Enjoy twinkling lights, foodie treats, and local traditions at European Christmas Markets. With over 35 years of travel experience under our belts, we're delighted to share our insider tips for making the most of Europe's enchanting Christmas markets this holiday season. Twinkling with festive lights and brimming with delightful local flavors, these magical markets capture the joyful spirit of the season.

Zagreb Christmas Markets

Find fairytale wooden cabins where sweet almonds and mulled wine are made. View a selection of handmade crafts, hats and scarves.
Trier - Germany's oldest city.  This enchanting market offers many local products from hand-blown glassware to the more staple German foods such as bratwurst, potato pancakes, gingerbread and gluhwein. The Zagreb Christmas markets transform the Croatian capital into a winter wonderland each year. Wooden huts fill Zrinjevac Park, selling sweet almond spirals and mugs of hot, spiced wine to warm, chilled hands as carols echo through the streets. Children line up for photos with Santa by the ice skating rink while colorful lights dance across the snow-kissed Plitvice trees.

Berlin Christmas Markets

These markets stand out for their warming atmosphere created by the traditional Christmas food and drinks. Enjoy the likes of goose, kale and dumplings in a wooden tavern filled with the aromas of meats cooking. The glittering lights of Berlin's 60+ Christmas markets cast a magical glow across the city each Advent. At the historic Gendarmenmarkt square, towering fir trees dusted with snow tower over Alpine wooden stalls as the sweet scent of Lebkuchen gingerbread and mulled beer fills the air. Listen to choirs sing beloved carols outside the grand Konzerthaus concert hall and nibble on hearty potato pancakes or German bratwurst sausages as you browse for nutcrackers, glass ornaments and curved chimney smokers made by local artisans. Don't miss a ride on Germany's largest mobile Christmas pyramid!

Tallinn Christmas Markets

At the heart of Tallinn is the Christmas tree. It has been there every year since 1441. Find an abundance of Christmas decorations and lights, as well as favorite foodie Christmas Market specials such as sour cabbage, black pudding and gingerbread. In the historic medieval fortress town of Tallinn, Estonia, the Christmas tree has taken center stage in Town Hall Square since 1441, nearly 600 years! Today, wander through stalls filled with woolens, crafts, and traditional holiday foods like blood sausage, sour cabbage, and gingerbread under the glow of Estonia's largest Christmas tree.

Dusseldorf Christmas Markets

This city has six Christmas Markets dotted around the center, with over 200 huts packed with specialties like bratwurst, hot pretzels, cheese fondue, and chocolate-covered fruits. Dusseldorf brings holiday cheer to the Rhine River waterfront with over 200 festively decorated stalls spanning six charming markets. Under the towering Konigsallee Christmas tree, indulge in sachertorte cake, creamy hot chocolate and glahwein at Germany's sweetest Christmas market. Handcrafted wooden toys and ornaments fill Benrath Palace's elegant white winter pavilion, where costumed actors reenact scenes from Victorian Christmas tales. And Apollo Hall's Artisans Christmas Market along the harbor invites you to watch glassblowing demonstrations while children ride the mini steam train through a winter forest playground scene.

Dresden Christmas Markets

Dating back over 585 years, Dresden's Striezelmarkt fills Altmarkt Square with the sights, smells and sounds of the season. Intricately carved wooden figurines line the stalls, along with traditional German delicacies like stollen fruitcake and delicate Pfefferkuchen. Sip feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with flaming rum) for warmth as you browse handblown Christmas baubles and a dizzying array of mechanical nutcrackers. Don't miss the famous Stollenfest parade to kick off the holiday season!

Cologne Christmas Markets

Located outside the Cologne Cathedral and made up of six different markets west of the River Rhine. No holiday trip to Germany would be complete without partaking in some festive cheer at the original Christmas markets dating back to the 1400s. Twinkling beneath the shadow of the grand Cologne Cathedral, nibble on printen gingerbread cookies as you browse local handicrafts and savory treats. Or wander down lanes filled with over 200 storybook cottages at the Dusseldorf markets, known for their elaborate nutcrackers and spicy (mulled wine).

Vienna Christmas Markets

This Austrian capital is filled with designer shops housed in Art Nouveau buildings amongst the city's imperial palaces. Indulge in cholate-covered strawberries', schnitzel and a mug of gluhwein while listening to the sounds of festive Austrian music. Northeast of Vienna, Austria lies the Baroque city center of Brno, Czech Republic. Here you'll find charming open-air markets centered around two main squares, where the smell of (fried cheese) and (sweet spiraled dough) fills the air. Don't miss a mug of svarene vino (mulled wine) and a bite of vanoka (braided holiday bread) while you shop for delicate Bohemian glass ornaments among the vibrant building facades.

Brussels Christmas Markets

Enjoy bratwurst, roasted chestnuts abd a Belgian beer. Brussels Christmas markets are packed with gifts and decorations and filled with Christmas cheer. Brussels dazzles during the festive season, with over 240 decorated chalets filling the historic Grand Place and downtown squares. The centerpiece is a shimmering 50-foot Christmas tree looming over the 15th-century Gothic town hall, casting a warm glow over authentic Belgian waffles dusted in powdered sugar and mugs of steaming hot chocolate. Handcrafted lace, knits, and tapestries from Bruges make for special gifts, alongside foie gras, chocolate truffles, and artisanal soaps. Don't miss indulging in local holiday delicacies like tartiflette potatoes baked with cream and Reblochon cheese, breaded smelts fried in butter, or rich French onion soup topped with melted cheese for warmth.

Prague Christmas Markets

The main markets are found in the old town square. Children can pet the sheep, goats, and donkeys in the animal stables. Nestled amid snow-dusted spires in Old Town Square, the Prague Christmas markets have brought Yuletide cheer to the Czech capital since the 14th century. Children can pet the sheep, goats and donkeys in the living nativity scenes while parents shop for handmade glass ornaments and Stock puppets from the region's rich folk art tradition. Be sure to try the trdeln­k pastry rolled in sugar and cinnamon and sip on a mug of (mulled wine) to warm up by the fire.

Krakow Christmas Markets

A Christmas tradition in Poland is to watch the first star appear in the sky on Christmas Eve. This marks the beginning of Christmas. The grandeur of the Renaissance architecture sets the stage for Krakow's Christmas markets centered around the historical Main Market Square. A beloved Polish custom is watching for the first star to appear on Christmas Eve, signaling the official start of festivities. Browse stalls filled with handmade crafts, traditional decorations and sample comfort foods like bigos (hearty hunter's stew) and pierogi dumplings.

Strasbourg Christmas Markets

France's oldest Christmas market was established in 1570. Experience the true, authentic atmosphere of a Christmas Market with over 300 wooden chalets selling Alsatian Christmas decor and local gourmet delights such as Choucroute Garnie (sausages, sauerkraut and potatoes), flammekueche (thin bread dough with lardons, creme fraiche and onions), and different types of gingerbread. For a truly magical Christmas market, it is hard to beat Strasbourg, the Capital of Alsace. Dating back to 1570, fairy lights illuminate the Gothic cathedral and beam against the waters of the Ill River flowing through the city. Sing along with carolers as you sample tart choucroute garnie, French bread pizza called flammekueche and buttery gingerbread cookies in the shadow of the town's storybook timber frame houses.

Manchester Christmas Markets

The Christmas markets in Manchester are filled with authentic German and Italian stalls where you can indulge in International Christmas food, drinks, and handmade crafts. The Manchester Christmas Markets in the U.K. bring all the charm of Germany to northern England. Over 300 Alpine stalls fill the streets, offering hearty Yorkshire pudding wrap sandwiches, sweet gingerbread, and cups of warm glahwein to fight the winter chill. The historic Lincoln Christmas Market nearby offers a more traditional British take, with farmers selling ostrich, venison and cheeses.

Lincoln Christmas Markets

The markets in this city are in the Central Quarter and surrounded by farmland. The largest ostrich farms are found here. Meander from stall to stall along the cobbled streets from the Cathedral into the castle grounds. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Lincoln's imposing medieval castle and gothic cathedral, 300 festive cabins fill the pedestrian streets and square for the annual Lincoln Christmas Market. Farmers offer ostrich burgers, venison, and Lincolnshire cheeses while the tempting smells of hot chocolate, gingerbread, and mulled wine wafting through the cool December air from Alpine wooden stalls set up throughout the square. Musicians, circus acts and theatre troupes entertain the crowds as visitors wander between unique Yuletide gifts handcrafted by artisans from across Europe.

Barcelona Christmas Markets

These markets are not your traditional German Christmas Markets. And for a unique Spanish spin, check out Barcelona's holiday fairs. While less extensive than Germany's traditional markets, you'll still find handmade nativity scenes, mistletoe and festive ornaments between Gaudi's vibrant architectural marvels. Don't miss the artisan crafts shops at Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum recreating typical Spanish villages.

Stockholm Christmas Market

Bundled up in your warmest woolens, lose yourself in the cozy maze of wooden huts in Old Town Square at the Stortorget Christmas Market in Stockholm. Under strings of twinkling lights, sample glogg (spiced mulled wine), warming saffron buns and traditional holiday sweets like pepparkakor ginger snaps as you browse handicrafts from across Sweden.

Copenhagen Christmas Market

Over in Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens transforms into a magical winter wonderland with glittering trees, enchanting light displays and visits from Santa himself. Warm up with (spherical pancake puffs) and (mulled wine) while taking in over 1500 kilograms of fir garlands and 10 kilometers of sparkling fairy lights strewn throughout the gardens, amusement rides and pavilions.

Edinburgh Christmas Market

Venture west to the UK and you'll find the Edinburgh Christmas markets hosted in East Princes Street Gardens, with mulled cider, Scottish baked goods and artisanal products from tartan weavers to candlemakers. Or explore Manchester's 300 festive German-inspired stalls offering hot chocolate, stollen cake and bratwurst sausages that pay homage to its medieval Christmas markets heritage.

No matter which enchanting Christmas markets you choose, they offer delightful opportunities to experience the joyful spirit and cherished traditions of the season across Europe. It seems no matter where your holiday plans take you across Europe; each country has found unique ways to celebrate the Christmas spirit all season long. So whether you seek traditional handicrafts or avantgarde artworks, sweet seasonal treats or hearty Yuletide stews, the Christmas markets offer endless treasures guaranteed to kindle your festive flame.