The most beautiful Christmas markets in Tuscany

Tuscany is beautiful all year round, but at Christmas time, it becomes even more fascinating. As tradition dictates, during the Christmas period, the characteristic Christmas markets cannot be missed. Amidst decorations, coloured lights, little wooden houses and delicacies of all kinds, they attract tourists and onlookers from everywhere. In Tuscany, they are set up practically everywhere, both in the big cities and in the villages, warming up the cold winter days.

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Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence

One of the most beautiful and famous is undoubtedly the one set up in Piazza Santa Croce, the Weihnachtsmarkt, the characteristic market that evokes the typical Christmas atmosphere of German villages. An appointment that has become traditional. In the shadow of the basilica, about fifty small wooden houses are set up with handicrafts and traditional food from all over Europe. Here you can find gifts, ceramic household items, Christmas decorations, clothing and tasty food and wine specialities for sale. But that’s not all: Santa’s little house and a full calendar of events also await you.

The Tyrolean Village in Arezzo

Also not to be missed is the Tyrolean Village in Piazza Grande in Arezzo, the largest, the only and the original Tyrolean market in Italy. Around 30 wooden huts host exhibitors from the Tyrol, Germany and Austria, with the best of local products from Tuscany. Among the stands you can buy decorations and handcrafted objects or taste many delicacies for the palate such as canederli and spätzle, accompanied by rivers of beer. In addition to a series of themed events, there are also: the Christmas Gardenar, the shopping area dedicated to green ideas for sustainable gifts; guided tours in the historical centre of Arezzo; the Father Christmas House, set up inside the historical Palazzo di Fraternita; and the Christmas Brick, the large Lego village.

The Montepulciano Christmas Village

For the Christmas festivities, a Christmas Village is set up in the medieval town of Montepulciano, with many surprises for the whole family. In the charming setting of Piazza Grande, Via San Donato and the adjacent streets host a Christmas market with no less than 80 wooden huts displaying local handicrafts, clothing, leather goods, culinary specialities, decorations and ornaments. While the medieval fortress becomes Father Christmas’s Castle, able to amaze children as well as adults. Also in the area is the Christmas Terrace, a unique and evocative space from which to admire one of Tuscany’s most beautiful landscapes while tasting a glass of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG accompanied by Tuscan gastronomic delicacies.

Empoli City of Christmas

In the central Piazza della Vittoria in Empoli, a special Christmas Market is held, attracting thousands of people from all over Tuscany and beyond. Among the typical wooden huts, you can find a wide range of Italian and international cuisine, handicrafts, Christmas gifts, table linen and much more. In addition to the market, there will also be an amusement park and an ice skating rink in Piazza Matteotti; the unique spectacle of the Great Snowfall in Piazza Farinata degli Uberti; the Magical World of Father Christmas in Via dei Neri; the original Mattoncini Village in Piazza Del Popolo; the House of Mascots and the Magic Tree also in Piazza della Vittoria.

Christmas Fair in Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is one of the most exclusive and worldly seaside resorts in Italy, but it also reserves pleasant surprises during the winter. Piazza Garibaldi and the adjacent streets host the Christmas Fair with traditional markets offering a wide range of products, including handicrafts, for Christmas shopping: gift ideas, decorations, furnishings, and children’s toys. There will also be: the Kingdom of Father Christmas inside the Fortino, where children are welcomed by Santa Claus himself and can take part in many activities; the ‘Innanzi al Recinto’ exhibition at Villa Bertelli, which retraces the history and works of the great Neapolitan crib tradition; and the ice rink in Pinetina Fleming.