If you’re planning a winter trip in 2025, there’s no better excuse to hop between European cities than Christmas market season.
For a few short weeks, everyday squares turn into pop-up villages of lights and music, where you can warm your hands around hot chocolate in one place, hunt down handmade gifts in another, and somehow end up “just trying” five different pastries along the way.
Vienna, Austria
As the light fades early, the city’s Christmas markets brighten landmark settings such as Rathausplatz and Schönbrunn, where rows of wooden stalls offer spiced punch, mulled wine, and carefully made ornaments.
The grand architecture adds a sense of ceremony to even a quick evening visit, and it’s easy to linger as the squares fill with music and the scent of fir.
Food is part of the appeal. Expect sweet favourites like Kaiserschmarrn and Krapfen, along with sausages and other hot snacks that make the cold feel manageable.
Gift stalls are equally tempting, from glass baubles and nativity figures to beeswax candles and small crafts that travel well if packed carefully.
To round out the experience, pair the markets with Vienna’s seasonal concert calendar, then spend the rest of the night skating at the Rathausplatz rink, walking the Ringstrasse under festive lights, or thawing out in a traditional coffeehouse with Sachertorte and a melange.
Tallinn, Estonia
Medieval walls, narrow cobbled streets, and stone towers create a setting that is naturally atmospheric, and when snow arrives it only sharpens the fairytale impression.
The Christmas market gathers in Town Hall Square, centred on a tall spruce tree and a compact ring of stalls that keeps everything close and easy to explore.
The mood here is quietly traditional rather than showy. Carols and small performances add background warmth, and most visitors end up pausing with a mug of spiced glögi simply because it’s the best way to take in the scene.
Many of the gifts have a genuinely local feel too, with woollen knits, carved wood, and simple glasswork that looks and feels handmade.
Food is another highlight, especially if you’re curious about Estonian winter staples. Look out for blood sausage with sauerkraut, peppery gingerbread, and other seasonal bakes sold warm from the stall.
If you have time beyond the square, the surrounding guild halls and churches often host concerts and craft events, which suit Tallinn’s smaller scale and give the visit a calmer, more intimate finish.
Cologne, Germany
Cologne’s Christmas markets are at their best after dark, when the city lights come on and the cathedral dominates the skyline.
The most famous market sits right beside Cologne Cathedral, with the Gothic façade rising over the stalls and the familiar scents of roasted almonds and Glühwein drifting through the crowd.
It’s a dramatic setting, but it still feels welcoming, especially when carol singers and small performances start up in the square.
From there, it’s easy to continue on foot to other markets around the Old Town and along the Rhine, each with a slightly different feel.
Between the wooden chalets you’ll find classic decorations, nativity figures, candles, and practical gifts such as scarves and ornaments, alongside regional sweets that travel well.
If you’re visiting with family, the carousels and ice rinks add a playful touch, while anyone after something more local can step into a traditional brewery for a glass of Kölsch before heading back out into the lights.
Colmar, France
Colmar is small enough to take in on foot, which makes its Christmas season feel intimate and unhurried. The town’s half-timbered houses, narrow lanes, and canals already have a fairytale quality, and the festive lighting only adds to it.
Rather than one huge market, Colmar has several smaller ones spread across historic squares, so the experience becomes a gentle wander from place to place.
In the early evening, the lights reflect on the water around Little Venice and the whole centre looks freshly dressed for the season.
The stalls lean towards crafts and decorative pieces, including hand-painted ornaments, wooden toys, textiles, and Alsatian ceramics that make good gifts if you’re willing to pack carefully.
Food is a major part of the draw as well, with tarte flambée, sausages, and warming local dishes served hot, often alongside a cup of vin chaud.
Montreux, Switzerland
Montreux feels a little different from the typical Alpine market town. Set on the shores of Lake Geneva, it combines lakeside views with a backdrop of snowy peaks, and in places the promenade is lined with palm trees.
The Christmas market runs along the waterfront, with wooden chalets and festive lighting reflected on the water, so even a simple walk between stalls becomes part of the appeal.
Food is a highlight, especially if you come hungry. Raclette is the classic choice, scraped over potatoes and eaten straight from the stall, alongside grilled sausages and seasonal bakes.
A cup of vin chaud helps on colder evenings, particularly when the breeze comes off the lake.
Because the market stretches out, it’s easy to take it at a relaxed pace, stopping for photos and looking across to Chillon Castle when it’s lit up.
Hi, my name is Gemma, and I’m the owner of MakeupMuddle.com. I’m a true beauty obsessive, and love writing about anything to do with beauty – I have been a beauty writer since 2012.