Christmas markets Β· Italy
Christmas Markets in Italy: Rome and Milan, Dates and Guide
Italy's Christmas markets covered here are in Rome and Milan. Rome's classic is the Christmas and Befana Market in Piazza Navona (1 December 2025 - 6 January 2026, free entry), and the Befana on 6 January is its most heartfelt celebration. Milan's Piazza Duomo market was open 1 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, and the Fiera degli Oh Bej! Oh Bej! around Sforza Castle is held for four days around 7 December. Dates shown are the latest confirmed editions (2025); for an alpine-style market, many people head to Trento instead.
10 markets Β· checked October 2026
- Florence Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Piazza Santa CroceLast season: 15 Nov - 21 Dec 2025Free entry; prices above average.
- Christmas Market in Piazza DuomoLast season: 1 Dec 2025 - 6 Jan 2026Free entry.
- Fiera degli Oh Bej! Oh Bej!Last season: 5-8 Dec 2025Free entry.
- Christmas WorldLast season: 29 Nov 2025 - 11 Jan 2026In 2025 about EUR 50 for entry alone for two adults and one girl, according to visitors; attractions and food extra.
- Christmas and Befana Market in Piazza NavonaLast season: 1 Dec 2025 - 6 Jan 2026Free entry.
- Christmas Market at Campo Santo StefanoLast season: 23 Nov - 24 Dec 2025Free entry.
- Christmas Markets in Mestre (Piazza Ferretto)Last season: 21 Nov - 28 Dec 2025Free entry; the ice rink is paid.
- Il Fantastico Castello di Babbo Natale (Santa's Fantastic Castle)Last season: 16 Nov 2025 - 6 Jan 2026Ticket payable (2022: about EUR 48 for two adults and one reduced) plus parking.
- Borgo di Babbo Natale (Santa's Village)Last season: 15 Nov - 6 Jan 2026Ticket payable; photos and some activities extra.
- Eur Christmas Rome - Il Villaggio (The Village)Last season: 22 Nov 2025 - 6 Jan 2026Free entry; rink and rides payable.
π§ With kids
β¨ Date night
π With friends
Florence
π· Freepenguin Β· CC BY-SA 3.0European-style market Β· Florence
Florence Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Piazza Santa Croce
German-style Christmas market in front of the Santa Croce basilica: wooden chalets, German and Austrian specialities, Tuscan crafts.
π With friendsβ¨ Date nightWhat's there
- Wooden chalets in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce
- Food from northern and eastern Europe (Polish, Hungarian)
- Spices, decorations and minerals
- Lights and Christmas music
What visitors say
The Santa Croce setting is wonderful and for many Florentine families it is a yearly tradition, with food from various countries. Critics find little real craftsmanship, wholesale goods, above-average prices and a market that never changes.
Lovely for the atmosphere and a standing dinner - not for craft shopping.
- Last season
- 15 Nov - 21 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry; prices above average.
Getting there and parking
- 10 minutes on foot from the Duomo; 20 minutes from Santa Maria Novella.
Worth knowing
- Bring cash for some stalls.
Milan
π· Andrβ¬a Β· CC BY-SA 4.0
π· Pjhooker Β· CC BY-SA 3.0
Holiday market Β· Milan
Christmas Market in Piazza Duomo
The chalets beside the Duomo, next to the square's big tree. For a bigger market in Milan there is also the traditional Oh Bej! Oh Bej! fair around Sforza Castle (7-8 December).
π With friendsWhat's there
- Chalets beside the Duomo
- The big tree of Piazza Duomo
- Close to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
A stop during a walk in the centre; for a traditional market, go to Oh Bej! Oh Bej! (7-8 December) or take a trip to Trento.
- Last season
- 1 Dec 2025 - 6 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Metro M1/M3 Duomo. By car, on weekdays from 7:30 to 19:30 entry to the centre (Area C) is charged.
Worth knowing
- Medium and large dogs must be on a lead and muzzled, including on public transport.
π· Jonathan Retico Β· CC BY 2.0
π· Jonathan Retico Β· CC BY 2.0
Weekend market Β· Milan
Fiera degli Oh Bej! Oh Bej!
Milan's oldest fair, held on the days of Sant'Ambrogio: hundreds of stalls around Sforza Castle.
π With friendsπ§ With kidsWhat's there
- Stalls around Sforza Castle and Parco Sempione
- Sweets and roast chestnuts, street food
- Antiques, toys, clothing
- Milanese Sant'Ambrogio tradition (7 December)
Not to be missed if you are in Milan for the Sant'Ambrogio long weekend; it is a popular fair, not a Tyrolean-style market.
- Last season
- 5-8 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Metro M1 Cairoli or M2 Lanza, a stone's throw from the Castle.
Worth knowing
- It lasts only 4 days around 7 December.
- Very crowded in the afternoon: go in the morning.
Rome
IllustrationChristmas village Β· Rome
Christmas World
π§ With kidsWhat's there
- Christmas village in Villa Borghese
- Themed areas on the European capitals
- Shows and musicals
- Santa Claus, the Befana and elves
What visitors sayGoogle 3.3 β Β· 758 reviews
Carefully made sets, lights and shows win over the children, but almost everyone talks about the costs: you pay for entry and then for almost every attraction, and on peak days there are long queues. Better value with the online offers.
A Christmas theme park, not a Christmas market: budget for it as a paid outing with children.
- Last season
- 29 Nov 2025 - 11 Jan 2026
- Cost
- In 2025 about EUR 50 for entry alone for two adults and one girl, according to visitors; attractions and food extra.
Getting there and parking
- Metro A Flaminio or Spagna; buses 61, 89, 119, 160, 490, 495. Entrance from Piazzale delle Canestre (viale del Galoppatoio).
- With the ticket, 20% off at the Saba car park at Villa Borghese.
Worth knowing
- Wheelchair accessible; there is no pushchair storage.
- Dogs allowed on a lead (large ones muzzled).
π· Nicholas Gemini Β· CC BY-SA 3.0
π· Nicholas Gemini Β· CC BY-SA 3.0
Holiday market Β· Rome
Christmas and Befana Market in Piazza Navona
Rome's historic market: stalls of sweets, toys, nativity scenes and Befana stockings around Bernini's fountains.
π§ With kidsβ¨ Date nightWhat's there
- Stalls among Bernini's fountains
- Sweets, sweet coal and Befana stockings
- Nativity figurines and toys
- The square's vintage carousel
Rome's Christmas market par excellence: more tradition than craft, to see in the evening and on 5-6 January.
- Last season
- 1 Dec 2025 - 6 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- On foot from the Pantheon (5 minutes) or from Campo de' Fiori; buses to corso Rinascimento.
- There is no parking in the historic centre: better to use public transport.
Worth knowing
- The most heartfelt celebration is the Befana, on 6 January.
- Open until late at night (until 1 am, public holidays until 2 am).
IllustrationChristmas village Β· Rome
Il Fantastico Castello di Babbo Natale (Santa's Fantastic Castle)
π§ With kidsWhat's there
- Castello di Lunghezza on the edge of Rome
- Santa's rooms, post office, elves' workshop
- The Befana's house and the Grinch's hideout
- Shows (Frozen and others)
What visitors sayGoogle 4.0 β Β· 243 reviews
For many families the biggest Santa village they have ever seen, with an extensive park and shows that enchant the children. The criticism: too many people on peak days, a high cost for two adults and a child, parking far away and little to do in the rain.
A magical day for small children in Rome - on a weekday and in good weather.
- Last season
- 16 Nov 2025 - 6 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Ticket payable (2022: about EUR 48 for two adults and one reduced) plus parking.
Getting there and parking
- By car: Castello di Lunghezza, via Collatina; paid parking.
- FL2 train to Lunghezza, then on foot.
Worth knowing
- Avoid crowded weekends.
- Check the weather: much of the event is outdoors.
Christmas village Β· Rome
Borgo di Babbo Natale (Santa's Village)
π§ With kidsWhat's there
- Tenuta dei Papaveri on the edge of Rome
- Shows all day (Frozen, Grinch, Wednesday)
- Kinder Circus and baby dance
- Grotto with musical bears
What visitors sayGoogle 4.0 β Β· 90 reviews
Families who love it praise the performers, the many shows and the village atmosphere with warm lights. Others find the ticket unjustified: little to do apart from the shows, paid photos with Santa, limited food trucks and a programme that changes.
Fun for small children if you stay all day for the shows - not for a short visit.
- Last season
- 15 Nov - 6 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Ticket payable; photos and some activities extra.
Getting there and parking
- By car, large car park at the Tenuta dei Papaveri.
Worth knowing
- Check the programme via the QR code at the entrance.
Christmas village Β· Rome
Eur Christmas Rome - Il Villaggio (The Village)
π§ With kidsπ With friendsWhat's there
- Ice-skating rink
- Rides for children
- Street food with tables and mulled wine
- Stalls of sweets, gifts and crafts
What visitors say
Some have a nice evening among the rink, rides and food. Many, however, expected a big village and find a square with a rink and a few stalls; big-city prices (rides EUR 5, sandwiches EUR 12).
Good for skating and grabbing something to eat in the EUR district; not a real Christmas market.
- Last season
- 22 Nov 2025 - 6 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Free entry; rink and rides payable.
Getting there and parking
- In the EUR district, near the lake (viale America); metro B stops EUR Palasport / EUR Fermi.
Worth knowing
- On Sundays combine it with the outdoor market on viale della CiviltΓ del Lavoro, not far away.
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Venice
IllustrationHoliday market Β· Venice
Christmas Market at Campo Santo Stefano
Wooden chalets with art crafts and food and wine in the square between Rialto and the Accademia.
β¨ Date nightWhat's there
- Chalets in one of the most beautiful squares in Venice
- Art crafts and glass
- Frittelle and mulled wine
Small but romantic: a stop along the Rialto-Accademia walk.
- Last season
- 23 Nov - 24 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Vaporetto line 1 to Accademia or San Samuele, then a 5-minute walk.
Worth knowing
- Go at dusk, when the square lights up.
IllustrationHoliday market Β· Venice
Christmas Markets in Mestre (Piazza Ferretto)
The biggest market in the Venice area: chalets, a tree and an ice rink in Mestre's central square.
π§ With kidsπ With friendsWhat's there
- Chalets on Piazza Ferretto and Via Poerio
- Big tree and lights
- Ice rink
- Weekend shows
More convenient and bigger than the markets in central Venice; combine it with an evening in Mestre.
- Last season
- 21 Nov - 28 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry; the ice rink is paid.
Getting there and parking
- From Venezia Mestre station take a tram or bus to Piazza Ferretto (10 minutes).
Worth knowing
- In the historic centre of Venice there is the Campo Santo Stefano market.