Europe’s Best Christmas Markets – and Holiday Destinations, Too

The Christmas holidays can be a really stressful time of year, especially if those family members you actually cannot abide descend on your house. But here’s a revolutionary idea: Pack your bags and leave that stress behind.

Make a plan to celebrate the Advent season, Christmas Eve and Day, and even New Year’s Eve in a faraway place where everyone is having a grand old time, despite snowy weather and chilly temperatures.

So, dust off your passport, grab your parka, gloves, wool sweaters and snow-proof boots, and join us on an end-of-year holiday that centers around Christmas markets in picturesque places (mostly in Europe, where those markets originated). That’s where you can buy unique gifts for all those relatives – without actually having to be around them!

And for those that you actually do love reconnecting with during this happy holiday time, we suggest you bring them along to start a new and unforgettable holiday tradition.

Christmas markets in Europe date back hundreds of years, so it’s no surprise that they do them better than most places. Beginning with Advent season, which usually starts in late November and is marked by the four Sundays and the weeks in between that culminate with Christmas (often rolling past with a shift in goods on offer during the week after into New Year’s Day), Christmas markets also mark the arrival of winter, complete with snowy conditions to frame the scene.

Winter Wonderlands in Austria – and the Original Holiday Market?

Austrian cities do up Christmas in style, some with the added bonus of having skiing, sleigh rides, sledding and snowshoeing in the Alps nearby as well. These two are our favorites:

Snowy Salzburg, with its massive fortress overlooking the incredibly picturesque Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) that includes the Salzburg Cathedral, boasts the Christkindlmarket, an ancient Christmas market that began in the late 1400s and (with a small break) still held in Domplatz (Cathedral Square) and next-door Residenzplatz, while Vienna claims the oldest in Europe that reportedly happened in 1298. That’s a much-debated claim across the continent as other cities vie for that landmark designation.

But what really matters is today’s experience, which is why Salzburg’s historic market is so beloved, with nearly 100 traditional huts housing vendors that offer handmade gifts as well as culinary treats ranging from hot cocoa, roasted chestnuts, holiday candies and other delectable delights.

Plus, more than 90 choirs perform daily, and the musicians known as “tower blowers” play Christmas tunes on wind instruments from three of Salzburg’s venerable towers nearby. The whole thing is decorated with twinkling lights above that evoke a starry sky. Music lovers can follow in the footsteps of both Mozart (he was born there) and “The Sound of Music,” which was filmed here, for some non-Christmas fun and head up to the Fortress, where another Christmas market awaits with amazing views as a bonus.

Over in Innsbruck, there are seven different Christmas markets in that Austrian Alpine city of Olympics fame. They all share the commonality of serving mulled wine and Austrian cookies to shoppers and are filled with woolen treasures, Christmas ornaments and much more in their traditional hut stalls.

Visit the Old Town Christmas Market to enjoy its location amidst medieval buildings, and wander over to Kiebachgasse, the fairytale-like lane nearby filled with holiday decorations. Advent at the Market Square (Marketplatz) is Innsbruck’s market. Ideal for families with children, it’s centered around a 45-foot-high Swarovski crystal Christmas tree and offers puppet shows, story times and a classic carousel filled with carved wooden horses, carriages and even an elephant to ride. The event celebrates its 30th holiday season in 2024.

Very Old and Very Cool Christmas Markets in Picturesque Germany

Holiday markets are hugely popular all across Germany’s width and breadth – once Christianity took hold around 300 C.E., it became the dominant religion there and the events evolved throughout the nation.

To feel like you’ve gone back in time, begin in Dresden, where the Christmas Striezelmarkt has been a part of this beautiful Saxony city’s history since 1434. Celebrating 590 years of bringing joy to visitors in 2024, the many traditions of the market include riding a Ferris wheel, seeing the oversized Erzgebirge Pyramid (a version of the smaller, handcrafted wooden “pyramids” that families decorate with every Advent season), taking a spin onto the classic carousel and, of course, shopping until every gift is found.

Discover mulled beer paired with bratwurst, gobble up some roasted almonds and chestnuts, or for sugary delights go for cotton candy, gingerbread cookies and the market’s famous Christmas Stollen, a pastry to die for. And don’t miss the market’s famed plum potato, which comes complete with a top hat. Then simply wander the streets of Dresden and soak in the sights, for it is among the world’s most lovely cities.

Head southwest to the Black Forest near Switzerland to find the Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market (Ravennaschlucht Weihnachtsmarkt), where a cool, modern take on holiday markets awaits. Starting small in the 20th century and now a bustling spot held in the woods, the market is tucked underneath the massive Höllental railway viaduct near Freiberg. Illuminated in brilliant primary holiday colors and filled with striking visuals, the Ravennaschlucht has a unique spot for an Advent market, especially when the train rushes by overhead.

Like most European Christmas markets, Ravennaschlucht is created every year with decorated wooden stalls where artisans sell their hand-crafted wares, many of which reflect Black Forest traditions, including cuckoo clocks and wooden toys.

It’s also a perfect place to try some of the region’s culinary delights, from warm, chewy pretzels to a spicy Lange Rote (a long, fat sausage) or a classic Black Forest Ham sandwich – all go perfectly with some tangy local German mustard. Adventurous eaters can sample wild boar or other local game meats and wash them all down with locally brewed beer or a heady mulled wine.

Be sure to sample at least one slice of Black Forest Cherry Cake, made with Brandy-soaked local cherries, to top off this unique holiday evening in the forest.

Go North to Find a Christmas Tree Heaven and Santa Claus

Gothenburg, Sweden’s Liseberg Park Christmas Market remains tough to top. Liseberg is the city’s famed amusement park, opened in 1923, and is still one of the most popular spots in the city center.

Imagine a heavenly winter wonderland unfolding before your eyes inside the park’s gates with massively scaled decorations, over 700 completely done-up Christmas trees, sleighs, boats, snowmen, reindeer, igloos – you name it, it’s adorned with lights, balls, icicles and snow. There are 70 stalls stocked with everything from sheepskin slippers and mouth-blown ornaments to gingerbread molds and handmade leather goods.

All this and 40 amusement park rides running well into the evening, a glittery ice-skating rink, carolers and more. Prize booths are jammed with visitors as everyone wants to win the gigantic versions of classic candy brands, too. (Think a Toblerone the size of a five-year-old and you’ve got the idea.)

Plus, the food and drinks are glorious, with tastes of caviar, herring, reindeer, moose, cheeses, mini-pancakes, pastries and chocolates paired with hot mulled wine, steaming Valrhona hot chocolate and specialty coffees to keep you warm inside. But save room (and make a reservation) to experience Restaurant 1923 inside the park, where their massive traditional Swedish Christmas “Julbord” buffet lets you sample everything from 10 different pickled herrings to gravlax, lutfisk, meatballs, cinnamon buns and more.

For the ultimate holiday season trip with children, hop on a Finnair flight (via Helsinki) to Rovaniemi to meet Santa Claus at home. This quaint Finnish city located within the Arctic Circle is known as “The Official Hometown of Santa Claus” and is the place where the jolly red-clad gift-giver is always at home. In the Santa Claus Holiday Village, there is a year-round Christmas market filled with Finnish-made toys and gifts and a spot where your family can actually step into the Arctic Circle together. Restaurants serve up local delicacies like reindeer and seafood pulled from the pristine waters nearby, so dig in for a new culinary experience.

And plan to stay at least one night in one of the nearby Santa’s Igloos Arctic Circle and, if the skies are clear, stay up with the kids and watch the Northern Lights explode in the night sky for a truly stress-free Christmas adventure!

- Jenny Peters