5 European Christmas Markets to Celebrate the Holidays

Holiday markets are a staple of the winter season across northern Europe. Nearly every destination, from big cities to small mountain villages, typically hosts some type of Christmas festival once the temperatures drop and the days shorten. Certain traditions are practically universal, such as market stalls selling local handicrafts and hot cups of mulled wine, but the most special part is that each town also adds a unique twist to their own festival.

Here are five cities across the region that go all out to put the "festive" in the festive season.

Germany is the mutterland of Christmas markets, but the festival in Dresden is said to be the oldest of them all. The Striezelmarkt, as it's officially known, dates all the way back to 1434, before the concept of Santa Clause or Father Christmas even existed. It's grown over the years—literally—with a massive Christmas pyramid in the town center and one of the largest nutcrackers in the world.

The name Striezelmarkt comes from a German fruitcake known as stollen in other parts of Germany but traditionally known in Dresden as striezel. Continuing the theme of oversized Christmas, a giant striezel is prepared each year that can weigh up to four tons, which is big enough that it needs its own float to move through the streets. In the holiday spirit of sharing, pieces are ceremoniously cut off and served to festival-goers as it travels through the city.

The holiday festivities in Salzburg have two very different but equally bewitching sides. For one, there's the traditional market with a decidedly musical tilt, which should come as no surprise for the city that was home to Mozart, The Sound of Music, and the Christmas carol Silent Night. With activities like choir performances, orchestra concerts, and sing-alongs, all you need is a warm cup of glühwein to complete the ambience.

The other side of Christmas in Salzburg looks more sinister on the surface, but it's all in good fun when the Krampus arrives to town. This ghoulish creature with horns and fur looks like something straight out of the Nightmare Before Christmas, but even kids get a kick out of the annual Krampus parade when he arrives with his own elves, known as perchten.

Strasbourg is easily considered one of France's most beguiling towns at any time of year, but during the Noël season it really steps up the charm to the merriest of levels. The main event is Christkindelsmärik, a word that comes from the local Alsatian dialect spoken around Strasbourg. The winter cottages are decked in lights, the market is filled with local artisans, and the air is imbued with the fragrance of mulled wine.

An Alsatian town that straddles the border of France and Germany, Strasbourg offers a cultural potpourri of traditions. Enter the city's cathedral to see decorated fir trees suspended from the church's nave, which is how the trees were classically displayed in Alsace in the past.

One of Europe's best preserved medieval capital cities makes for an especially picturesque Christmas festival. The stone castle, church, and buildings that surrounded the centuries-old town square make for the perfect backdrop to the holiday market, especially when blanketed in a powdery layer of snow.

There are several uniquely Baltic traditions to take part in, many of which show a strong connection to ancient Pagan rituals. During the winter solstice, look for festival activities like tree burnings that are meant to bring light to the longest night of the year. Tallinn also claims to have publicly displayed the first Christmas tree in the world in its town center, backed up by references dating to 1441.

The coziest parts of the holidays—steaming hot drinks, plush scarves, sitting in front of a roaring fire—can all be summed up in one word in Danish: hygge. Christmas time in Denmark is primetime for hygge, and the Danes are experts in finding winter comfort. During the coldest part of the year in Copenhagen, hygge is all about warming your body and soul.

The best place in the Danish capital to experience the holidays is at one of Copenhagen's most important landmarks, Tivoli Gardens. The nearly 200-year-old amusement park goes all out for the season, with a sprawling market selling Nordic specialities, a North Pole set to visit Santa, and the gardens grounds decorated with tens of thousands of twinkling lights.

Chat with an Origin curator today to start planning your winter trip. There are endless options to find Christmas cheer, and every itinerary is personalized to you.