THE CHIARA! CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

What a lovely Christmas!

Markets, little towns and lovely discoveries

An afternoon under the lights. Hot chocolate to share. A gift chosen with love. Your next Christmas memory starts here.

135 guides to choose from

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Photo credits

What kind of Christmas?

Choose where to go. Let Christmas bring the magic.

Today I feel like…Every idea ↗

Find a city or date

Every guide A–Z

A family nativity
A handmade Christmas gift, with a story to keep
AachenNorth Rhine-Westphalia · Germany
Acireale — Santa Maria della NeveMetropolitan City of Catania · Sicily · Italy
AlberobelloMetropolitan City of Bari · Apulia · Italy
An Advent wreath at home
AnnecyAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes · France
AostaAosta Valley · Italy
ArezzoProvince of Arezzo · Tuscany · Italy
Assisi · Franciscan placesProvince of Perugia · Umbria · Italy
AstiProvince of Asti · Piedmont · Italy
Avio CastleAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Bacoli — Miseno e FusaroMetropolitan City of Napoli · Campania · Italy
BaselBasel-Stadt · Switzerland
BergamoProvince of Bergamo · Lombardy · Italy
BernCanton of Bern · Switzerland
Bologna, Santa Lucia FairMetropolitan City of Bologna · Emilia-Romagna · Italy
BolzanoAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
BormioProvince of Sondrio · Lombardy · Italy
BressanoneAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
BrunicoAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
BrusselsBrussels-Capital · Belgium
BudapestBudapest · Hungary
Bussolengo – FloverProvince of Verona · Veneto · Italy
Cagliari, SardiniaMetropolitan City of Cagliari · Sardinia · Italy
Caltagirone, SicilyMetropolitan City of Catania · Sicily · Italy
Canale di TennoAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Candelara, PesaroProvince of Pesaro e Urbino · Marche · Italy
Caserta · Royal PalaceProvince of Caserta · Campania · Italy
Castelsardo, SardiniaMetropolitan City of Sassari · Sardinia · Italy
Castiglione del LagoProvince of Perugia · Umbria · Italy
CataniaMetropolitan City of Catania · Sicily · Italy
Christmas carols and listening
Christmas lights for everyone: free markets and a thoughtful budget
Christmas markets: bring home the light
Christmas markets: rosy cheeks, comfortable feet
Christmas wrapping that deserves a second life
Cimego · QuartinagoAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Cinecittà World, Castel Romano, Rome, LazioMetropolitan City of Roma Capitale · Lazio · Italy
ColicoProvince of Lecco · Lombardy · Italy
ColmarGrand Est · France
CologneNorth Rhine-Westphalia · Germany
Copenhagen – TivoliHovedstaden · Denmark
Craft and work in the crib
DresdenSaxony · Germany
EinsiedelnSchwyz · Switzerland
EmpoliMetropolitan City of Firenze · Tuscany · Italy
Erice, SicilyProvince of Trapani · Sicily · Italy
European Christmas flavours
FanoProvince of Pesaro e Urbino · Marche · Italy
Firenze · Santa CroceMetropolitan City of Firenze · Tuscany · Italy
Gaeta, Latina, LazioProvince of Latina · Lazio · Italy
GovoneProvince of Cuneo · Piedmont · Italy
Grandparents and grandchildren
Grazzano ViscontiProvince of Piacenza · Emilia-Romagna · Italy
GreccioProvince of Rieti · Lazio · Italy
GubbioProvince of Perugia · Umbria · Italy
HelsinkiUusimaa · Finland
InnsbruckTyrol · Austria
KrakówLesser Poland · Poland
LanaAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Levico TermeAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
LilleNord · Hauts-de-France · France
Limatola, Benevento, northern CampaniaProvince of Benevento · Campania · Italy
LivignoProvince of Sondrio · Lombardy · Italy
LocorotondoMetropolitan City of Bari · Apulia · Italy
LondonGreater London · United Kingdom
Los AngelesCalifornia · United States
LuganoTicino · Switzerland
MaastrichtLimburg · Netherlands
MantuaProvince of Mantua · Lombardy · Italy
Matera · Sasso CaveosoProvince of Matera · Basilicata · Italy
MeranoAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Milan · Oh Bej! Oh Bej!Metropolitan City of Milan · Lombardy · Italy
Milan · RhoMetropolitan City of Milano · Lombardy · Italy
MombaroccioProvince of Pesaro e Urbino · Marche · Italy
MontbéliardBourgogne-Franche-Comté · France
Montecatini TermeProvince of Pistoia · Tuscany · Italy
MontreuxVaud · Switzerland
MoscowMoscow · Russia
MunichBavaria · Germany
Naples — San MartinoMetropolitan City of Napoli · Campania · Italy
Naples · San Gregorio ArmenoMetropolitan City of Napoli · Campania · Italy
Neapolitan Christmas sweets
New YorkManhattan · New York · United States
Nordic decorations
Nordic Lucia
NurembergBavaria · Germany
One day, so many lights: Christmas market trips from Milan
OrtiseiAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
OssanaAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
ParisÎle-de-France · France
Pergine ValsuganaAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
PerugiaProvince of Perugia · Umbria · Italy
PesaroProvince of Pesaro e Urbino · Marche · Italy
Pietrarsa — Napoli e PorticiMetropolitan City of Napoli · Campania · Italy
PordenoneProvince of Pordenone · Friuli-Venezia Giulia · Italy
PraguePrague · Czechia
RangoAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
RigaRiga Region · Latvia
Riva del GardaAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Rothenburg ob der TauberBavaria · Germany
RoveretoAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Saint Nicholas in Europe
SalernoProvince of Salerno · Campania · Italy
SalzburgState of Salzburg · Austria
San CandidoAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
Sant’Agata FeltriaProvince of Rimini · Emilia-Romagna · Italy
Santa Maria MaggioreProvince of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola · Piedmont · Italy
SarnicoProvince of Bergamo · Lombardy · Italy
Sauris di SopraProvince of Udine · Friuli-Venezia Giulia · Italy
SirorAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
St PetersburgSt Petersburg · Russia
Step off the train and into Christmas: market trips without a car
Still in the mood for Christmas lights? Where to go after the big day
StockholmStockholm County · Sweden
StrasbourgGrand Est · France
Stresa · Lake MaggioreProvince of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola · Piedmont · Italy
StuttgartBaden-Württemberg · Germany
TallinnHarju · Estonia
TerniProvince of Terni · Umbria · Italy
This gift has a heart: Milan’s Christmas markets that support good causes
TrentoAutonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
TurinMetropolitan City of Turin · Piedmont · Italy
ValkenburgLimburg · Netherlands
VancouverBritish Columbia · Canada
VeronaProvince of Verona · Veneto · Italy
Vetralla, Tuscia, LazioProvince of Viterbo · Lazio · Italy
ViennaState of Vienna · Austria
VilniusVilnius County · Lithuania
VipitenoAutonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy
What a lovely Christmas! Find the market that feels right for you
What can I do too? Choosing Christmas markets with children
ZagrebCity of Zagreb · Croatia
ZurichCanton of Zurich · Switzerland

Compare up to three destinations

Put admission, arrival, visiting time and an indoor alternative side by side.

Destination 1Destination 2Destination 3Clear comparison

Dresden

Saxony · Germany

Admission and costs: Admission to the Altmarkt Striezelmarkt is free. Food and attractions cost extra; the medieval market in the Stallhof is a different event and should not be assumed free merely because it is nearby.
Getting there: From Dresden Hauptbahnhof leave towards Wiener Platz and follow Prager Straße to Altmarkt: the tourist board identifies this street as the link between station and square. Continue on foot towards Neumarkt and Frauenkirche without changing neighbourhoods.
Time to allow: Allow around 3 hours at the destination, excluding travel.
If it rains: The Verkehrsmuseum in the Johanneum, Augustusstraße 1, explores transport history near Frauenkirche. A separate ticket is required; the model railway is out of operation for maintenance until 27 November 2026.

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Brussels

Brussels-Capital · Belgium

Admission and costs: The squares and market are free to enter. Attractions, rides, food and purchases cost extra. Closing is at 6 pm on 24 and 31 December and 3 January; Grand-Place has no sound-and-light show on these three dates.
Getting there: From Bruxelles-Central station, walk to Grand-Place. Continue towards the Bourse and Place Sainte-Catherine: this linear route links the main Winter Wonders areas and helps avoid repeatedly retracing the same stalls.
Time to allow: Allow around 4 hours at the destination, excluding travel.
If it rains: The Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert provide a covered passage near the historic centre, with shop windows and architecture. Walking through does not require a museum ticket; shops, cafés and performances are paid separately.

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33 guides to explore

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Catania

Metropolitan City of Catania · Sicily · Italy

Traditions

Christmas Town in Catania, from ice skating to the circus

Christmas Town at Le Ciminiere · 5 Dec 2026 – 6 Jan 2027

Tickets, holiday hours and ideas for a family visit to Le Ciminiere, even in the rain.

About 4 hours at the destination

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Sauris di Sotto with Saint Oswald’s church in autumn, without a Christmas market. Archive photograph (2007-10-07); does not document the 2026 edition.

Sauris di Sopra

Province of Udine · Friuli-Venezia Giulia · Italy

Christmas market

Christmas in Sauris: three days in a mountain world

Mercatino di Natale · 5–6 & 8 Dec 2026 · Selected opening days only

On 5, 6 and 8 December 2026, this Carnic village welcomes crafts, Star songs and timber houses. The scattered nativity scenes continue until Epiphany.

Free admissionAbout 3 hours at the destination

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Ossana

Autonomous Province of Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy

Nativity scenes and traditions

Ossana (Trento), Trentino–South Tyrol: follow the red thread of nativity scenes

Ossana village of 1,000 nativity scenes · 27 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027

In Ossana, in the province of Trento in northern Italy's Trentino–South Tyrol region, over 1,600 nativity scenes fill the Val di Sole village from 27 November 2026 to 6 January 2027.

About 3 hours at the destination

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Ortisei

Autonomous Province of Bolzano · Trentino-South Tyrol · Italy

Christmas market

Christmas in Ortisei: wonder carved in wood

Christmas village: retail huts · 28 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027

Nadel Urtijëi brings festive huts and flavours to the centre from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, with an early break and different shopping and food hours.

About 3 hours at the destination

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Basilica of St Francis in Assisi illuminated at night in September 2019: local context, without Christmas installations. Archive photograph (2019-09-23 20:00:36); does not document the 2026 edition.

Assisi · Franciscan places

Province of Perugia · Umbria · Italy

Traditions

Assisi Christmas market 2026: Palazzo and a walk through the old town

Start at the basilicas of St Francis and St Clare, then spend the afternoon at Natale Palazzano. Four December dates bring together the historic hill town and the hamlet of Palazzo.

Free admissionAbout 4 hours at the destination

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Detail of the Cuciniello nativity scene at the San Martino Museum in Naples. Archive photograph (2013-07-21 17:38:45); does not document the 2026 edition.

Naples — San Martino

Metropolitan City of Napoli · Campania · Italy

Nativity scenes

Naples: Christmas in miniature at San Martino

At the Vomero charterhouse, the Cuciniello crib and historic collections reveal Neapolitan Christmas beyond the shop windows.

Ticket requiredAbout 3 hours at the destination

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Alberobello

Metropolitan City of Bari · Apulia · Italy

Traditions

Winter in Alberobello: a gift of time among the trulli

Rione Monti, Aia Piccola and Trullo Sovrano: a cultural winter walk among the Itria Valley’s remarkable stone homes.

Free admissionAbout 4 hours at the destination

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Locorotondo

Metropolitan City of Bari · Apulia · Italy

Traditions

Locorotondo: a white winter among the cummerse

Lanes, pitched roofs and Itria Valley churches: a cultural walk to give yourself during the festive season.

Free admissionAbout 3 hours at the destination

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Basilica of Saint Sebastian in Acireale: city context, not the eighteenth-century nativity scene. Archive photograph (2009-02-06); does not document the 2026 edition.

Acireale — Santa Maria della Neve

Metropolitan City of Catania · Sicily · Italy

Nativity scenes

Acireale: a nativity scene inside a lava grotto

At Santa Maria della Neve, wax-faced figures and a natural setting tell a Sicilian Christmas story worth looking at slowly.

Ticket requiredAbout 4 hours at the destination

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Nativity by Federico Barocci, around 1599, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan. Photographic reproduction of a historical painting, not a domestic nativity scene.

A family nativityNativity scenes

Your family nativity begins with an open box

A simple space, a few figures and a story to share: make a nativity scene with children without turning it into a competition.

What kind of Christmas?

Dresden

Brussels

Browse the guides

Dates for your diary!

Christmas in everyday life

In Zurich the Christmas tree really sings. And you want to leave!

CHRISTMAS: THERE IS MORE THAN ONE STORY IN THE NATIVITY SCENE!