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Winter Village at Bryant Park

Christmas Markets 2026

Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 3.0

Sixteen famous Christmas markets in nine countries, open between 28 October 2026 and 6 January 2027. Each one has its own page of places to stay nearby. Opening and closing days differ from market to market, so check them against the dates you plan to travel.

North America

Europe

Asia

From my notes: How many places to stay are a short walk from ten famous Christmas markets

How each country does it

United States · Christkindlmarket / holiday market

  • Chicago's Christkindlmarket was modelled on Nuremberg's and first held on Pioneer Court in 1996, then moved to Daley Plaza in 1997. source
  • It starts the Friday before Thanksgiving and runs to Christmas Eve. source
  • Vendors sell beer, wine, baked goods, meats, toys and ornaments, with traders from Germany, Ukraine, Austria and the Chicago area. source
  • New York's Bryant Park Winter Village combines holiday shops with an ice rink and opens in late October. source

United Kingdom · Christmas market (often 'Frankfurt' or 'German' market)

  • Lincoln set up an annual Christmas market in early December in 1982, an early British example of the German style. source
  • Winchester's market sits in the cathedral grounds, with around 120 German-inspired chalets selling crafts, gifts, food and drink. source
  • Edinburgh's market is in East Princes Street Gardens with around 70 stalls. source

Canada · marché de Noël

  • Québec City's market is billed as German-style; the official page does not say why, so no origin claim is made here. source
  • Québec City's German market spreads over several free sites in the old town and is built around decorated wooden chalets and mulled wine. source
  • It opens Thursday to Sunday, with extra days in the last week before Christmas. source
  • Toronto's Distillery Winter Village is ticketed at weekends, with free entry Monday to Wednesday through 13 December, and is closed on Christmas Day. source

Austria · Christkindlmarkt / Weihnachtsmarkt

  • Vienna's Rathausplatz market is entered through a tall candlelit arch. source
  • Children's punch (a non-alcoholic punch) is sold alongside the mulled wine. source
  • Vienna's first 'December Market' is recorded in 1298. source

Germany · Weihnachtsmarkt (Christkindlmarkt in Bavaria)

  • Markets traditionally open at the start of Advent, which is how the season is marked. source
  • Typical stalls sell Glühwein (hot mulled wine, with or without a shot of brandy) and soft gingerbread such as Lebkuchen and Magenbrot. source
  • Nuremberg opens with a prologue spoken by the Christkind from the Frauenkirche balcony; the Christkind has been chosen every second year since 1969. source
  • Dresden's Striezelmarkt is tied to Stollen: the word comes from the name of a cake now known as Stollen, and the gingerbread sold there comes from Pulsnitz. source

Japan · クリスマスマーケット

  • Sapporo's market began in 2002 to mark 30 years of sister-city ties with Munich. source
  • Stalls at Odori Park sell Christmas items, hot wine and German food. source
  • Visitors can buy commemorative mugs that change design each year. source

Estonia · jõuluturg

  • The tree on Town Hall Square is lit on the First Sunday of Advent, which Visit Tallinn ties to the market's opening. source
  • A Christmas tree is recorded on Town Hall Square in 1441, put up by the Brotherhood of Blackheads. source
  • Stalls sell handcrafts, hot wine and souvenirs; the modern market began in 2001. source

Switzerland · Weihnachtsmarkt

  • Basel's market has two sites: Barfüsserplatz around the Barfüsserkirche, and Münsterplatz. source
  • Stalls range from Christmas tree decorations to many kinds of gifts, with food stands alongside. source
  • The Münsterplatz has a children's fairy-tale wood (Märchenwald), which closes a day before the market in 2026. source

Czechia · Vánoční trhy

  • The Old Town Square market is hung with hand-crafted decorations and traditional crafts such as sword making. source
  • Trdelník pastry and mulled wine (svařené víno, colloquially svařák) are the staple treats. source
  • Mulled wine is called svařené víno ('boiled wine'), colloquially svařák. source
  • A tall decorated tree and a musical stage are set up on the square for the season. source
  • The Old Town Square tree is chosen each year from a different Czech region. source

All markets

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Austria

Japan

Estonia

Switzerland

Czechia