The Christmas markets of Trentino and Alto Adige are Italy's best-kept secret in the European Christmas market landscape, they offer the authentic German-language Alpine Christmas tradition (the Christkindlmarkt format that originated in Nuremberg in 1628, with its handcrafted decorations, mulled wine, and specific Christmas bakery) in an Italian setting that adds the specific Tyrolean-Italian culinary combination (the strudel alongside the panettone. The Glühwein alongside the bombardino, the South Tyrolean hot eggnog with rum that is the specific mountain winter drink of the Dolomites). In a region that is simultaneously Italy and not quite Italy, where the road signs are bilingual, the Christmas traditions are Austro-Hungarian, but the quality of the food belongs entirely to the Italian Alps, the December market experience is genuinely specific and can't be replicated in any other Italian region.
How do you want to see it?
Trentino, ItalyCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
The Best Trentino Christmas Markets
Bolzano: The Reference Market
The Bolzano Christkindlmarkt (Piazza Walther, the central piazza of the South Tyrolean capital) is consistently rated among the top 5 Christmas markets in Europe, the combination of the Gothic Duomo backdrop, the specifically Tyrolean market design (wooden stalls with pitched roofs, uniform lighting design, the specific smell of Glühwein and roasted chestnuts in the mountain air), and the quality of the artisan products (the South Tyrolean woodcarving tradition produces Christmas decorations of a quality not found at the average Christmas market) makes Bolzano the reference standard for Italian Christmas markets. Typically open from the last Friday of November to January 6. Piazza Walther is accessible in 5 minutes' walk from the Bolzano train station (direct trains from Verona, Innsbruck, and Milan).
Merano, Bressanone, Brunico
Merano (the spa town 30km from Bolzano): the market in the pedestrianized town center, with the distinctive Merano spa architecture as backdrop. The specific Merano character: the town's spa tradition produces a market with wellness and craftsmanship products alongside the standard Christmas fare. The thermal baths (Terme Merano) are open during the market season and provide the specific mountain spa experience that combines well with a cold evening market visit. Bressanone (Brixen. 40km north of Bolzano, the oldest city in Tyrol with the Bishop's Palace): a smaller, more intimate market in the Cathedral square, with the specific religious and artistic heritage of the episcopal city providing an atmosphere the commercial markets of larger cities can't reproduce. Brunico (Bruneck, in the Val Pusteria): the easternmost market, particularly well-positioned for visitors staying in the Kronplatz ski area.
Q&A: Trentino Christmas Markets
Can I combine Christmas markets with skiing in Trentino?
Yes, this is the specific advantage of the South Tyrolean markets over any other Italian Christmas market. The Bolzano Christmas market operates simultaneously with the ski season in the Alta Badia, Val Gardena, and Plan de Corones ski areas (30-45 minutes from Bolzano by bus or car). A morning ski + afternoon market combination is entirely practical: ski from 9am to 1pm (the South Tyrolean ski areas have excellent morning light), return to Bolzano by 3pm, walk the Christkindlmarkt in the late afternoon and evening. The Christmas market period (late November to early January) coincides with the early ski season when snow cover is being established. December typically offers the first good skiing of the season in the Dolomiti Superski area.
