Tallinn Christmas Market
Christmas market · Toompea ·
Medieval square market with crafts, local food, and mulled wine
Medieval square market with crafts, local food, and mulled wine
"For the last six centuries, a Christmas tree has stood regally in the center of Tallinn’s historic Town Hall Square every single year. (This year’s even reaches 15 meters high.) The medieval Estonian capital, overlooking the Baltic Sea, also hosts an annual market replete with festive atmosphere. Pay a visit to Santa Claus in his cottage on the square, drift over to the stalls to hunt for handcrafted decorations and cozy sheep wool knits, or fill up on sauerkraut and blood sausages washed down by specialty mulled wine. (There are also Estonian gingerbread cookies and cinnamon-cardamom pastries for those with a sweet tooth.) To finish, watch a spirited weekend performance by regional folk dancers and musicians." - Nicole Kliest
"Centered on Town Hall Square, this festive market unfurls around Tallinn’s legendary Christmas tree—the very spot where Europe’s first public Christmas tree was displayed in 1441—with the city running a September contest to find a full-bodied fir or spruce with dense, symmetrical branches that’s lit at the official opening. From the square’s center, characterful wooden stalls radiate outwards selling woollen scarves and jumpers, sheepskin slippers and blankets, hand-crafted leather gifts, and tree decorations and carved wooden ornaments; overhead, fairy lights glitter against fluttering snowflakes during the short winter days (Tallinn receives just six hours of daylight at the solstice). Warm up with a spicy-sweet mug of glögg—traditionally a mulled wine or spirit flavoured with local berries and fruits, now also offered in non-alcoholic forms—while watching visitors of all ages spin on the carousels, then seek out the piparkoogid stalls for ready-made cookies, intriguingly flavoured doughs, and stunning gingerbread creations, including some made to a “health-benefitting” medieval recipe that border on works of art. If you’re feeling hands-on, head to the craft workshop to make your own Christmas ornaments or try your hand at a reflector (mandatory attire on Estonia’s dark streets), or simply grab a seat by the weekend stage for classic performances in traditional dress while tucking into sausages, potatoes, stewed sauerkraut and black pudding with lingonberry sauce. Opening hours are 10am–10pm from 22nd November 2024 to 27th December 2024." - Elizabeth Winter
"Known for its charming medieval setting and a high chance of snow, Tallinn's market is a festive favorite with a significant increase in tourist demand." - Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeare
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