Morena van den Wittenboer
Germany is of course one of the most famous destinations when it comes to trips to Christmas markets. But did you know that you can also go to many cities in Italy for great Christmas markets?
Table of contents
- Italian Christmas Markets
- Verona Christmas Market – November 17, 2023 to December 26, 2023
- Naples Christmas Market – December 7, 2023 to January 6, 2024
- Christmas market Bolzano (Bozen) – November 24, 2023 to January 6, 2024
- Milan Christmas Market – December 1, 2023 to January 6, 2024
- Brixen Christmas Market (Bressanone) – November 24, 2023 to January 6, 2024
- Other Christmas Markets in Italy
Italian Christmas Markets
The nice thing about this one Christmas markets is that in Italy the traditional stalls with vin brulé, pretzels and sausage with sauerkraut alternate with typical Italian stalls where you can taste and buy Italian delicacies such as truffles and cheeses.
Below is a list with the 5 nicest Italian Christmas markets that you can visit if you have plans for upcoming December to go to Italy.
Verona Christmas Market – November 17, 2023 to December 26, 2023
The annual Christmas market in Verona throughout the 'Christmas period' from the end of November to the end of December. The market was created through a collaboration with the German Christmas city par excellence, Nuremberg, and receives around 500.000 visitors every year.
In Piazza dei Signori there are about 60 exhibitors with products that you will also find at the Nuremberg Christmas market. The town itself is beautifully decorated in winter with Christmas lights throughout the main shopping streets, a large shooting star descending from the Arena on Piazza Brà, not forgetting the various Christmas trees (sponsored by Bauli, the most famous producer of the typical Veronese pandoro) scattered throughout the city.
All in all, this makes Verona well worth a visit around the Christmas period.
Naples Christmas Market – December 7, 2023 to January 6, 2024
In the street Via San Gregorio Armeno it is actually Christmas all year round. This street is world famous as the street of the nativity scenes. Here you will find the shops of craftsmen who make figures for nativity scenes and they are open all year round.
So they are not typical market stalls that are temporarily erected, but real, permanent shops that give this area of the city a Christmas atmosphere all year round.
It is tradition for Neapolitan families to visit via San Gregorio Armeno every Christmas season to further expand their nativity scene with, for example, a working waterfall or real flying angels.
A visit to Naples around Christmas isn't complete without a visit to a live nativity scene, so don't forget to put a visit to a Neapolitan church on your to-do list during this period!
Christmas market Bolzano (Bozen) – November 24, 2023 to January 6, 2024
The cities are allowed to leave in this list Trentino-South Tyrol of course not missing. This whole region is a mix between Northern and Southern Europe and the Christmas markets are an important tradition for the Italians from the far north.
The Christmas market in Bolzano (Bozen in German) is one of the many Christmas markets in the region that are worth visiting. It will be held from November 24 to January 6 on Waltherplatz and will be attended by approximately 80 exhibitors.
There is also an extensive program of events such as animation for children during the Christmas market period. As icing on the cake, you can also enjoy the beautiful panorama that the Dolomites have to offer while enjoying a glass of vin brulé. With a bit of luck, a layer of snow ensures that you are completely in winter atmosphere.
Milan Christmas Market – December 1, 2023 to January 6, 2024
With about 400 exhibitors, we should definitely not skip the Christmas market in Milan. This Christmas market, called 'Oh bej! Oh Bej!' (Oh, how beautiful! Oh, how beautiful!) goes back 5 centuries and is held this year from December 5-8 at the Castello Sforzesco.
The market has been given this special name because of the enthusiastic statements made by children about the gifts they received from the envoys of the Church. These envoys were sent to Milan around the year 1500 to bolster the confidence of believers and, of course, there is no better way to do this than by giving presents.
You will find a little bit of everything at this Christmas market, but the emphasis is on traditional crafts with handmade products, sweets and antiquarian bookshops.
Brixen Christmas Market (Bressanone) – November 24, 2023 to January 6, 2024
The characteristic Brixen (Bressanone), located in the province of Bozen-South Tyrol, doesn't really need a special occasion to visit. The city is the oldest city in South Tyrol, so the city has a lot to offer visitors in terms of culture and history alone.
If we add to that the spectacular location, we can only conclude that you really should visit Brixen once. And why not right in the Christmas season when the historic center is full of traditional wooden stalls and the whole city is in sacred atmosphere?
The Christmas market in Brixen is held from November 24 to January 6 and, in addition to the market, also has an extensive program of events with plenty to do for the children. For example, they can bake bread and cookies together with a baker.
In Palazzo Vescovile you can also visit the Museo dei Presepi (the museum of the nativity scenes). Here you can admire not only the traditional nativity scenes but also nativity scenes made of paper, terracotta and even ivory. Some nativity scenes are several hundred years old.
Other Christmas Markets in Italy
Have you ever visited an Italian Christmas market from this list? Or were you impressed by another Christmas market? Let me know in the comments!
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