In recent years, many Christmas markets have become so famous that they hardly need introductions. Beautiful, for sure, but consequently crowded, where long lines form for a glass of hot mulled wine and where strolls feel more bustling than leisurely.
For those who, instead, want to be enveloped by the warmth of the holidays in calmer settings, where you can truly enjoy gastronomy, crafts, and handmade decorations, we have the right destinations.
Here are the best little-known Italian Christmas markets to discover this year.
Fondo, Val di Non (Trentino)
In the Upper Val di Non, at the foot of the Mendola and Palade Passes, Fondo becomes a Christmas Village, with illuminated streets and open shops. The market is held in the Rion quarter, next to the old Bertagnolli Mill and the historic washhouse, among local products, crafts, and sweets.
From here you can continue along the gorge promenade, with lights and nativity scenes in the canyon, to the frozen Emerald Lake where you can ice skate. The Christmas Village opens on weekends from December 6 to 20 (including the 8th), December 24 to 31 (excluding Christmas) and January 2 to 5. Precisely on January 5 the celebration closes with the ciaspolada, which this year crowns the world titles in snowshoe running.
Arco (Trentino)
Arco preserves the elegance of the old Austrian spa town and at Christmas, with wooden stalls filling the squares of the historic center, it becomes even more enchanting. Between one decoration stall and another, don’t miss the opportunity to taste the dishes of Garda Trentino: Bohemian gnocchi, polenta with goulash, and strauben with blueberry jam, all accompanied by mulled wine. The program also includes concerts, street performances, and workshops for the little ones.
The market opens on weekends from November 13 and then, from December, with nearly daily openings until January 6 (closed on December 25).
Rango (Trentino)
Staying in Trentino, we reach one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. We’re talking about Rango, a small village in the Giudicarie, not far from the Terme di Como. Here you’ll find a market unlike the usual one, not organized with the classic stalls, but set up inside the old farmhouses: the corridors of the ancient stables, the covered passages between houses, and the vaulted cellars where salumi and farm products were once stored are immersed in magical Christmas atmospheres.
Here you can find wooden toys, tools, and local specialties. The market opens on weekends from November 14 to December 31, with extra openings on December 7 and 8 and from December 29 to 31.
Chiusa (South Tyrol)
In Valle Isarco we find Chiusa, a medieval village that lights up with lanterns and candles in December. Among wooden houses and the ancient cellars of the historic center, local artisans and producers offer carved figurines, ceramics, and natural products, while pastries and apple fritters pair with mulled wine.
Every Advent Sunday the night watchman lights hundreds of candles along the lanes and, on several evenings, Mary and Joseph traverse the town with the living nativity. The market opens from November 27 to 29, December 4 to 8, December 11 to 13, and December 18 to 23, from 10:00 to 19:00.
San Vigilio di Marebbe (South Tyrol)
In the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, between the Fanes-Senes-Braies and the Puez-Odle natural parks, San Vigilio di Marebbe hosts a small and intimate Christmas market, away from the big tourist circuits. The wooden stalls nestle among the town’s houses and, between a mug of mulled wine and a baked apple, you can discover wood carvings and boiled-wool creations by local artisans.
If you’re after a stronger thrill, mark Friday evening December 11 on the calendar. On that occasion, over one hundred Krampus, with hand-carved masks and heavy bells, parade through the streets to the beat of drums, amid smoke and torches.
Ortisei (South Tyrol)
If you’re after handmade souvenirs or gift ideas, the market to reach is Ortisei, the home of carved wood. We are in the heart of the Val Gardena, where from November 28 to January 6 the Christmas stalls will display many hand-carved nativity figurines, pieces of artistic and refined craft.
Between purchases, sample the specialties of the South Tyrolean and Ladin cuisine and the homemade desserts, to be savored amid the atmospheric warmth of the lights and Christmas carols.
Selva di Val Gardena (South Tyrol)
The last market we recommend in South Tyrol is organized in Selva di Val Gardena, at the foot of the Sella Group and the starting point of the famous Sellaronda. Here Christmas could only be linked to skiing! In the town center, indeed, a 350-meter-long light strip unfolds from which hang old wooden ski-lift cabins, transformed into Christmas decorations.
Under this original luminous roof you can stroll among craft stalls, with a mug of mulled wine or hot chocolate in hand. Mountain Christmas runs from November 29 to January 3.
Tussio (Abruzzo)
Let’s move to the heart of the Navelli Plateau, in the province of L’Aquila, where the small medieval village of Tussio comes alive with a market organized by the local association. Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, the ancient cellars welcome exhibitors of decorations and crafts, as well as demonstrations of old trades.
At the gastronomic stands, you can taste local excellences, such as L’Aquila saffron, truffles, and chickpeas. Between tastings, the streets fill with , zampognari (bagpipers) and workshops for children.
Santa Maria Maggiore (Piedmont)
In Piedmont, the village to reach is Santa Maria Maggiore, awarded the Orange Flag. Here, from December 6 to 8, the streets and squares host the 27th edition of a market that, though distant from large centers, is among the biggest in Europe.
Exhibitors number 214, all carefully selected, and 46 of them offer delicious gastronomic specialties. Between houses of traditional architecture and mountain views, the route alternates between stalls, refreshment points, and live music, while the little ones can visit Santa Claus in his house.
Corinaldo (Marche)
In the Marche, magic comes to life among the winding streets, squares, and stairways of Corinaldo, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Along Via del Corso, the market houses offer crafts and local products, while beneath the Loggiato you’ll find chestnuts and mulled wine.
For the little ones there is Santa Claus’s House and an ice skating rink. The Grand Christmas opens on November 29, continues through the Immaculate Conception weekend, December 13 and 20, and for the entire holiday period, until the Epiphany on January 6.
Montecatini Terme (Tuscany)
Finally, the last market we recommend is Montecatini Terme, a spa town included in the UNESCO Patrimony among Europe’s Great Spa Towns, where Christmas is lived between shopping and wellness. From November 14 to December 27, wooden stalls animate Viale Verdi, with Liberty-era views, elegant boutiques, and the Walk of Fame dedicated to icons such as Grace Kelly and Coco Chanel. After a day wandering the market, you can treat yourself to a break in a covered and heated thermal pool.
