6 beautiful Christmas markets in italy
While it’s magical here year-round, there’s nothing quite like Christmas in Italy. As snow caps the Romanesque buildings and sparkling lights coat the towering pine trees, the spellbinding appeal of the holiday season entrances all who visit. You may not have previously thought of Italy as a winter destination, but one look at the country’s enchanting Christmas Markets will instantly change your mind.
Teeming with festive delicacies, the skillful artwork of local artisans, and the joyous spirit of the holidays; nobody does Christmas quite like the Italians!
These are my picks for 6 Christmas markets in Italy that can be included in any off-season trip:
1. Piazza Navona Christmas Market, Rome
This famous square is transformed into Rome’s most popular Christmas Market each winter and is filled with exciting, family-friendly activities. The Piazza Navona Christmas Market lights up each holiday season with local vendors, street performers, amusement rides, nativity scenes, and frequent Santa sightings. To see the Eternal City lit up like a Christmas tree (pun intended!) is a jaw-dropping sight you’ll never forget.
2. Catania Christmas Market, Sicily
Local tradition, creativity, and Christmas spirit collide in the beautiful city of Catania to make you feel like you’ve left Italy and traveled to the North Pole. The Catania Christmas Market in Italy’s southernmost region is a fully immersive dreamscape of what Christmas should look like. From the tantalizing smells of festive regional street food in the air to the handmade gifts of skilled local artisans, this family-friendly Christmas Market is a cultural treasure in Sicily.
Rome’s historic Christmas market takes place in Piazza Navona.
Each year at Christmas time, the picturesque Alpine town of Trento is transformed for the holiday. This massive Christmas Market is so large that it’s held in two locations: Piazza Cesare Battisti square and Piazza Fiera square. The town lights up as the streets are lined with bright lights and rustic wooden stalls filled with locally-crafted Christmas gifts and regional delicacies. Easily one of the most popular Christmas Markets in the country, Trento is not to be missed. Combine a visit here with a stay in one of our hand-picked lodges in the snowy Dolomite Mountains to create a fairytale European holiday.
Bolzano’s Christmas market is one of the country’s largest.
4. Weihnachtsmarkt, Florence
Inspired by the annual winter market held in Heidelberg, Germany, Weihnachtsmarkt is the most famous Christmas Market in Florence. It takes place every year in Piazza Santa Croce, when the square fills with traditional stalls that combine German and Italian cultures for the best of both worlds. The combination of cultures makes for some seriously incredible food, so make sure to take advantage of the endless flow of food stalls. If you love to eat and want to experience the enchanting atmosphere of a highly authentic Christmas Market, Weihnachtsmarkt is the place to be.
5. Bolzano Christmas Market, South Tyrol
As Italy’s largest Christmas Market, Bolzano becomes one of the top tourist destinations in Europe each year during the holidays. With tons of festive food and gift stalls, a merry-go-round, a puppet theatre, and even horse-drawn carriage rides, Bolzano is like a fairytale come to life. It’s hard to say what’s better; the delicious German-influenced food or the breathtaking Dolomites that serve as a backdrop for the market. If you’re in the South Tyrol region and only have time to see one Christmas Market, make it this one.
A typical street in Florence decorated for the holidays.
6. Naples
While not technically a market, it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Naples has strong Christmas traditions. Food, naturally, comes to mind. But the city is equally famous for its presepi, or intricate, hand-crafted nativity scenes typically depicting scenes of everyday life and realistic-looking figurines. You’ll find the majority of presepe artisans in the Spaccanapoli district of the city, particularly in Via San Gregorio Armeno. A lively neighborhood in any season, the street overflows during the holiday period with displays, and shoppers seeking out figurines to add to their collection. Keeping a presepe is a strongly held tradition. Each year, the family adds another figurine to the presepe.
A typical Neapolitan nativity scene, or presepe, features detailed figurines of daily life, like this ancient pizzeria!
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