The Best Christmas Markets in Europe for Food & Wine

The short version: the best European Christmas markets for food and wine are Vienna, Budapest and Prague in Central Europe, plus Strasbourg, Nuremberg and Cologne further west. You go for the mulled wine (Gluhwein, forralt bor, svarak), the sweet spiral chimney cakes, roasted chestnuts, grilled sausages and gingerbread, all eaten outdoors with a hot cup in your hands from late November to Christmas. Here is where to go and what to eat and drink.

At a glance

Vienna: the grand one

Vienna turns Christmas into theatre. The big market on Rathausplatz in front of the City Hall is the postcard one, but food lovers prefer the smaller, prettier Spittelberg and the market at Schonbrunn Palace. Warm up with Gluhwein or a fruity Punsch in a collectible mug, snack on Maroni (roasted chestnuts) and Kartoffelpuffer (potato fritters), and finish with Kaiserschmarrn. Full rundown in our Vienna Christmas markets food guide.

Budapest: the best value

Budapest’s Vorosmarty ter and St. Stephen’s Basilica markets are cheaper than their western cousins and seriously good for eating. The star is kurtoskalacs, the spit-roasted chimney cake rolled in sugar and cinnamon, alongside langos, grilled kolbasz sausage and bowls of goulash, all washed down with forralt bor. See our Budapest Christmas markets food guide.

Prague: the fairytale one

Prague’s Old Town Square market, under the astronomical clock and a giant tree, is pure fairytale. Drink svarak (Czech mulled wine) or warming medovina honey mead, eat a trdelnik, a grilled klobasa in a roll, or a bramborak potato pancake. More in our Prague Christmas markets food guide.

And the western classics

Strasbourg in Alsace calls itself the Capital of Christmas, with vin chaud, Alsatian tarte flambee and boxes of little bredele biscuits. Nuremberg‘s Christkindlesmarkt is famous for its finger-sized Nurnberger sausages and soft Lebkuchen gingerbread, and Cologne rings its cathedral with several markets and plenty of Gluhwein.

City by city: what to eat at each market

Each city has its own drinks, street food and sweets. These guides name the markets, the stalls worth finding and where to sit down for a proper winter meal nearby.

• Vienna Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: the grand Viennese markets, Punsch and Maroni
• Prague Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: svařák, trdelník and the Old Town Square market
• Budapest Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: kürtőskalács, lángos and forralt bor on Vörösmarty Square
• Zagreb Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Advent in Zagreb: fritule, štrukli and white mulled wine
• Ljubljana Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: kranjska klobasa, potica and the riverside stalls
• Salzburg Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Bosna, Bauernkrapfen and the Christkindlmarkt below the fortress
• Munich Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Glühwein, Reiberdatschi and the Marienplatz market
• Nuremberg Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Drei im Weggla, Elisenlebkuchen and the Christkindlesmarkt
• Strasbourg Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: white vin chaud, bredele and the Capital of Christmas
• Colmar Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Alsace wine, bredele and six markets in the old town
• Cologne Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Reibekuchen, Kölsch in the Brauhaus and the Cathedral market
• Dresden Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: Christstollen at the Striezelmarkt, one of the oldest in Germany
• Kraków Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: oscypek, pierogi and grzaniec on the Main Market Square
• Tallinn Christmas markets: what to eat and drink: glögi, blood sausage and the Town Hall Square market

When to go

Most European Christmas markets run from mid-to-late November until 23 or 24 December, though some (Vienna, Budapest) stretch to New Year or early January. Weekday afternoons and early evenings are calmest; weekends are magical but packed. Dress warm, bring cash for the small stalls, and keep the deposit mug as a souvenir.

Compare Christmas market tours by city

One top-rated bookable tour for each of the best food markets, from Prague and Vienna to Strasbourg and Nuremberg.

Our pick: Prague: Magical Christmas Markets Tour with Locals, rated 4.9 (34) on GetYourGuide.

Christmas tours run from late November to early January and sell out on weekends, so book early. Ratings as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026; “New listing” means the tour has no reviews yet.

Frequently asked questions

Which European Christmas market is best for food?

For food and value, Budapest and Vienna are hard to beat (chimney cake, sausages, mulled wine), Prague is the most atmospheric, and Nuremberg and Strasbourg are the western classics for gingerbread and vin chaud.

When do Christmas markets open?

Usually from mid-to-late November to 23 or 24 December, with Vienna and Budapest often running into early January.

What do you drink at a Christmas market?

Mulled wine above all: Gluhwein in Austria and Germany, forralt bor in Hungary, svarak in Czechia, vin chaud in France, plus fruit punch and honey mead.

Book a Christmas market food tour

See our city guides for Vienna, Budapest and Prague, or browse Austria and Hungary food experiences.