Where to go in December 2026: Christmas markets in 18 cities
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Destinations•5 min read

Where to go in December 2026: Christmas markets in 18 cities

Published on 27/10/2026

December is the month of Christmas markets, but the dates change every year, and some pages you find online still give last year's. Here are 18 European cities from our dossiers with the dates of the 2026 edition, taken from the city council, the tourist board or the organiser, with the link next to each row.

Where the 2026 edition has not been announced yet we say so, and give last year's dates for reference: that is the case for Wrocław. The dates were checked between 22 and 27 October 2026.

The 2026 dates, city by city

The city name takes you to the dossier, with getting around, costs and what to see; the Source column takes you to the official page the dates come from.

CityWhat's onDatesGood to knowSource
ViennaChristmas markets, including Schönbrunn and RathausplatzSchönbrunn 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027; Rathausplatz 13 November to 26 DecemberOn the 24th Rathausplatz closes at 6:30pmwien.info, Rathausplatz · wien.info, Schönbrunn
SalzburgChristkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027On the 24th it closes at 3pm; on the 25th and 26th it opens 11am to 6pmSalzburg Info
MunichChristkindlmarkt on Marienplatz20 November to 24 December 2026On the 24th it opens only from 10am to 2pmChristkindlmarkt München
StrasbourgMarché de Noël, with the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie27 November to 24 December 2026The 2026 edition ends on 24 DecemberCity of Strasbourg
ZurichChristmas markets; the biggest is in the main station19 November to 23 or 24 December 2026, depending on the marketThe station one is indoors, with over 100 stallsZurich Tourism
InnsbruckOld town Christkindlmarkt, in front of the Golden Roof13 November to 23 December 2026Open daily from 11am to 9pmInnsbruck Christmas markets
PragueMarkets in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027The two main squares share the same datesCzechTourism
BerlinMarkets, including Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenburg Palace and the Rotes RathausFrom 23 November 2026; they close on 27 December (Charlottenburg), 31 December (Gendarmenmarkt) and 3 January (Rotes Rathaus)Each market has its own closing dateberlin.de
KrakówChristmas market on the Rynek Główny27 November 2026 to 6 January 2027Run by ARTIM, listed in the City's Kraków Card offerCity of Kraków, Kraków Card
WrocławMarket on the Rynek, Plac Solny and nearby streets2026 dates not yet published; in 2025 from 21 November to 7 JanuaryIn 2025 it was closed on 24 and 25 December and 1 JanuaryCity of Wrocław, 2025 edition
VilniusChristmas market and tree in Cathedral Square28 November to 27 December 2026The tree is lit on 28 NovemberGo Vilnius
TallinnChristmas market in Town Hall Square20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027Around the tree, in the old townVisit Tallinn
HelsinkiSt Thomas Christmas market in Senate Square27 November to 22 December 2026It ends before ChristmasMyHelsinki
LjubljanaFestive December: market, lights and concerts27 November 2026 to 14 January 2027Many free events; it ends with New Year's Eve in the squaresSlovenia.info
LondonWinter Wonderland in Hyde Park19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027Inside Hyde ParkThe Royal Parks
BolognaThe old Santa Lucia Fair6 November to 27 December 2026Under the Servi portico on Strada Maggiore, from about 9am to 8pmBologna Welcome
TurinLuci d'Artista23 October 2026 to 10 January 202731 light installations, four of them newCity of Turin
Funchal, MadeiraLights, a market and street events in Funchal1 December 2026 to 10 January 2027On 23 December, market night at the Mercado dos LavradoresVisit Madeira

On 24 December, watch the hours

On Christmas Eve many markets close early or do not open at all. In Munich the Christkindlmarkt opens only from 10am to 2pm on the 24th and that is its last day, as in Strasbourg. In Salzburg it closes at 3pm on the 24th, in Vienna the Rathausplatz market at 6:30pm. In Helsinki the St Thomas market already ends on the 22nd.

If you want markets after Christmas there is less choice, but not little: Schönbrunn in Vienna, Prague, Kraków and Tallinn stay open until 6 January, Ljubljana until the 14th.

If you want milder weather in December

Not everyone wants the cold. The dossiers for Lanzarote, Palermo, Syracuse and Genoa list December among the best times precisely for the mild weather; in Funchal there are also Christmas lights and events, until 10 January.

Dossiers mentioned in this article

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