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Every December, the same thing happens. Photos of glowing wooden stalls and steaming mugs start flooding your feed, and suddenly everyone wants to be standing in a European town square holding a hot drink. The problem is that not all Christmas markets are equal. Some are magical. Some are a crowded street with overpriced sausages and a plastic reindeer.
After sorting through the big names and the lesser known ones, these are the markets that actually deliver.
Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg calls itself the capital of Christmas, and it has the history to back it up, with a market that has been running since 1570. The old town is split into several smaller markets scattered around the cathedral, so you never feel stuck in one giant tourist funnel. Go in the late afternoon, when the lights come on and the cathedral turns gold. Try the small spiced cookies called bredele and a cup of vin chaud, which is the French answer to mulled wine, usually a bit softer and less sweet than the German version.
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Nuremberg, Germany
This is the one that looks like a postcard. The Christkindlesmarkt sits right in the main square, with its red and white striped stalls packed tightly together, and a local girl dressed as the Christkind opens it every year with a speech from the church balcony. Eat the tiny grilled Nuremberg sausages in a bread roll, then buy a box of Lebkuchen, the soft gingerbread the city is famous for. It gets very busy on weekends, so a weekday evening is a much better bet.
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Dresden, Germany
The Striezelmarkt is one of the oldest in Germany, dating back to the 1400s, and it is built around the Dresden Stollen, a dense fruit bread dusted with sugar. There is also a giant wooden Christmas pyramid that you can spot from far away. If you only have time for one thing, buy a slice of real Stollen and eat it right there.
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Vienna, Austria
Vienna does not do one market, it does about twenty. The big one in front of the City Hall is the loudest and most crowded, while the smaller ones near the palaces are calmer and often have better crafts. Skip the first stall that sells you a drink and walk a little further, the prices drop quickly once you leave the main square. Warm punch and roasted chestnuts are the classic choices.
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Colmar, France
If you want fairytale, this is it. Colmar is small, colorful and covered in half timbered houses, and the market stalls are tucked into its narrow streets and canals. It is tiny, so it fills up fast, and the best way to enjoy it is to stay the night instead of visiting as a day trip. Early morning, before the tour groups arrive, you will have the place almost to yourself.
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Prague, Czech Republic
The Old Town Square market is beautiful with the astronomical clock in the background, and it is also very touristy. Walk five minutes to Wenceslas Square or the smaller market at Namesti Miru for a quieter evening with a lower price tag. Fair warning on the famous trdelnik pastry: it is more of a tourist invention than a real Czech tradition, but it is fun and the cinnamon smell is hard to resist.
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Budapest, Hungary
The market on Vorosmarty Square is the main one, and the food is the reason to go. Try the chimney cake, a sweet spiral of dough baked over coals, and the langos if you want something heavier. Budapest is also one of the cheapest big cities on this list, so you can eat and drink well without the usual price shock.
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Sibiu, Romania
This is the underdog. The market sits in the big medieval square in the old town, surrounded by pastel buildings with the famous “eyes” on their roofs, and it feels much more local than the famous ones. Prices are low, the mulled wine is generous, and you can walk from the market straight into cobbled streets with almost no crowds. If you are tired of the mass tourism circuit, this is the one to add to the list.
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A few things that will save you money and stress
Most German and Austrian markets charge a deposit on the mug, usually a few euros, which you get back when you return it. Or you keep it as a souvenir, which is what half the visitors do. Bring some cash, since many small stalls still do not take cards. Expect to pay roughly 3 to 6 euros for a mulled wine depending on the city. Markets usually open in the last days of November and run until just before Christmas, so going in the first week gives you the full atmosphere with fewer people.
And if you can, go on a weekday evening. The difference between a Tuesday at 7 pm and a Saturday afternoon is enormous. One feels like a winter story, the other feels like a queue with a mug in your hand.