts is the editor of the travel company Responsible Travel.
Support small businesses this Christmas by visiting European markets where tradesmen and producers come to the fore Passionate When you visit, you’ll be able to sample delicious delicacies, find unique souvenirs and gifts, and enjoy a festive, inviting experience that will welcome you with open arms… and maybe even have a hot cup or two!
Choose positive gifts at the Helsinki Christmas market in Finland
The Helsinki Christmas Market braves sub-zero temperatures in winter, creating an incredibly cozy atmosphere in Senate Square. More than 100 small producers sell knitted socks and hand-painted candles inspiring silver jewelery finnish winter.
Treat yourself to delicious dishes like banh mi and caramel rice porridge from Helsinki favorite N4ku Karelian cakes (a traditional Finnish rye cake filled with rice porridge), lox and spruce-spiced “glögi”, a typical Scandinavian hot liqueur.
A carousel lights up the heart of the Helsinki Christmas Market, which, like the other stalls, is powered by electricity. renewable energies. Sellers can donate their excess to Helsinki charity HurstinApu.
When and how: Between 29 November – 22 December 2024. For a full Christmas adventure, take the train or fly to Helsinki and join some of them. Christmas holiday in Finland Including Rovaniemi markets and the chance to meet Santa Claus.
A feast of flavors at the Christmas market in Latvia’s Old Town
Riga’s Dome Square is a picturesque setting for the Christmas market in the Old Town. Creatives are on sale beeswax candles and wool gloves In wooden booths with candy-striped roofs, chefs prepare a feast Piragi bacon buns, sauerkraut and smoked sausages.
buy one fresh caramelized hazelnut cone and let yourself go. Every Saturday during Advent, another Christmas market fills the wooden houses in the Kalnciema neighborhood.
Farmers, designers and artists all Latvia They sell a wide variety of products kimchi jarsembroidered slippers, painted bowls and bottles of the famous Riga Black Balm liqueur.
When and how: From November 29, 2024 to January 2, 2025 for the Old Town market. Saturdays from 30 November to 28 DecemberAt the market in the Kalnciema neighborhood. Riga has numerous rail and air connections. train to Vilnius This takes four hours and 20 minutes.
Discover the artisanal delights of the Vilnius Lithuanian Christmas Market
The Christmas tree in Vilnius Cathedral Square changes its magnificent disguise every year: so many times before decorated with chess, fairy tales and last year with a huge cake for the city’s 700th anniversary.
If you see the tree, you have discovered the main market where you can buy handmade Christmas gifts. The week of December 18-22 is a good time to visit the citytalented designers from around the world Lithuanian They display their elegant products at the Christmas Design Plaza in Vincas Kudirka Square.
When and how: Vilnius Christmas Festival will be held from 29 November to 29 December 2024. The city is very well connected, with a train station providing connections to Kaunas and the Baltic coast.
Enjoy a warmer winter at the Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market in Austria
The Christmas market at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace has been renewed for 2024 and retains its village feel despite its magnificent surroundings.
This year, Stalls line the entire palace walkwaytogether with ice rinks (a bit like curling) and an ice rink, minitrainA. Noria and a kids craft hut. You can taste it to warm up in winter mountain recipes like gröstlHE spaetzle and raclette, a delicious melted Alpine cheese.
ADVERTYou can also buy handmade souvenirs such as ceramic bells and vanilla cookies. wooden toys and nativity scenes. The market also provides funds light into darknessSupporting inclusive social projects in Austria.
When and how: Now! Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market opened on 8 November and will close on 6 January 2025.. Stay at Vienna hotel magdas HOTEL, a social enterprise employing refugees.
Let it snow with a fairytale Christmas in Košice (Slovakia)
Dreaming of a white Christmas market? You can find it in Košice, Slovakia, in the east of the country, where it is often covered in snow. Toast to Christmas with a glass of wine “medovina”, a sweet mead Dine on honey made from beloved Slovak beekeepers and wander among the wooden huts along the main pedestrian street.
Plan your trip for December 6th and 7th. MAME market in the Tabačka Kulturfabrik cultural center. It’s a treasure trove of stunning design creations from illustrators, jewelers, graphic designers and chocolatiers.
ADVERTWhen and how: Between 1 – 31 December 2024. You can go to Košice or Poprad by train or plane. Tatra Escapes offers guided and self-guided Christmas market holidays with plenty of free time to wander around and do your own shopping, even admiring the ice sculptors’ works!
Dreaming of gingerbread? Visit Braşov Christmas Market (Romania)
Christmas markets are relatively new Romania. The first one was held in Sibiu in 2007. Bucharest It’s currently home to the largest, but Brasov, a Transylvanian city in the foothills of the Carpathians, may be the most beautiful.
The Braşov Christmas market is held in the Council Square, framed by an atmospheric atmosphere. A collection of medieval Saxon buildings and the Gothic Black Church. Market stalls feature tree ornaments, wood carvings, orange and cinnamon teas, baked apples, caramelized almonds and “baumstriezel”, a spiral puff pastry coated with sugar and cinnamon. The icing on the cake? Something more than a million lightsIncluding one that turned City Hall into a gingerbread house.
When and how: Mid November to early January. Brasov has an airport and train station, and if you haven’t had enough of the festivities yet, you can reach the Bucharest Christmas Market in just 2.5 hours by train.
ADVERTDiscover Sweden’s oldest Christmas market and pop-ups!
You can choose from a variety of Christmas markets in Stockholm. But you shouldn’t miss Sweden’s oldest Christmas market, which has been held in the old town since 1837. Stockholm It also specializes in specialized markets.
Fans of science fiction, comics and board games can attend this event. Geek Market (From November 30 to December 1). The Christmas Fair (December 7-8) supports organizations working for human rights and the environment. Don’t forget to stop by Color factory, a transformed fabric in a modern art gallery where you can buy fashion gifts to the sound of live bands and DJs (December 14 and 15).
Also a great option is Skeppsholmsgården pier, where blacksmiths and waffle stands light up in view of the ship’s masts (14-15 December).
When and how: From the end of November to the end of December. Take your place at the beginning of November Winter route through the Baltic, Helsinki and Stockholm Because in the spirit of Stockholm, why limit yourself to one Christmas market when you can visit five?
ADVERTGet it done in style at the Tallinn Christmas Market in Estonia
Tallinn’s Old Town is impressively decorated for Christmas, covered in lights and garlands and crowned with a crown. Christmas tree This is the center of the Tallinn Christmas market.
Comforting winter cuisine is everywhere: Black pudding, sauerkraut and elaborately decorated gingerbreadand mulled wine with cranberries. Don’t lose your sight Wool products from the Estonian islands. Socks, hats, scarves, and hats tall enough to serve as scarves decorated with geometric snowflakes.
When and how: Between 22 November – 27 December 2024. You can fly to Tallinn airport or Train from various cities in Europe. Helsinki and the Christmas market are located across the lake, two hours away by ferry.
