Hotels for Tallinn Christmas Market 2026

Wooden stalls ring an enormous tree at the centre of Town Hall Square, in the medieval Old Town. The tree has a long story: the Brotherhood of Blackheads is recorded as putting up a public Christmas tree on this square in 1441, described as the first in Europe, while the modern market dates from 2001.

The stalls sell hand-made woollen mittens and sweaters and wooden ornaments, and the food runs to gingerbread cookies and hot plates of sausage, potatoes and sauerkraut, with glögi, the local mulled wine, served with or without alcohol. At weekends Santa acts as a multilingual host for stage performances. The tree is lit on the First Sunday of Advent, which also opens the market.