Wrocław Christmas Market crowned the most beautiful in Europe
Anna DRUŚ
The Wrocław Christmas Market, an event held annually for many years, was voted the most beautiful in Europe in an online poll by the travel social media account ‘Europe.’ Polish markets are attracting more and more attention from foreign tourists.
It wasn’t an easy competition with gorgeous Christmas towns in Germany, France and the Netherlands also in the running. And while the outcome against Munich remained in doubt until the last minute, Wrocław ultimately emerged victorious.
The vote confirmed a trend that Western media had been observing for years. Our western neighbours have noticed that, while Polish Christmas markets are a newer tradition, they’re quickly surpassing the popularity of older ones in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria or France.
The tradition of Christmas fairs in Poland is not as established as in Germany. For many years, Poles only knew them from their trips to Germany or the Czech Republic. German fairs served as the primary model and inspiration for Polish organisers. By now, however, the student has apparently become the master, as Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk radio station notes in its December 2023 text.
They referred to ratings on popular tourist websites, like TripAdvisor and CNN, which were showcasing Wrocław and Kraków’s Christmas markets as more attractive than those in France, the Netherlands or Germany.
The allure of Polish fairs for Western tourists lies primarily in the combination of affordable prices, good product quality and safety. Poland has not seen any terrorist attacks targeting tourists, unlike Germany and France, where such incidents are becoming increasingly common.
Christmas markets currently held in Poland’s major cities have a tradition dating back no more than two decades. The Wrocław fair, for example, has been organised in its present form since 2008. It doesn’t mean, however, that we cannot boast a tradition as old as the markets in Czech Prague, Vienna, Cologne, Strasbourg or Seville.
Like in the rest of Europe, the first fairs on Polish soil were hosted as early as the Middle Ages. Gdansk and Krakow were the first to implement the idea of using festivities to promote trade, reflecting the cities’ deep-rooted merchant traditions. The first documented Christmas market in Wroclaw’s Market Square dates back to the 16th century and was initially geared towards children. It opened two weeks before Christmas and beckoned visitors with its many stalls selling handmade toys and sweets. This tradition survived for centuries to come back to life in communist-free Poland.
What once occupied a small portion of Wroclaw’s Market Square now fills the entire space, attracting tens of thousands of people from Poland and abroad every year. No longer just a place for treats or holiday crafts, the event has grown significantly to rival the scale of fairs in Vienna, Strasbourg or Prague.
Stalls offering delicious food and drinks (with mulled wine topping the list) are accompanied by many attractions for children, including the special ‘Fairy Tale Forest’ area. It has a roller-coaster and a Christmas windmill where visitors can enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate. To add to the festivities, music stars will perform regularly on the fair stage, starting on opening day. There will also be an open-air performance of The Snow Queen on 8 December.
This year’s Wroclaw Christmas Market opens on 28 November and runs until 7 January.
The most famous Christmas markets in Europe are held in Germany, which likes to claim the origin of the tradition. Christmas markets have long been cherished, less for pre-Christmas shopping (which has largely shifted to enclosed malls) and more for providing a charming spot where people can gather to enjoy the festive atmosphere and good company during long winter evenings. Every market aims for uniqueness, whether it’s a special local drink, a mascot or a giant Christmas tree. Nowadays, a common feature at most fairs is a small ice rink, offering visitors some physical activity to warm up after spending a long time in the chilly air. Bright decorations adorn every space, adding to the magical Christmas atmosphere.
