Top Christmas markets and festive destinations
Top Christmas markets and festive destinations
Traditional holiday markets and festive towns
The European Christmas market tradition has spread well beyond its origins, but the destinations that do it best still combine centuries of history with the scale to make a single market a destination in itself: mulled wine, wooden stalls and a town square transformed for several weeks each winter.
The destinations on this list range from medieval market towns with traditions going back hundreds of years to larger cities running multiple markets simultaneously across different neighbourhoods. Some are intimate and easily covered in an evening. Others need a full day or more. Many towns also hold a special opening ceremony on the first evening, which is worth timing a visit around if possible.
Weekday evenings tend to offer the best balance of atmosphere and manageable crowds, while the final weekends before Christmas are usually busiest.
Lists by region
City in United States
New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
The Rockefeller Center tree stands 70 feet tall and shines with tens of thousands of lights. The tree stands above the ice rink and golden statue. Bryant Park Winter Village has a free ice rink and dozens of small shops. Radio City hosts the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes.
City in United States
Chicago
Skyline, Deep-Dish and Jazz Nights
Christkindlmarket has filled Daley Plaza with German style stalls each winter since 1996. Visitors can eat bratwurst and drink mulled wine from a boot shaped mug. The Walnut Room holds the Great Tree, a tradition since 1907. Lincoln Park Zoo lights up with millions of lights.
City in France
Paris
The city of love, art and history
Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann puts a huge tree under its stained glass dome. Animated store windows on the boulevard show moving scenes for children. The Champs-Elysees market stretches along the avenue with chalets and lights. Visitors can eat roasted chestnuts and warm crepes in the cold.
State/Prefecture in China
Hong Kong
Where East Meets West
Winterfest lights up Victoria Harbour with a giant Christmas tree and displays. Skyscrapers in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui shine with coloured lights. Visitors can catch the Symphony of Lights show over the harbour each night. Disneyland offers a snowy village and holiday parade nearby.
City in United States
San Francisco
Iconic bridges, rolling hills and vibrant culture
Union Square has a giant Christmas tree and an outdoor ice rink. Macy's and nearby stores fill their windows with animated holiday scenes. Cable cars ring their bells and carry green wreaths up the hills. Great Dickens Christmas Fair, a costumed event, fills the Cow Palace each winter.
City in United States
Washington, D.C.
Capital of History and Culture
The National Christmas Tree is lit each December near the White House on the Ellipse. The tradition has run every year since 1923. Small trees for each state and territory stand in the Pathway of Peace. Visitors can shop at the Downtown Holiday Market on F Street.
City in Thailand
Bangkok
The city of contrasts and chaos
A giant tree and light show fill the front of CentralWorld in December. The mall becomes a meeting point for countdown crowds. Assumption Cathedral, a Romanesque church from 1910, holds Christmas Eve mass. Warm evenings let families walk along the Chao Phraya riverfront under strings of lights.
City in Netherlands
Amsterdam
Canals, culture and a vibrant spirit
The Amsterdam Light Festival fills the canals with glowing art from late November to January. Small boats carry visitors past bridges and houses lit by artists. Warm oliebollen, deep fried dough balls dusted with sugar, are sold on street corners. Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat in mid November with a parade.
Country
Singapore
Tropical city-state of hawker food and gardens
Orchard Road has held a Christmas light up since 1984. Displays run along the shopping street from mid November to early January. Warm evenings mean visitors can stroll outside in shirt sleeves. Gardens by the Bay adds a Christmas Wonderland with a huge glowing tree.
City in United States
Nashville
Music, hot chicken and honky tonks
Gaylord Opryland Resort's Country Christmas fills its huge indoor gardens with millions of lights. Visitors can ride a boat along an indoor river beneath glowing lights. The Ryman Auditorium hosts Christmas at the Ryman concerts with country stars. Musicians play carols in honky tonk bars along Broadway.
City in Australia
Sydney
Where urban life meets stunning beaches
Christmas falls in high summer with beach days and long light evenings. Many families eat cold prawns and pavlova, a meringue dessert with fruit. Martin Place shines with a huge tree and free carol concerts. The Harbour Bridge glows over the water and the ferry lights at night.
City in Japan
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
Millions of Japanese families order KFC chicken for Christmas after a 1974 campaign. Restaurants take orders weeks ahead and stores sell strawberry shortcakes. The Marunouchi avenue of ginkgo trees sparkles with thousands of gold lights. Roppongi Hills has a light show and a small Christmas market.
City in Poland
Kraków
Timeless Charm and Rich History
In early December makers gather at the Adam Mickiewicz monument in Main Square to show szopki. A szopka is a nativity scene built like a tiny Krakow church or castle. UNESCO added the tradition to its heritage list in 2018. Christmas market stalls sell smoked cheese and hot mulled wine.
City in South Korea
Seoul
Where Tradition Meets High-Tech Marvels
An outdoor ice rink opens in Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall each winter. Christmas is a public holiday and popular date night in Korea. Streets in Myeongdong shine with lights and decorated shopfronts all month. Couples often share strawberry cream cakes on 24 December.
City in Denmark
Copenhagen
Scandi-cool vibes and world-class food
Tivoli Gardens opens its Christmas market in mid November with glowing trees. Lights hang on the trees and around the old wooden rides. Visitors can eat aebleskiver, fluffy round pancakes, with sugar and jam. Nyhavn harbour also has a market of red stalls beside painted houses.
City in Australia
Melbourne
The heart of culture and coffee
Myer Christmas Windows on Bourke Street have delighted families since 1956. Animated storybook scenes fill the shop windows each summer holiday season. Carols by Candlelight, a huge singalong at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, dates to 1938. Crowds bring picnic blankets and small candles to the lawn.
City in Canada
Montreal
A city of festivals, food and culture
Notre-Dame Basilica hosts Christmas concerts beneath a starry blue and gold ceiling. Thousands of candles and lights glow from the altar and carved wood. Old Montreal has skating rinks and a small market near Place Jacques-Cartier. An underground city links malls and metro stops for warm winter walks.
City in Canada
Vancouver
Where mountains, ocean and city life meet
The Vancouver Christmas Market fills Jack Poole Plaza with German style huts. A giant tree and carousel stand beside the harbour and floating sails of Canada Place. Bright Nights in Stanley Park has a miniature train through a lit forest. Visitors can eat bratwurst and drink mulled wine.
City in Argentina
Buenos Aires
Where Tango and Culture Thrive
Families gather on 24 December for a late dinner called Nochebuena in the summer heat. They eat vitel tone, thin sliced veal in a tuna sauce. At midnight fireworks light the sky and cider glasses clink. Balconies and parks fill with people watching the show.
City in Italy
Milan
Fashion, Art and Historic Splendor
Oh Bej Oh Bej, the market at the foot of Castello Sforzesco, runs each December. It starts on 7 December, the feast day of Saint Ambrose. That same evening La Scala opens its opera season with a gala. Stalls sell roasted chestnuts and panettone, the tall domed Christmas cake.
City in Germany
Munich
Bavarian Tradition Meets Modern Flair
The Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz has roots that go back to the 1300s. A tall tree stands before the neo Gothic town hall and its glockenspiel. Visitors can eat roasted almonds and drink gluehwein, hot spiced wine. Stalls sell hand carved nativity figures and old fashioned wooden toys.
City in Belgium
Bruges
Medieval Charm and Chocolate Bliss
The Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival fills a hall with carved ice each winter. Artists carve huge scenes and characters from blocks of ice. Markets at the Markt and Simon Stevinplein sell hot chocolate and waffles. An ice rink under the Belfry adds to the scene.
City in China
Shanghai
A dazzling mix of modernity and tradition
Nanjing Road, a long shopping street, glows with lights and decorated shops each December. Crowds stroll the pedestrian section after dark and take photos under the trees. Xintiandi has stone gate houses and open air cafes with holiday lights. Shanghai Disney Resort adds a winter show and festive parade.
City in Austria
Vienna
A Symphony of Culture and Elegance
Advent markets have been recorded in Vienna since a December fair in 1298. Today Rathausplatz fills with a large market and trees lit in the square. Visitors can skate on the Rathaus rink and eat roasted chestnuts. Schonbrunn Palace hosts another market in its baroque courtyard.
City in United Kingdom
York
Medieval Streets, Viking History and Grand Cathedrals
The Shambles is a narrow medieval lane of leaning timber framed houses. Its upper floors lean over the street and almost touch above. St Nicholas Fair fills the city centre with stalls and lights near the Minster. Visitors can sip mulled wine and warm up in tea rooms after dark.
City in Germany
Hamburg
A Port City with Endless Charm
The Rathausmarkt market fills the square in front of the neo Renaissance town hall. A giant tree lights up the front of the town hall each Advent. Feuerzangenbowle, a hot punch poured over a flaming sugar loaf, is a local treat. Santa Pauli, a market for adults, opens near the Reeperbahn.
City in Egypt
Cairo
Where ancient history meets bustling life
Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January after a 43 day fast. Saint Mark's Cathedral in Abbassia hosts the main midnight mass. Old Cairo has the Hanging Church, built above a Roman fortress gate. Churches glow with candles and hymns sung in the Coptic language.
City in France
Lyon
A Culinary and Cultural Gem
Each 8 December residents place candles in their windows for the Festival of Lights. The tradition began in 1643 when townspeople asked the Virgin Mary to spare Lyon from plague. Artists also project light shows on buildings and bridges across the city. Visitors can taste praline brioche, a sweet pink bread, at local bakeries.
City in Italy
Rome
The Eternal City of history and charm
Piazza Navona fills with toy stalls and sweets for the Epiphany market. La Befana, a kind witch, brings candy to children on 6 January. St Peter's Square displays a large nativity scene and a tall tree. Midnight mass is celebrated at the Vatican on Christmas Eve.
City in Germany
Cologne
Where history meets a vibrant lifestyle
Twin spires of Cologne Cathedral rise above the Domplatz Christmas market. A huge tree covered in lights stands in the middle of the square. The Angel Market on Neumarkt fills with candles and hand blown glass. Visitors can buy roasted almonds and warm gingerbread hearts.
City in Czech Republic
Prague
A fairy-tale city with rich history
Live carp are sold from tubs in the streets before Christmas Eve. Czech families fry the fish and eat it with potato salad on 24 December. Old Town Square has a tall tree and rows of small huts. Visitors can eat trdelnik, a sweet rolled pastry, near Wenceslas Square.
City in Hungary
Budapest
A stunning mix of history and nightlife
St Stephen's Basilica hosts the Advent Feast with a light show on its front. Chimney cakes, called kurtoskalacs, roast over coals and are rolled in sugar. Vorosmarty Square has rows of stalls with folk crafts and embroidery. Hot mulled wine and langos fried bread warm visitors on cold evenings.
City in Germany
Frankfurt am Main
Skylines, history and cider culture
A giant Christmas tree rises above Romerberg square in front of the old town hall. The market has been held on this square for centuries. Visitors can eat Bethmaennchen, small marzipan balls with almonds on top. Stalls also sell hot apple wine, grilled sausages and roasted nuts.
City in Sweden
Stockholm
Where islands, history and modernity meet
Stortorget, the old square in Gamla Stan, hosts a Christmas market with red huts. Vendors sell saffron buns, gingerbread and glogg, a hot spiced wine. Skansen, an open air museum, adds a bigger market on December weekends. On 13 December girls in white robes and candle crowns walk in Lucia parades.
City in Switzerland
Zurich
A city of lakes, luxury and history
A Christmas tree covered with Swarovski crystals hangs in the main train station. The tree glitters with thousands of crystals over the hall. The Singing Christmas Tree on Werdmuhleplatz has choirs on a tree shaped stage. Visitors can taste Lebkuchen and hot chocolate at the station market.
City in Canada
Quebec City
Old World Charm in North America
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac towers above the Old Quebec Christmas market. Wooden stalls sell maple taffy, hot syrup poured over fresh snow. The lanes of the walled old town glow with lights in the early dark. Visitors can ride a toboggan down a snowy slope beside the castle.
City in United Kingdom
Birmingham
A vibrant blend of history and modernity
The Frankfurt Christmas Market here is among the largest German style markets outside Germany and Austria. It fills Victoria Square and New Street with many wooden chalets. Bratwurst, pretzels and mulled wine are sold beside the Council House. The market has run each winter since 1997.
City in United Kingdom
Edinburgh
History, Culture and Festival Fever
Princes Street Gardens fills with a Big Wheel, a carousel and wooden stalls. The Scott Monument and the castle rise in the background. Visitors can skate on an ice rink and eat roasted chestnuts. Hogmanay parties on 31 December fill the streets with music and fireworks.
City in Finland
Helsinki
Nordic charm by the Baltic Sea
Tuomaan Markkinat, the St Thomas Market, fills Senate Square with wooden huts each December. The white cathedral rises behind the stalls and a large tree. Visitors can eat Finnish gingerbread and sip glogi, a warm spiced berry drink. Reindeer skin rugs and wool mittens are popular gifts.
City in South Africa
Johannesburg
Vibrant city life meets rich history
A large Christmas tree and lights fill Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. A tall statue of Nelson Mandela stands in the middle of the square. Visitors can eat at outdoor restaurants in the warm summer evening air. Choirs sing carols in the open square on many evenings.
City in Germany
Nuremberg
Medieval Charm Meets Living History
A girl dressed as the Christkind opens the market from the Frauenkirche balcony. She wears golden curls and a gold crown while she reads a prologue. Stalls sell soft Lebkuchen gingerbread and Zwetschgenmaennle, figures made of prunes. Visitors drink hot spiced wine from souvenir mugs each year.
City in France
Colmar
A Fairytale Town in Alsace
Bredele, small Alsatian Christmas biscuits, fill the bakery windows in December. Bakers cut them in shapes such as stars, hearts and little bells. Markets at Place des Dominicains and Place de l'Ancienne Douane sell them warm. Half timbered houses along the canals glow with lights and garlands.
City in Germany
Leipzig
Creative energy meets rich history
Bach's Christmas Oratorio premiered at St Thomas Church in December 1734. Concerts of the piece still fill Leipzig's churches each Advent. The market around the old town hall dates to 1458. Visitors can ride a Ferris wheel and eat Leipziger Lerche, a nut filled pastry.
City in Germany
Freiburg im Breisgau
Sunniest City, Black Forest Gateway, Green Vibes
Christmas stalls fill Munsterplatz square in Freiburg beside the tall cathedral spire. The open work sandstone spire rises about 116 metres. Visitors can taste Black Forest ham and warm spiced wine at small huts. Stalls also sell wooden toys and cuckoo clocks while old gates frame the cobbled lanes.
City in Morocco
Marrakech
A vibrant maze of colors and spices
Jemaa el Fnaa square fills each evening with food stalls and storytellers. December days are mild at about 18 degrees Celsius with clear blue skies. Riads and hotels serve special Christmas dinners with tagine and roast lamb. Souk stalls sell brass lanterns, ceramics and rugs that make unusual gifts.
City in Austria
Salzburg
Baroque Beauty and Musical Magic
Silent Night was first performed in 1818 at a church in nearby Oberndorf. Priest Joseph Mohr wrote the words while Franz Gruber composed the music. The Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz has been held since about 1491. Stalls sell gingerbread and handmade candles beneath the hilltop fortress.
City in France
Strasbourg
Where France Meets Germany in Style
A giant tree stands in Place Kleber and lights up the city centre. The city has hosted a Christmas market since 1570 in front of the cathedral. The city calls itself the Capital of Christmas. Visitors can taste bredele cookies and vin chaud under the tall red spire.
City in Italy
Turin
Baroque Grandeur, Chocolate and Alps
Luci d'Artista turns the city streets into a gallery of light art. Artists design glowing pieces that hang over avenues and squares. The show has run since 1998 from November to January. Visitors can walk under the lights and sip a hot bicerin, a chocolate coffee drink.
City in India
Bangalore
India’s Green and Tech Capital
Brigade Road and Commercial Street glow with lights and stalls each December. St Patrick's Church on Brigade Road holds a packed midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Bakeries sell rich plum cakes, made with fruit soaked in rum. Carol singers walk through neighbourhoods with guitars and drums.
City in South Africa
Cape Town
Mountains, Beaches and a Vibrant Culture
Christmas falls in high summer with long sunny days and warm evenings. Many families hold a braai, a South African barbecue, on the beach. Kirstenbosch Gardens hosts outdoor concerts on the lawn under the mountain. Adderley Street shops hang lights in the city centre each December.
City in Brazil
Gramado
Brazil’s Alpine Escape in the South
Natal Luz brings a parade, light shows and a giant tree to this Brazilian town. The festival began in 1986 and runs for about three months. Dancers and performers move through the streets on colourful floats. Cool mountain evenings, fondue and hot chocolate suit the season well.
City in Chile
Santiago
A vibrant city between mountains
Chileans eat pan de pascua, a fruit cake with candied fruit and nuts. They drink cola de mono, a mix of coffee, milk and spirit. Summer heat means Christmas Eve dinners often happen outdoors in gardens. Plaza de Armas has a big tree and nativity scene.
City in Poland
Warsaw
Where history meets modern vibrance
Poles eat a Christmas Eve dinner called Wigilia with twelve meatless dishes. Families leave an empty seat at the table for a guest. Old Town Square has a market with wooden huts and a large tree. The Royal Castle glows with lights after dark on winter evenings.
City in Kenya
Nairobi
Where urban life meets wild adventures
Many Nairobi families travel upcountry to their home villages for Christmas week. Nyama choma, roasted goat or beef, is grilled outdoors with kachumbari salad. Carol services fill churches such as All Saints Cathedral near Uhuru Park. Malls hang lights and big trees across the city centre.
City in New Zealand
Auckland
Where Urban Life Meets Nature
Red pohutukawa flowers bloom along the coast in December and are called the New Zealand Christmas tree. Summer weather brings beach picnics and barbecues on Christmas Day. The Santa Parade marches down Queen Street each late November. Families watch from the pavements in sun hats and shorts.
City in Colombia
Bogotá
Vibrant Culture in the Andean Highlands
Every 7 December families light candles on pavements for the Day of the Little Candles. Lantern glow covers streets and balconies across the city. Novena prayers begin on 16 December and run until Christmas Eve. Families eat natilla, a soft custard, with bunuelos, fried cheese balls.
City in New Zealand
Christchurch
The Garden City of Adventure
Christmas in the Park draws crowds to Hagley Park for a free evening concert. Families spread picnic blankets on the grass under warm summer skies. The Avon River winds through the park with punts and ducks. Sunny days and long evenings make it easy to celebrate outdoors.
City in Germany
Dresden
A Baroque Beauty with a Modern Soul
The Striezelmarkt in Dresden dates to 1434, making it one of the oldest German Christmas markets. Each December a giant stollen weighing several tons is paraded through the city. Bakers cut it into slices sold to raise money. Prune figures called Pflaumentoffel stand on many stalls.
City in United Kingdom
Manchester
Music, Football and Urban Cool
Albert Square in front of the Gothic town hall hosts a German style market. Stalls also spread across the city centre at sites such as Exchange Square. Visitors can eat bratwurst and sip mulled wine near the Christmas lights. Trams stop close to the main market site.
City in United States
Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Ancient adobe charm meets artistic soul
Farolitos, small paper bags with candles inside, line Canyon Road each Christmas Eve. Thousands of visitors walk the road and sing carols by the light. Small bonfires and hot cider warm the crowd along the way. Adobe galleries and courtyards along the street glow with warm candlelight.
City in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo
Where East meets West in the Balkans
Orthodox Christians in this city celebrate Christmas on 7 January and Catholics on 25 December. Both dates bring lights, family meals and crowded church services. Bascarsija, the old bazaar, has stalls selling copper ware and warm pastries. Snow often dusts the surrounding hills and minarets in December.
City in Belgium
Ghent
Medieval Canals, Art and Hip Vibes
Sint Baafsplein fills with a Christmas market in front of the cathedral. The cathedral holds the Ghent Altarpiece, a famous painting finished in 1432. Visitors can eat cuberdons, purple cone shaped candies, sold at many stalls. Nearby canals reflect the lit guildhouses along the quays in the evening.
City in Germany
Lübeck
Brick Gothic Majesty by the Baltic
The Niederegger shop has sold marzipan in this town since 1806. Its cafe serves marzipan cakes and hot chocolate near the town hall. The red brick Holstentor gate guards the old town, a UNESCO site. Christmas stalls sell marzipan figures and hand blown glass ornaments.
City in United Kingdom
Bath
Historic Charm and Natural Hot Springs
Wooden chalets crowd the streets around Bath Abbey from late November to mid December. Roman Baths and honey coloured Georgian terraces make the backdrop. Visitors can sip mulled cider and browse crafts by local makers. Strings of lights hang across the streets above the stalls and singers.
City in Austria
Innsbruck
Alpine Peaks and Imperial Streets
The Golden Roof, built around 1500, shines above the old town Christmas market. Its roof is covered with 2,657 gilded copper tiles. Stalls sell carved wooden figures and hot fruit punch beneath snowy mountains. A cable car climbs the Nordkette peaks directly behind the rooftops.
City in Estonia
Tallinn
Medieval charm meets modern innovation
Blood sausage, sauerkraut and gingerbread are the classic Estonian Christmas foods. Stalls on Town Hall Square serve them beside hot mulled wine. A tall tree lights up the medieval Town Hall Square beside old guild houses. Visitors can buy hand knitted wool mittens and handmade candles as gifts.
City in Germany
Heidelberg
Romantic Charm by the Neckar River
A ruined red sandstone castle looks down on the Christmas stalls of the old town. Stalls line Marktplatz and Universitatsplatz squares with wooden huts and lights. Visitors can skate on an ice rink at Karlsplatz. Mulled wine and baked apples warm the crowds in the narrow streets.
Town in Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Step Into a Living Fairytale
The Reiterlesmarkt, named for a small rider figure, fills the old market square. Schneeballen, crisp pastry balls dusted with sugar, are a local Christmas treat. Visitors can join a night watchman tour through the dark lanes at dusk. Half timbered houses glow beneath lit garlands and snow on the roofs.
City in Germany
Aachen
Charlemagne’s Spa City at Three Borders
Charlemagne's cathedral, a UNESCO site, rises above the Christmas market in the old town. Wooden stalls fill the streets around it and the historic town hall. Visitors can buy Aachener Printen, a hard spiced gingerbread, in gift tins. The smell of mulled wine and roasted almonds drifts across the cobblestones.
City in Switzerland
Basel
Art, history and Rhine views
Two Christmas markets fill Barfusserplatz and Munsterplatz squares with wooden stalls and lights. The Munsterplatz market sits beside the red sandstone cathedral above the Rhine. Visitors can taste hot chestnuts and Basler Laeckerli, a spiced honey biscuit. Many stalls sell beeswax candles and handmade wooden toys.
City in Slovakia
Bratislava
Danube Views and Old Town Charm
Kapustnica, a sauerkraut soup with sausage, is a Slovak Christmas Eve dish. Stalls in the old town serve it beside mulled wine and honey cakes. Christmas markets fill Main Square in front of the old town hall. Small wooden huts sell crafts and handmade candles.
Country
Luxembourg
Ancient fortresses meet modern culture
Winterlights turns the capital of Luxembourg into a festival of markets and lit trees. Wooden stalls fill Place d'Armes and Place de la Constitution with lights. Visitors can taste Gromperekichelcher, fried potato cakes served with apple sauce. The old fortress walls and deep valleys make dramatic views.
City in Latvia
Riga
Art Nouveau, Old Town, Baltic Soul
A plaque in Town Hall Square marks a decorated tree from the year 1510. Latvians take great pride in this early Christmas tree tradition. Market stalls sell grey peas with bacon, a Latvian Christmas dish. Visitors can wander to the ornate House of the Blackheads next door.
Town in United States
Leavenworth
Charming riverfront town with vibrant fall colors
A Bavarian style village lights up with thousands of tiny lights at the Christmas Lighting Festival. Visitors watch carollers and choirs perform in the town square each weekend. The Nutcracker Museum has thousands of carved nutcracker figures on display. Sleigh rides pass snow covered fields near the river.
City in Lebanon
Beirut
The Paris of the Middle East
A giant Christmas tree and thousands of lights fill downtown Beirut every December. The Beirut Souks glow with lights and decorated shopfronts. Families of many faiths join the festive crowds in the pedestrian streets. Midnight mass is held in churches across the city on Christmas Eve.
City in Austria
Graz
Courtyards, Culinary Delights, Creative Vibes
Advent stalls fill Hauptplatz square in front of the town hall. Krampus runs, where costumed figures with horns chase crowds, happen in early December. The Uhrturm, a clock tower on Schlossberg hill, looks over the old town. Visitors can sip Punsch, a hot fruit drink, in the market huts.
City in Switzerland
Bern
Medieval charm on the Aare
Arcaded streets in the UNESCO listed old town lead to markets at Waisenhausplatz and Munsterplatz. The Gothic cathedral tower looms above the stalls at Munsterplatz. Visitors can taste raclette, melted cheese scraped over potatoes and pickles. Old arcades protect shoppers along the covered lanes if it snows.
City in United Kingdom
Canterbury
Cathedrals, Cobblestones and River Tales
A stone cathedral, where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170, dominates the old city. Candlelit carol services fill the nave with music each December. A Christmas market sets up wooden stalls on the streets nearby. Visitors can shop for handmade gifts and sip warm mulled wine.
City in Slovenia
Ljubljana
A charming green city with soul
Festive December lights the Old Town with lanterns and small huts along the river. The market runs beside the Ljubljanica River and its bridges. Visitors can eat roasted chestnuts and drink hot mulled wine from paper cups. Ice skaters circle a rink beneath the castle on the hill.
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