Italy turns properly festive in winter, and the country's Christmas markets span snow‑dusted Alpine towns and storied city squares, with artisan crafts, nativity scenes and the scent of mulled wine in the air. This season brings easy hops between Bolzano, Verona, Milan and Rome, with Naples’ San Gregorio Armeno adding year‑round nativity craftsmanship.
Where in Italy are the best Christmas markets?
For 2025, the most atmospheric Christmas markets cluster in the north, especially across one of Italy's top winter destinations, Trentino–Alto Adige/Südtirol. If you’re deciding where to go on holiday in Italy in December, you might find that the snowy parts of the country draw you in. Or, perhaps you're in search of places with winter sun in Italy for a nice change.
Bolzano Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza Walther and along Via Isarco
- When: 27th November 2025 – 6th January 2026
Bolzano/Bozen is the big one up north, all Alpine wooden huts, pine garlands and the snow-capped Dolomites peeking over the rooftops. You’ll find traditional Italian Christmas food from South Tyrol like speck, krapfen and apple strudel, plenty of vin brulé, choirs, and a carousel to keep little legs happy.
If you’ve got an extra day, Merano’s riverside market nearby is a lovely add-on, especially as the lights come up along the Passirio. Both towns tend to run family workshops and small concerts in the afternoons, and weekday evenings are usually the calmest window to browse.
Turin Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza Solferino andVia Palazzo di Città, Susa
- When: early December 2025 – early January 2026
Turin brings refined Savoy elegance to the season, with stalls in central squares, cups of bicerin, and chocolate galore, including classic gianduiotti. Luci d’Artista, one of Italy's most impressive Christmas light displays, turns the streets into an open-air light gallery, so a gentle evening wander doubles as your sightseeing.
If you’re in the region longer, Susa’s La Magia del Natale, 7th December until 8th January, has that cosy mountain-town feel. Santa Maria Maggiore in the Vigezzo Valley also does a cracking festive weekend, good for wooden toys and woollens with a proper Alpine backdrop.
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Milan Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza Duomo, Milan
- When: 5th December 2025 – 6th January 2026
Milan’s market sits at the foot of the Duomo, with neat rows of chalets stocking design-led gifts, gourmet treats and handmade ornaments. It’s easy to pair a circuit of the stalls with a lazy coffee on the cathedral side streets and a slice of panettone to keep you going.
Around 7th December, Oh Bej! Oh Bej! market pops up near Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione, famous for strings of smoked chestnuts called firunatt. If you fancy broadening the net, Como’s “City of Toys” light show and Mantua’s market add two very different festive moods within Lombardy.
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Rome Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza Navona, Rome
- When: early December 2025 – 6th January 2025
Piazza Navona does Christmas with a Roman flourish: a vintage carousel spinning beneath Bernini’s fountains, stalls selling crafts and toys, and plenty of sweet treats like torroncino. Street performers drift through the square, and there’s an unmistakable witchy Befana buzz as 6 th January draws near.
If you’re on a nativity hunt, churches around the centre showcase beautiful presepi; the city often hosts themed exhibitions that are worth a peek between markets. Early evenings see the best glow without the heaviest crowds, and the surrounding streets are handy for a hot chocolate stop when the wind nips.
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Naples Christmas Market
- Where: National Railway Museum in Pietrarsa; Via San Gregorio Armeno
- When: 29th November to 6th January 2026
Naples is presepe country, and Via San Gregorio Armeno is the beating heart: a year-round lane of nativity workshops that bursts into overdrive through Advent. Expect everything from traditional shepherds to cheeky celebrity figurines, plus the heady mix of incense, paint and roasted chestnuts in the air.
Down on the waterfront, the Pietrarsa Railway Museum hosts a family-friendly market with wooden stalls and artisan makers; recent editions have been around €8 to enter. It’s an easy hop by local train along the coast, and pairs nicely with a plate of sfogliatella back in the centre once you’re done browsing.
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Verona Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza dei Signori, Cortile Mercato Vecchio and Cortile del Tribunale
- When: 21st November 2025 – 28th December 2025
Verona is a top Italian city for a winter getaway, channelling Christmas with a Christkindlmarkt feel. More than sixty huts, mugs of vin brulé, gingerbread and roasted chestnuts under the arches are commonplace. The medieval courtyards look especially pretty after dusk, when the lights bounce off the old stone.
Over in Piazza Bra, the enormous comet sculpture arcs out of the Arena like a beacon, a proper festive photo spot. If you’re keen on nativity art, the Presepi dal Mondo exhibition usually runs alongside the market and makes a tidy cultural detour.
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Florence Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza Santa Croce
- When: 15th November 2025 – 21st December 2025
Santa Croce’s Heidelberg-inspired Weihnachtsmarkt blends German chalet vibes with Florentine craft heritage. Think glühwein, bratwurst and gingerbread on one table, leather goods, ceramics and panforte on the next, all backed by the basilica’s honey-coloured façade.
It’s a lovely stop between museum days, and the square’s layout means you can do a relaxed loop without feeling hemmed in. Choir performances and small workshops usually pepper the programme, and early weekday evenings tend to be the sweet spot for a quieter browse.
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Trento Christmas Market
- Where: Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra
- When: 21st November 2025 – 6th January 2026
Trento leans into its “Città del Natale” nickname with two compact hubs of wooden huts, handmade ornaments and cosy winter wear. Food is a highlight, with mountain cheeses, honey, chocolates and slices of zelten to sample between stalls.
There’s a steady run of concerts, workshops, tastings and kid-friendly bits across the season, plus a small festive train that trundles through the centre. The market prides itself on greener practices too, with waste separation, clean energy and recyclable materials quietly built into the set-up.
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Deciding where to spend Christmas in Italy really depends on how you envision the special day to be. However, being aware of seasonal openings and Italian Christmas traditions is a good way to get started when planning a winter holiday in Italy.
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