10 Christmas Markets You Can’t Miss

Winter is just around the corner, and with it, the most exciting festive season of the year: Christmas and the Christmas markets.

It’s also the magic time for the Christmas markets. Small entrepreneurs and artisans come together in a place that transports us to a magical and sensational imagination. Confectionery and bakery products, dried fruits and dried fruits, spices and aromatic herbs, wines and liqueurs, art pieces, figures to decorate the nativity scene and colour our house, Christmas gifts at great prices and also lots of entertainment such as parades and music, to celebrate the local traditions that are intertwined with the history of Natal is what awaits us in these markets.

Going back in time, the Christmas markets, known as Christkindlmarkt, emerged in the German region, today Germany, more specifically in the city of Dresden (Striezelmarkt), in the 15th century. They usually have as a backdrop the historical centres and squares with monuments of reference from the times that marked the history and culture of these cities, in which the heritage, architecture, arts and customs that have lasted through the centuries are breathed.

So, without further ado, as your appetite has undoubtedly been whetted, we’ve unpacked 10 of the most magical and dazzling Christmas markets. We started in Portugal and travelled through Europe.

 

 

1. Rossio Christmas Market – LISBON

November 19th, 2021 to December 19th, 2021

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Right in the heart of Lisbon, the Christmas spirit could not be missing. The Christmas market, with its wooden stalls and vibrant aromas, arrives at Praça D. Pedro V and has several exciting news and activities, such as a Christmas Train that runs through the streets of Baixa (this activity is for everyone the family is free and you only need to pick up a voucher from the participating high street stores); Also worth noting is a Christmas exhibition at the Hospital de Dolls that children will love and a collection of Christmas windows in street stores, with a lot of originality and creativity in the mix.

 

2. Vila Natal – ÓBIDOS

November 30th 2021 to January 2nd 2022

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Óbidos is a charming medieval walled city in central Portugal. The town welcomes the Vila de Natal, transforming the inner part of the walls with delicious decorations and entertainment typical of the time. Santa Claus’s House, the Ferris wheel (outside the castle), the ice rink, face painting, tree climbing circuit, magic shows, puppets, music, nativity scene, food and crafts are guaranteed and make the delights both children and adults. Vila Natal de Óbidos appears as a family party space where “creating magic” is the mission.

 

3. Mercado da Alegria – PORTO

November 27th 2021 to December 31st 2021

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Also called the Porto Christmas Market, it occupies Largo de Santo Ildefonso and Praça da Batalha, in the heart of the Invicta city.

There will be plenty of opportunities to find a Christmas gift for that special someone among wooden houses and stalls while supporting small merchants and artisans! With dozens of exhibitors filled with lights, aromas, music and decorated trees, this is a market to visit!

 

4. Navideño de la Artesania  Market – SPAIN

December 17th 2021 to January 5th 2022

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Christmas lights and wreaths make Seville a wonderful place to visit at this time of year.
In Plaza Nueva, a few steps from the Cathedral and the Giralda, we find the Feria de Artesanía Creativa de Sevilla or Mercado Navideño de la Artesanía, dedicated to typical Seville handicrafts. The square will be filled with 80 wooden stands where artisans and local merchants sell jewellery, ceramics, wooden toys and other Andalusian products. Here you can find unique and different pieces to offer this festive season.

 

5. Christkindelsmärik – Strasbourg –  FRANCE

November 26th 2021 to December 26th 2021

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Christkindelsmärik (Baby Jesus market) is a piece of Germany in France. Strasbourg, the French city, which once belonged to Germany, stands out for its mixture of cultures from both countries; this is reflected in the cuisine, architecture, and Christmas markets that have a specific Germanic influence.

In Cathedral Square, the Christmas market has been held since 1570. It is, therefore, the oldest in France and the most frequented in all of Europe. With three dozen stalls, it spans a dozen locations in the heart of the French city, where handicrafts, wooden toys, blown glass candles, and local culinary delicacies (we can highlight the Bredeles, traditional Christmas cookies) set the mood. Fascinating.

 

6. Winter Wonders Christmas Market – BELGIUM

November 26th 2021 to January 2nd 2022

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The Christmas market in Brussels is a real-life winter wonderland. Also called Winter Wonders, it can transform the centre of Brussels into a fairytale city.

It is one of the newest markets, offering the perfect blend of modernity and tradition. Held in the monumental Grand-Place or Grote Markt in Brussels (UNESCO Heritage dating back to the 12th century), it has more than 200 tents, a majestic Christmas tree, a vast nativity scene (in life-size), a Ferris wheel, a track. Ice and a spectacular nighttime sound and light show.

Winter Wonders isn’t just a place for Christmas shopping; it’s an impressive and immersive experience, making it one of Europe’s most popular free winter festivals.

 

7. Nuremberg Christmas Market– GERMANY

November 26th to December 24th, 2021

Mercados de Natal
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If you are passionate about Christmas and still haven’t seen the Bavarian region, take the opportunity to discover this and other Christmas markets in the area, as well as the enchanting landscapes, imposing monuments and a strong Christmas spirit. Nuremberg’s Christmas market is like a time machine that takes us back almost two centuries.

Some of the wooden tents are original and date from the late 1800s. In these tents, we find traditional, often handcrafted Christmas decorations and typical sweets such as gingerbread, almond cookies and Lebkuchen, a kind of honey cake. There is also a town in Natal where children can bake cookies, paint glass or ride a carousel. It should be noted that imported products cannot be sold in this market. This is, in fact, one of the oldest and most emblematic markets in Germany.

 

8. Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market – DENMARK

November 19th, 2021 to January 2nd, 2022

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This Christmas market presents a different concept from the previous ones as it is located in the amusement park of Parque Tivoli – the most famous in the city and the second oldest amusement park in the world, dating back to 1843. The main feature of this Christmas market it’s your lights decoration! We talk about many-coloured lamps that illuminate buildings, tents, trees, basically all the elements that make up this scenario.

It has more than 60 stalls with sweets, hot drinks, crafts and much more, without neglecting entertainment such as the ice rink, the traditional carousels, the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel.

 

9. Zagreb Christmas Market – CROATIA

November 27th 2021 to January 7th 2022

Mercados de Natal
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Named by the tourism and culture website European Best Destination as the best Christmas market in Europe for three consecutive years (2016, 2017 and 2018), the Christmas market in Zagreb offers a range of unique and unforgettable sensations.

The advent is taken seriously: a giant tree is set up in Ban Josip Jelačić square, with an illuminated fountain and a covered winter garden, which is also used to set up the atmospheric market and where dozens of souvenirs decoration stalls are not lacking Christmas, as well as plenty of delicious food (typical cinnamon donuts) and wine from the Zrinjevac area. The workshops for children, concerts by symphony bands, and the skating rink in King Tomislav Park are not to be missed.

 

10. Tallinn Christmas Market – ESTONIA

November 26th 2021, to January 2nd 2022.

 

Mercados de Natal
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Tallinn’s Christmas Market delights everyone with its historic location, long traditions and half-century-old buildings. This Christmas market has been a tradition in Estonia since 1997, having won the title of best in Europe, in 2019, by European Best Destinations. Founded by Paul Oberschneider, the market takes place in the Old Town Hall square and brings tourists worldwide to Tallinn.

We can find craft stalls, local food and hot drinks to warm your heart during the cold winter days, but also a Christmas tree, located in the centre of Raekoja Square, decorated to perfection with heart-shaped ornaments symbolizing love and the usual attractions that delight children and adults of all ages, ranging from Christmas carousels to musical shows.

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