In Europe, Christmas markets are a classic staple of the holiday season. People sip warm, spiced drinks and sample tasty treats while browsing stalls filled with artisanal crafts. It’s a centuries-old tradition: The earliest known records of a Christmas market date back to 1296, when King Albrecht I of Hapsburg gave the citizens of Vienna permission to hold a Krippenmarkt (December market) during the weeks of Advent.
More winter markets followed. They became increasingly associated with Christmas in 1384, when the first Christkindlmarkt was held in Saxony (now Germany). These early Christmas markets mostly sold meat and other food items until the 16th century, when Martin Luther—the German Protestant who reformed Christianity across much of Northern Europe—brought the gift giving element to Christmas.
As gift giving on Christmas grew, so did the Christmas market. These larger, more festive affairs were filled with singing, dancing, and all sorts of and merriment. You’ll be hard pushed to find a European city that doesn’t host a Christmas market these days—here are 11 of the most enchanting ones.
- Advent Zagreb // Zagreb, Croatia
- Vienna Christkindlmarkt // Vienna, Austria
- Markt der Engel // Cologne, Germany
- Striezelmarkt // Dresden, Germany
- Vörösmarty Square // Budapest, Hungary
- Tallinn Christmas Market // Tallinn, Estonia
- Tivoli Gardens // Copenhagen, Denmark
- Christkindelsmärik // Strasbourg, France
- Bruges Christmas Market // Bruges, Belgium
- Poznan Christmas Market // Poznan, Poland
- Bath Christmas Market // Bath, England
Leave a Reply