Toast the Holidays at the World’s Most Magical Christmas Markets
So merry, so bright.
A good Christmas market has a few essentials — vendors selling homemade crafts, twinkling lights on the trees, and traditional music blaring through the speakers. However, a truly transformative Christmas market envelopes all the senses: think the warmth of steamy cups of hot chocolate, the scent of spiced mulled wine wafting through the air, and the vibrating bustle of bodies excited for the upcoming holiday season. Not to mention all the pastries; there are many, many pastries.
These winter wonderlands come in all shapes and sizes (and offer many flavors of mulled wine). From the bustling streets of New York and Hong Kong to the historic towns of Strasbourg and Gothenburg, the world’s best Christmas markets reflect the unique fabric of their cities and emphasize the local traditions that best highlight the magic of the holiday season. Grab a glühwein and don your favorite hand-made scarf, then take a trip to some of the most awe-inspiring holiday markets around the world.
Strasbourg, France
One of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik has been held annually in northeastern France since 1570; it now stretches over 300 stalls across the glittering, fully decked-out-for-the-holidays city. Skate underneath the market’s tree in Place Kléber, which is known for its imposing height (typically around 100 feet), and spend some time shopping at the stalls that sell everything from traditional Christmas treats (like tarte flambée or buttery bredele biscuits) to handmade crafts. Visitors to Paris can make it a day trip with the high-speed train that takes less than two hours.
Vienna, Austria
With Christmas markets housed all around Vienna, you’re spoiled for choice — but Vienna Christmas World at Rathausplatz is one of the most iconic options. Housed in a large square near Vienna’s city hall, the market is renowned for its 150 stalls that sell everything from souvenirs to delicious Viennese treats, including lebkuchen (gingerbread), kaiserschmarrn (sweet, fluffy, ripped-up pancakes), glühwein (mulled wine), and apfelstrudel. There’s also an abundance of children’s activities such as the carousel, reindeer train, and kids-only ice skating rink.
Toronto, Canada
Stroll the cobblestone streets, marvel at the towering Christmas tree with 70,000 twinkling lights, and shop at the more than 65 local stalls within Toronto’s Distillery District Winter Village. The annual holiday market runs through January 5 in the iconic post-industrial Toronto destination, which comes alive with live music, appearances by Santa, and all manner of holly jolly mirth. Sip winter warmers at the on-site bars (this is the Distillery District, after all) and eat at a range of food cabins serving festive fare like crepes, raclette, churros, and frites.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Located in central Copenhagen since 1843, Tivoli Gardens is the world’s third-oldest amusement park, and when Christmastime hits, one of the city’s most beloved attractions turns up the hygge as it transforms into a full-scale Danish Christmas market. Filled with glittering decorations, the park lights up the long Scandinavian nights with more than 1,000 glowing Christmas trees and 70,000-plus baubles. Pose for a photo with Julemanden (also known as Father Christmas), witness a spectacular light show, and get a front-row seat to one of the park’s holiday-themed plays and ballets — and yes, the park’s many rides are open for the occasion, too. Roughly 60 food and gift stalls serve up Danish holiday eats like gingerbread hearts and spherical æbleskiver pancakes. The market runs through January 5.
Hong Kong
Every winter, Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District helps light up the city’s already-vibrant night sky during Hong Kong WinterFest. And when we say “light up,” we’re not just talking about the gorgeous Christmas tree at the center of the festivities. Every evening, the Symphony of Lights illuminates Victoria Harbor, making the view even more dramatic — especially on nights that also include a concussive fireworks and pyrotechnic display. The festival includes a series of holiday-themed lodges where you meet Santa, take in a concert, and browse bazaars and workshops at Christmas Town, which is open through January 1, 2025. Don’t miss the spectacular New Year’s Eve show.
New York, New York
The Winter Village in Bryant Park is an iconic New York holiday experience: Housed beneath the glittering city skyline, the Urbanspace-curated market features artisans from New York City and around the world. A 17,000-square foot ice skating rink acts as the centerpiece of the village, offering free skating with a reservation (and paid skate rentals if needed), plus skating performances. You can grab some comfort food and cocktails at the rink-side lodge, inside private igloos, or at one of the many different vendors onsite at the European market-inspired series of kiosks. The winter market runs from late October to early January, but the rink and lodge are open until early March.
Solvang, California
Held in the “Danish Capital of America,” Julefest turns Solvang into a Christmas escape. Julefast runs from November 28 through January 4 with events like a tree lighting ceremony, Christmas light trolley tours, a parade complete with horses and marching bands, and nightly music and light shows. In addition to vibrant parades and festive carolers, the event’s open-air Marker’s Market each Saturday in December features handmade arts and crafts.
Gothenburg, Sweden
Like its better-known neighbor, Copenhagen, western Sweden’s oft-underestimated second city boasts a massive, 100-year-old amusement park at its center. And like Tivoli Gardens, Liseberg goes big by transforming its traditional Main Street Sweden facade into a sprawling Christmas market through January 5. You’ll find sausages roasting over the fire and a sea of cottage-like booths selling handmade crafts, chocolates, mulled wine (glögg), cheese, and more. Many of the rides remain open, while the massive Tomtehuset — Santa’s house — is an elaborate holiday fantasia complete with Christmas tree maze, animatronics, and a visit with the big man that’s just as enthralling for adults. Even better, Liseberg’s centralized location makes it an easy walk/tram ride from the city’s historic Haga neighborhood, which itself transforms into an old-school Christmas market throughout the season. Just watch out for all the goats.
Brussels Winter Wonders & Christmas Market
Brussels, Belgium
In a country with no shortage of Christmas events, Brussels’s Winter Wonders event — running November 26 to January 5 — is Belgium’s largest and most impressive: It features more than 200 different chalets selling everything from trappist beers, waffles, and glühwein to handmade ornaments and trinkets. Spread across the city center, the massive market has an ice skating rink, Ferris wheel, and 66-foot-tall Christmas tree covered in more than a mile of lights. There’s even an immersive audio and visual show at Grand-Place that runs multiple times every evening.
Nuremberg, Germany
Dubbed the Christmas market capital of the world, Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is perhaps the most famous — and longest-running, dating to 1628 — Christmas market in all of Germany. Onsite, you’ll find a mini-village of stalls selling one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts as the smell of sausage, mulled wine, and burning wood hovers wafts through the air. If you’re looking to venture beyond one of the most beautiful cities in Bavaria, it’s easy to hop on a short train ride to Munich or Frankfurt to experience some other markets, too. Just don’t leave without trying the regionally specific lebkuchen cookies and Nuremberg sausage — packed three to a bun — that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
Munich
With traditions deeply rooted in Bavarian culture, Catholic heritage, and Alpine folklore, Munich becomes extra special around the holiday. While the city has a variety of Christmas markets, the most iconic is Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz. The experience features over 100 artisan stalls selling everything from handmade candles to Bavarian ornaments, plus a 100-foot-tall Christmas tree that’s adorned with more than 3,000 twinkling lights.
Monte Carlo, Monaco
For a sunnier Christmas market experience, Monaco’s festive seaside wonderland is worth a trip. From late November through early January, the capital transforms its waterfront into a winter hotspot Christmas Village, complete with Alpine chalets, artisanal boutiques, and twinkling lights as far as the eye can see. The sparkling Mediterranean Sea provides the backdrop for the entire experience, which effortlessly blends the spirit of the holiday with the magic of the French Riviera.