Travel Topics
Budapest’s Advent Basilica is a show‑stopper: projections animate the grand façade nightly while a compact village of stalls serves up chimney cake, stuffed cabbage and warming mulled wine. The square…
Few towns feel as wintry‑storybook as Český Krumlov. The Christmas Market on Svornosti Square forms the heart of a broader Advent programme that includes carols, concerts and candlelit processions, with…
Wenceslas Square complements Old Town’s headline market with a lively strip of chalets selling seasonal snacks and gifts along the historic boulevard. With two metro stations on the square and…
Prague’s Old Town Square hosts the Czech capital’s flagship Christmas market, flanked by the gothic Týn Church and the baroque St Nicholas. Wooden chalets heap with hand‑painted baubles, carved toys…
Olomouc delivers one of the Czech Republic’s most characterful markets across its UNESCO‑listed squares. The wooden village of stalls fills Horní and Dolní náměstí with crafts, decorations and regional fare…
Kraków’s main square hosts one of Poland’s most beloved Christmas markets, with wooden huts set beneath the gothic towers of St Mary’s and the Renaissance Cloth Hall. The 2025 season…
Gdańsk’s Christmas Market turns the Coal Market (Targ Węglowy) into a fairy‑tale village of lights and artisanal stalls. Expect regional food, a charming Advent calendar tradition and plenty of family‑friendly…
Wrocław Christmas Market is a festive labyrinth of chalets, illuminations and themed zones spread around the handsome Market Square. The 2025 edition runs from late November through to Epiphany, with…
Betlejem Poznańskie spans multiple locations and formats. The MTP fairground edition offers wide aisles, stage shows and abundant food options with easy tram access from the main station. Dates for…
Chișinău’s main festive fair is staged at the International Exhibition Centre Moldexpo, bringing together local artisans, food producers and seasonal gift suppliers under one roof. The short, four‑day event is…
Christmas Village at Port Hercule Monaco 2025 Monaco may be one of Europe’s smallest states, but it certainly knows how to celebrate the festive season in style. The Christmas Village…
Andorra la Vella’s Christmas Village, the ‘Poblet de Nadal’, turns the capital into a festive playground with wooden stalls, family shows and glittering installations. Centred on Plaça del Poble and…
Small but spirited, the Vaduz Christmas Market brings twinkling lights and alpine charm to the Städtle for one winter weekend. Peter‑Kaiser‑Platz fills with wooden stalls selling handicrafts, decorations and local…
High in the Triesenberg mountains, Malbun’s one‑day Christmas market delivers postcard‑perfect alpine vibes. The village centre hosts wooden huts with warm drinks, snacks and crafts—an inviting stop for skiers and…
Set on a sunny terrace above the Rhine Valley, Triesenberg’s Bäärger Advent Market or Triesen Christmas Market is a charming way to start the festive season. For one day only…
Basel’s duo of markets on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz creates one of Switzerland’s most atmospheric Advent experiences. Stroll cobbled streets between wooden chalets, pausing for raclette, Basler Läckerli and creamy hot…
Lucerne’s Franziskanerplatz hosts a classic Advent market just a short stroll from the famous Chapel Bridge. Expect Swiss handicrafts, festive bakes and warming drinks in a compact, welcoming setting that’s…
Geneva’s Noël au Quai stretches along the Quai du Mont‑Blanc with over a hundred decorated chalets, a cosy Fondue Chalet and a lively Christmas Pub. With the Jet d’Eau and…
Few markets can match Montreux for scenery: wooden chalets line the Lake Geneva promenade with the Alps rising beyond. By day, browse artisanal gifts and regional treats with snow‑dusted peaks…
If you prefer an indoor holiday shopping experience, Chicago’s One of a Kind Show at THE MART is a destination event. More than 600 independent artists and designers showcase jewellery…
Renegade Craft’s Chicago Winter edition pops up at Morgan Manufacturing in the Fulton Market District. Expect 170+ artists and makers with contemporary jewellery, apparel, prints, ceramics and gourmet small‑batch goods—perfect…
Zürich’s main station transforms into a festive hall during the Polarzauber Christkindlimarkt, making it one of the most convenient Christmas markets in Switzerland. Under the grand concourse, a sea of…
Set against the backdrop of Wrigley Field, Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville pairs Chicago baseball lore with Bavarian Christmas spirit. A cluster of timber booths lines Gallagher Way, selling artisan crafts, glass baubles…
A suburban sister to Chicago’s flagship market, Christkindlmarket Aurora brings the same German holiday charm to the Fox Valley. RiverEdge Park fills with festively decorated stalls selling ornaments, toys and…
Come November the cities and towns of Europe join in unison to celebrate the advent of Christmas with a Christmas Market. What started off as very much a Germanic tradition has now swept across much of mainland Europe as well as in the UK.
The very first December market was held in 1298 when Albrecht I granted permission for a meat market, and the Austrian capital is very much at the heart of festive markets to this day, with 20 in and around the city.
However, it is in Germany that the markets really flourished, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt standing out as one of the most spectacular Christmas markets in the country – where else can you see a giant stollen parade?
In the UK the trend has evolved more recently, with markets now appearing in most cities and towns across the kingdom. From Winchester to Beverley and Padstow each has its own particular take on the theme, and London even has its own Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
From the iconic Brussels Christmas Market in the capital of the European Union, the festive seasonal tradition has also swept across eastern Europe and Scandinavia. The Brno Christmas Market is prove that the Czech Republic is not all about Prague while in Lithuania they take place all over this small country, from its capital Vilnius to the smaller city of Kaunas. Meanwhile, the one in Helsinki called Tuomaan Markkinat, is amongst Europe’s most Istagrammable Christmas markets.
