Christmas Markets

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While some of the Christmas Markets Italy are fashioned after the ones you’d find in other European countries,  Milan’s markets around the famed cathedral and the Castello are 100 percent made in Italy.  Legend has it that the markets date back to the 1500s, when a papal envoy came to Milan bearing gifts for all the city’s children.

Bolzano is one of Italy’s oldest Christmas markets. In the shadow of the snow-covered Dolomites, the medieval city center hosts numerous stalls in Piazza Walther selling locally made wares and traditional treats. The rustic romance is enough to charm visitors of all ages. You can of course find food stands, plus the local restaurants.

The Merano Christmas Market covers most of the town center with market stalls located on the scenic Passer (River) Promenade. The culinary focus of the market relies on the local food, including a display of its Speck production, giving away some of the secrets behind their delicious smoked bacon and “Mein Beck” (ie my baker in the local dialect)

Verona has a tradition of romance and you’re sure to fall in love with this dreamy Christmas Market, which takes influences from Germany. You’ll find German foods, from sausage to "Stollen" (a Christmas fruit bread) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread) in the stalls enclosed in the central Piazza Signori. The city’s famed Roman arena and historical entrance are also illuminated with thousands of lights and a giant Christmas star.

There are larger Christmas markets in Italy, but few can boast a better backdrop than Florence’s gorgeous Gothic basilica in Piazza di Santa Croce. As you’d expect from its name, the Florence Weihnachtsmarkt draws heavily on German traditions – but its 50 or so wooden huts house a mixture of exhibitors from all over Europe, so you’re sure to some Florentine panforte (fruit cake) to go with your Bratwurst!

Highly rated hotel with double rooms and suites available in a clean artistic style – near Piazza Duomo and the Christmas Market.

Offers combination custom-designed,  suites and apartments within but a few steps to the market in Piazza Walther.

The 4-star boutique hotel overlooks the Arno river, but only a 5 minute walk to Piazza Santa Croce and the Christmas Markets.