My favourite Christmas Markets in Europe

In December 2011, I travelled with some friends to Latvia to check out the city’s Christmas markets.

Our destination was based on three criteria: it needed to be cheap, had to have Christmas markets, and ideally would be a little out of the ordinary. We checked all three boxes that year, and thus began a tradition of travelling each December to a new city for festive fun.

Truth be told, the markets have always been a bit of an excuse. Sure, I love drinking mulled wine surrounded by cute wooden huts and a giant Christmas tree, but I usually buy one ornament and call it a day.

I will basically use any excuse to travel to somewhere new.

So whether, like me, you just like to find new and unusual places to travel to, or if you are genuinely a fan of Christmas markets, these are my favourite cities in Europe (in reverse order) for a fun and wintery break.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Technically, this wasn’t one of my Christmas market trips. I travelled to Edinburgh last year to cover Hogmanay (the Scottish term for New Year’s Eve) for The Travel Hack.

So I was in town after Christmas, and yet it was still unbelievably festive. Lights everywhere, Christmas markets, skating rinks, snow falling mysteriously from buildings…

Edinburgh really goes all out for Christmas. It’s a stunning destination no matter what time of year you go, but I highly recommend visiting in December for a little bit of extra magic.

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Kraków, Poland

Kraków is home to one of the largest town squares in Europe, and it’s here that you’ll find a quaint Christmas market each year, selling decorations, food and warm clothes.

There’s a huge Christmas tree overshadowed by an even huger cathedral, a pretty covered market and horses pulling carriages of awe-struck tourists.

I probably wouldn’t visit Kraków just for the Christmas markets alone, but there’s loads to see and do in and around the city, so if you’re looking for a winter break with a twist (and a whole lot of hearty dumplings) then add Kraków to your list!

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Vienna, Austria

Vienna was basically made for Christmastime.

The gorgeous streets are draped in elaborate strings (or chandeliers) of twinkling lights, there are markets in basically every square, and everything is decorated to look like a Christmas tree or present.

With so many Christmas markets to choose from, there’s something to suit everyone. We visited the market outside the Rathaus (Town Hall) which was so packed you could hardly move – but it was loads of fun. We also popped into a number of smaller markets where the crowds were thinner and you could take your time looking at everything.

Plus, there’s cake. What could be more Christmassy than endless Sacher-Torte?

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Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is, unequivocally, one of my favourite cities in Europe.

Add Christmas markets to the mix and you practically get perfection!

As in Vienna, there are loads of different Christmas markets – of various sizes and styles – to choose from, so you could (and should) spend your whole trip checking out what each has to offer.

The food at Budapest’s Christmas markets is the highlight. You can try unusual delicacies like pork knuckle, or just stick to sweet treats like funnel cake. All washed down with a mug of mulled wine, of course.

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Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn is nothing short of a fairytale.

I fell in love with this Estonian town when I visited for a weekend in 2012, and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since. The Old Town, still surrounded by its original walls, is all cobbled stones and narrow alleys, which at Christmas are adorned with festive lights.

The town square, also home to a Gothic Town Hall, hosts a picturesque Christmas market each year. And if that’s not enough shopping for you, there are wool markets built into the stone walls around the city.

It helped that it was snowing when we visited, so the whole experience was totally magical, but I can’t recommend Tallinn for Christmas markets highly enough!

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