There’s something about the smell of roasted chestnuts mixing with pine needles and warm spiced wine that instantly puts you in the holiday spirit, isn’t there?
I’ve wandered through dozens of Christmas markets over the years, from the famous ones everyone posts on Instagram to tiny hidden squares most tourists never find. And every single December I tell myself I’ll “just stay home this year”… only to end up booking flights again because, honestly, nothing beats that first evening stroll when the lights switch on and the whole place feels like it’s stepped straight out of a snow globe.
This winter 2025, a handful of markets are pulling out all the stops. Some have brand-new light installations, others are celebrating major anniversaries, and one city has actually been officially named European Capital of Christmas. So if you’re thinking about a festive getaway (whether it’s a romantic long weekend or a full-blown family adventure), these are the five that, in my completely biased but well-travelled opinion, you really shouldn’t miss.
The Five European Christmas Markets You’ll Wish You’d Booked Sooner
1. Montreux, Switzerland – The Lakeside Fairytale
Let’s start with the one that never fails to make my jaw drop: Montreux Noël on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Picture this: 170 wooden chalets lined up along the promenade, the surface of the lake mirroring thousands of fairy lights, and the dramatic silhouette of Chillon Castle lit up like something from a Disney film. Add a backdrop of snow-capped Alps and you’ve got what might be the most photogenic Christmas market on the continent.
But Montreux isn’t resting on its good looks. They’ve gone properly high-tech this year – think virtual-reality sleigh rides to the North Pole and an augmented-reality booth that turns you into an elf (yes, I tried it, and yes, the photos are hilarious). The absolute highlight, though, is the cogwheel train that climbs almost vertically up to Rochers-de-Naye at 2,042 metres. At the top? Santa’s actual house, complete with roaring fire and a very convincing Father Christmas who speaks four languages and hands out Swiss chocolate.
Pro tip: Book the Montreux Noël package that includes hotel, dinner voucher and the unlimited-travel Riviera Card – it works out cheaper than buying everything separately, and you get to skip some queues. Runs until Christmas Eve.
“The train ride alone is worth the trip. You go from palm trees by the lake to proper alpine snow in under an hour – it’s surreal.”
– A very happy visitor I overheard last year
2. Gothenburg, Sweden – Five Million Lights of Pure Joy
If you like your Christmas markets big, bold and completely over-the-top with lighting, pack your warmest coat and head to Liseberg in Gothenburg.
This year the park is celebrating 25 years of its Christmas market, and they’re marking the occasion with – wait for it – five million fairy lights. Five. Million. The whole place looks like it’s been dipped in liquid starlight. There’s even a narrated light show in the harbour area that tells a new story every evening.
Beyond the sparkle, you’ve got an authentic Tyrolean village serving glühwein in boot-shaped mugs, an “old-fashioned” Swedish market with handmade peppermint rock and gingerbread, and a dedicated kids’ zone called Rabbit Land where little ones can post letters to Santa or ride the miniature railway.
- Don’t miss the ice-skating trail that winds through the park – it’s genuinely magical at night.
- Try the saffron buns (lussebullar) on 13 December for Lucia Day – they only serve the proper freshly baked ones that day.
- If you’re travelling as a couple, the quieter “Design Market” in the arts quarter is perfect for finding unique Scandi-cool gifts.
Open until 22 December, then the park switches to New Year mode with fireworks.
3. Vilnius, Lithuania – Official Capital of Christmas 2025
Every year one European city gets crowned “Capital of Christmas”, and for 2025 the honour goes to Vilnius. And boy, are they taking it seriously.
On 13 December they’re throwing a bonus celebration called “Christmas Before Christmas” – think 200 choir singers, 144 individually decorated Christmas trees, free postcards to anywhere in the world, and a special festive currency you can spend at the stalls. It’s deliberately designed to make adults feel like excited five-year-olds again, and from the videos of previous years, it works.
The main market in Cathedral Square is stunning – a giant 3D Christmas tree made of thousands of real pine branches, light installations that react to music, and arguably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted (they add sea-salt caramel and chilli – trust me).
Stay until 6 January if you can; the New Year’s Eve fireworks over the old town are spectacular, and the celebrations feel refreshingly local rather than touristy.
4. Lisbon, Portugal – Sunshine and Circus Magic
Yes, you read that right – Lisbon is calling itself “the sunny alternative to traditional Christmas markets”, and for once the marketing isn’t lying.
Average December temperature? Around 15°C. You can legitimately sip your vinho quente in a T-shirt some afternoons. The main event is Wonderland Lisboa in Eduardo VII Park – massive Ferris wheel, outdoor ice rink (they import the ice, obviously), and rows of chalets selling everything from port wine to pastel de nata flavoured with Christmas spices.
This year Cirque du Soleil is in town from Christmas Day with their show OVO, which feels perfectly on-brand for a city that refuses to take winter too seriously. And on New Year’s Eve the riverside square fills with live music and one of the best firework displays in southern Europe.
Perfect if you want festive spirit without frostbite.
5. Helsinki, Finland – Nordic Cool Meets Cosy Tradition
Helsinki does Christmas with effortless Scandi style. The official opening of “Christmas Street” on Aleksanterinkatu is a proper event – think brass bands, the mayor flipping the light switch, and thousands of locals cheering as the whole street ignites in white lights.
The historic Senate Square market is small but perfectly formed: handmade woollen mittens, reindeer hides, cloudberry jam, and salmon smoked over alder wood. Wash it all down with glögi that’s been spiked with vodka and served with gingerbread.
If you’re there on 13 December you’ll catch the Lucia procession – a candle-crowned queen and her white-robed attendants gliding through the streets singing. It’s hauntingly beautiful and 100% authentic.
Stay into January for Lux Helsinki (4–8 Jan) when the whole city becomes an open-air light-art gallery. Trust me, you’ve never seen a sauna-themed light installation until you’ve been to Finland in January.
Which One Should You Choose?
Romantic escape with incredible views? Montreux. Full-on festive immersion with kids? Gothenburg. Something new and joyfully over-the-top? Vilnius. Mild weather and circus vibes? Lisbon. Authentic Nordic traditions? Helsinki.
Or – and this is what I’m seriously considering – start in one and hop to another. Direct flights between most of these cities are short and often cheap if you book early.
Because once you’ve experienced a truly great European Christmas market, staying home in December just doesn’t feel the same anymore.
See you under the lights?
