From Candles to Kimchi: Europe’s 8 Best Artisan Christmas Markets

Discover Europe's eight best artisan Christmas markets, offering a range of festive delights from handcrafted candles to unique treats like kimchi. These markets showcase local crafts, festive foods, and seasonal decorations, providing an authentic holiday experience. Perfect for holiday shoppers seeking one-of-a-kind gifts and a charming atmosphere to kick off the festive season across Europe's most enchanting cities.

Europe’s top Christmas markets highlight artisans, from candlemakers in Helsinki to jewelry designers in Košice. Catherine Roberts writes for the travel company Responsible Travel. Support small businesses this Christmas by visiting European markets that showcase passionate artisans and producers.

By visiting, you can indulge in delicious treats, discover unique gifts and souvenirs, and enjoy a warm, festive atmosphere, complete with a cup or two of mulled beverages! Find thoughtful gifts at the Helsinki Christmas market in Finland. The Helsinki Christmas Market turns the cold winter temperatures into an inviting experience in Senate Square.

More than 100 local vendors offer products such as knitted socks, hand-painted candles, and silver jewelry inspired by Finland's winter beauty. Savor delightful dishes, including banh mi and caramel rice porridge from N4ku, traditional Finnish “Karelian pies,” smoked fish, and spruce-spiced ‘glögi’ - a Nordic mulled drink.

A carousel brightens the heart of the market, which, like the rest of the stalls, is powered by renewable energy. There’s also an effort to reduce waste, as surplus goods can be donated to the Helsinki food charity HurstinApu. When and how: From 29 November to 22 December 2024. For a full experience, travel by train or fly to Helsinki and include Rovaniemi’s markets and a visit to Santa Claus.

Savor a feast of flavors at the Old Town Christmas market in Latvia. Riga’s Dome Square sets a picturesque scene for the Old Town Christmas Market. Craftspeople sell beeswax candles and wool gloves from charming wooden huts, while chefs serve up classic Latvian dishes like piragi bacon buns, sauerkraut, and smoked hot dogs.

Enjoy a cone of freshly caramelized hazelnuts as you take in the festive atmosphere. Additionally, the Kalnciema Quarter market takes place every Saturday during Advent, where farmers, designers, and artists offer everything from kimchi to painted bowls and bottles of the famous Riga Black Balsam liqueur.

When and how: The Old Town market runs from 29 November 2024 to 2 January 2025, and the Kalnciema Quarter market is open Saturdays from 30 November to 28 December.

Riga is easily accessible by rail or air, including a four-hour, 20-minute train ride to Vilnius. Discover handmade treasures at Lithuania's Vilnius Christmas market. The Christmas tree in Vilnius’ Cathedral Square changes its theme every year, with past designs including chess and fairytales, and a cake-inspired theme for the city’s 700th anniversary.

Spot the tree, and you’ve found the heart of the market, a great spot for finding unique, handmade Christmas gifts. For a special treat, visit the Christmas Design Square from 18-22 December, where talented Lithuanian designers showcase their stylish creations.

When and how: The Vilnius Christmas Festival runs from 29 November to 29 December 2024, with excellent train connections to Kaunas and the Baltic coast. Warm up with winter delights at Schönbrunn Palace Christmas market in Austria. Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market has been revamped for 2024 but retains its charming village feel.

This year, stalls spread across the palace grounds, complemented by activities like curling, an ice rink, a mini train, a Ferris wheel, and a children’s craft area. Indulge in Austrian mountain dishes such as ‘gröstl’ (bubble and squeak), ‘spätzle’ (egg noodles), and the Alpine classic, melted cheese raclette.

You can also find handmade gifts, from ceramic bells to wooden toys and Nativity sets. The market raises funds for Licht ins Dunkel, supporting inclusive social projects in Austria. When and how: Open now, until 6 January 2025. Stay at magdas HOTEL, a socially responsible hotel employing staff from refugee backgrounds.

Enjoy a magical Christmas in Košice, Slovakia. If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, Slovakia’s Košice often provides the perfect snowy backdrop for a festive market. Enjoy a glass of ‘medovina,’ a sweet honey mead, as you browse through wooden huts lining the high street.

For a special experience, visit the MAME market on 6-7 December at the Tabačka Kulturfabrik cultural centre, where you’ll find unique design items by illustrators, jewelers, graphic designers, and chocolatiers. When and how: The market is open from 1 to 31 December 2024. You can reach Košice or Poprad by train or plane. Tatra Escapes offers guided and self-guided holidays, providing plenty of time for shopping and even watching ice sculptors at work.

Head to Brasov's Christmas market in Romania for gingerbread and more. Romania’s Christmas markets are a relatively new tradition, with the first one organized in 2007 in Sibiu. While Bucharest hosts the largest market, Brasov, located in Transylvania at the foot of the Carpathians, may just have the most picturesque setting. The Brasov Christmas Market, set in Council Square and surrounded by medieval Saxon buildings and the gothic Black Church, offers a range of treats, including tree decorations, wood carvings, orange and cinnamon tea, baked apples, caramelized almonds, and ‘baumstriezel’ pastry spirals. The highlight? Over a million lights, including a display that transforms City Hall into a gingerbread house.

When and how: Mid-November to early January. Brasov is accessible by both air and train, and it’s just a 2.5-hour train ride from Bucharest’s Christmas Market. Explore Sweden's oldest Christmas market and pop-up events. Stockholm offers a variety of Christmas markets, but Sweden’s oldest one, located in the Old Town, is a must-visit. It has been running since 1837 and remains a staple of the holiday season.

Stockholm is also home to pop-up markets specializing in sci-fi, comic books, and board games, such as the Market of the Geeks (30 November to 1 December). Additionally, the Fair Christmas market (7-8 December) supports organizations working on human rights and environmental issues.

Don’t miss the Färgfabriken art gallery, transformed into a holiday market with live bands and DJs (14-15 December), and the Skeppsholmsgården dock where blacksmiths and waffle stalls create a festive atmosphere (14-15 December). When and how: Late November to late December. Consider taking the Baltics, Helsinki, and Stockholm winter tour to visit up to five Christmas markets in one trip.

Experience the Tallinn Christmas market in Estonia in style. Tallinn’s Old Town becomes a Christmas wonderland, with its streets adorned in lights and garlands, and a towering Christmas tree at the heart of the market. The market offers comforting winter treats such as black pudding, sour cabbage, gingerbread cookies, and mulled wine infused with blueberries.

Look out for woolen goods from the Estonian islands, including socks, hats, and scarves, often decorated with geometric snowflakes. When and how: The market runs from 22 November to 27 December 2024. Tallinn is easily accessible by air or train from many European cities, and Helsinki’s market is just a two-hour ferry ride away.

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Source: euronews‍