Since 1441, Tallinn, Estonia, has adorned its Town Hall Square with a decorated tree. This makes it the first place in Europe to set up a Christmas tree—and the perfect place to have a Christmas market!

While the Christmas tree is the star of the show, this market has so much more in store. In addition to local merchants who “offer Estonian Christmas cuisine, from black pudding and sour cabbage to gingerbread and hot Christmas drinks,” it also features another special guest: Jõuluvana, or Santa Claus!

Every year, Wiener Rathausplatz, Vienna’s town hall square, is transformed into Wiener Weihnachtstraum, or the “Viennese Christmas Dream.” In this traditional Austrian fair, visitors will find all the trimmings that have come to define Christmas markets, like handmade goodies and hot mulled wine, as well as an ice-skating rink and even Christmas carolers.

What makes this market truly special, however, is its “dreamlike backdrop of the City Hall,” a luminous 19th-century Neo-Gothic landmark.

With roots in medieval Germany, this annual advent tradition is now popular in cities, towns, and villages around the world.

Every December, the Cathedral Christmas Market pops up in Cologne’s city center. Like other Christmas markets, this fair offers a range of regional specialties, from sausage to stollen, a German fruit cake […]

Source: 6 of the Most Magical Christmas Markets Around the World