There’s something magical about the holidays in Europe, where visitors (and locals alike) can savor the wonder of the holidays. With backdrops of snow-capped mountains and twinkling lights, the wonder of Christmas is brought to life around the country, from big capital cities to small towns. For seekers of fairy tales, Kempinski’s guide to the best Christmas Markets in Europe showcases the most luxe experiences in the most charming destinations.
Budapest, Hungary
As Hungary’s capital, Budapest is a charming city which comes to life in the winter. From a soak in the Széchenyi Thermal Baths, enveloped by a cloud of steam in the cold air, to the illuminated lights of parliament and palaces, the city is lovely this time of the year. But From November 15 - December 2024, Budapest’s main Christmas Market unfolds on Vörösmarty Square to much aplomb with over 100 stalls with vendors showcasing specialty dishes rooted in Central and Eastern European cuisine. Specialties include stuffed cabbage and lepeny (a traditional flatbread), hearty Hungarian goulash and strudel or sekler cake (the famous Budapest chimney cake) and families will have plenty to keep them busy, from the playhouse and craft classes to the kid-sized miniature railway…Nearby, Kempinski Hotel Corvinus offers luxury accommodations with some of the freshly renovated rooms overlooking Fashion Street.
Munich, Germany
At the heart of Bavaria, Munich truly comes alive during Christkindlmarkt season. Visitors can indulge in frosty steins of beer, bratwurst and lederhosen throughout the year, however the festive season is special with a variety of markets to explore. Since the 14th century Münchners have been gathering in Marienplatz to shop and celebrate Christmas and delight under a seven-story Christmas tree that sits in the shadow of the neo-gothic New Town Hall. Here, visitors will find more than 100 stalls, completely filling the square from November 25 - December 24 and for an idyllic experience, should head to the English Garden, where horse-drawn carriages, food stands and well-maintained paths through the forest are hallmarks of this market. A short 600m walk from Marienplatz. Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, a grand hotel literally built for a king, and home to Munich’s finest living room, provides the perfect central location to it all.
Dresden, Germany
Nicknamed the “jewel box”, Dresden is a hidden treasure home to generations of Saxon kings, and aristocrats built a brilliant place on the broad bends of the Elbe River. Located in Altmarkt Square, the Striezelmarkt is Germany’s oldest Christmas market. The 14.6-metre step pyramid (which holds a record in the Guinness World Records) is laden and lined with whimsical festive figures and features the world’s largest candle arch. The market also boasts a Ferris Wheel and 240 stalls showcasing everything from delicate lacework to handmade wooden toys. Visitors should indulge in rahmklecks, a Dresden specialty - a bread roll stuffed with ham and cheese and topped with a dollop of sour cream. Further down the Prager Strasse, many smaller markets are dotted along Christmas Mile. Built by Augustus the Strong and the recent recipient of a multi-million-dollar transformation, Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski is one of the crown jewels of Dresden.
Berlin, Germany
Germany’s capital is one of the world’s best walking cities and a tour through history and from November 22 - January 12 Berlin offers over 100 Christmas markets. Visitors should not miss Charlottenburg Palace, the market set at the former home of Queen Sophie Charlotte. The palace lights up at night with marching bands moving through the hundred stalls selling everything from silk items to ceramics. Spandau is the city’s largest Christmas market, spreading out from the main square to the cobblestones of the old town. Two of the biggest highlights include a nativity scene with live animals and a stage where music rings out throughout the day. For a local experience, the neighborhood around the Art Deco Brohan Museum comes together to celebrate on December 7-8 featuring arts and crafts from local suppliers, homemade foods, and performances from local schools and dance clubs. The most famous place to stay in Germany, Hotel Adlon Kempinski sits at the heart of it all, right at the Brandenburg Gate.
St Moritz, Switzerland
Perhaps no place on earth embraces winter better than St Moritz. Not just an upscale ski town, here palatial hotels, with a sugary-white glaze of snow, look like homes of fairytale princesses and princes. Visitors should arrive in town by riding the Glacier Express through Alpine switchbacks and tunnels, and across trestles with soaring views down to snow-bound villages below. The feelings of winter fantasy continue at the town’s Christmas market, one of the fanciest anywhere. Savvy onlookers will find jet-setters, celebrities and even royalty, browsing a number of pop-up markets in squares and pedestrian streets that feature upscale goods like handmade jewelry, crafted from stones sourced just nearby. Close to the center of town and right at the foot of the cable car, the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski offers a regal sleep.
Riga, Latvia
Built by the Baltic Sea, the Latvian capital has been a center of international trade since its founding in 1201. That wealth and power is still evident across its matchless Old Town which holds its Christmas Market from November 29 - January 2 on Doma Square. The place where Riga’s heart beats, seven streets meet at the square, surrounded by some of the city’s greatest landmarks, including the grand cathedral, topped by its iconic weathercock, and the Venetian Renaissance-style Art Museum Riga Bourse. Visitors should partake in traditional Latvian touches: black balsam, the national liquor; piragi, buns filled with bacon and sautéed onions; and Latvian honey. Stylish rooms can be found at Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga, which sits at the entrance to Old Town across from the Latvian National Opera and Ballet theater.
Salzburg, Austria
The place where the hills come alive with the sound of music; a city immortalized in the popular 1965 film starring Julie Andrews. A visit here always feels like stepping into an imagined world. A wonderland, especially in winter, set on the banks of a serpentine river, beneath towers and church spires and an imposing hilltop fortress. From November 24 - January 1, the city’s main Christmas market sets up in the middle of town, on Cathedral and Residenz Squares. Known for its theater and music, Salzburgers have been gathering for these festivities since the 15th century. Visitors can enjoy performances by dozens of choirs with musicians performing on turmblasen (wind instruments). Built on a ridge 1,000 meters up, amidst the mountains with spectacular view, Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden sits just 30 minutes from Salzburg and provides a great viewpoint for it all.
Sofia, Bulgaria
A special place that offers shimmering onion domes, Ottoman minarets and Soviet monuments, with waterfalls and ski slopes just outside of town, Christmas markets are a relatively new phenomenon to Sofia. The first market and the largest, Deutscher Weihnachtsmarkt, opened just over a decade ago and runs from November 15 until just before Christmas. The stalls in City Garden bring together German and Bulgarian traditions and visitors can start here and then walk to two others nearby, each with their own charms. Christmas Fest, at the National Palace of Culture, offers many live performances – everything from concerts to circus shows, while Christmas Park on Slaveykov Square is the best market for locally made handicrafts and fresh products from Bulgarian farms. For a magical snowy experience, nearby Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko is a picture-perfect resort located next to a gondola lift in the Pirin Mountains.
