It’s already that time of year – the famous and beloved Christmas markets of Europe are being confirmed and the dates are being published, which means that it is time to plan your Christmas market getaway for all of the Holiday spirit, festive fun, and magic memories that you could hope to wish for. While the Christmas markets of Tuscany may be a little less well-known internationally, the region actually abounds with some of the best and most special in the world. Though smaller in scale at times, the scenic settings of Tuscany’s charming and picturesque historic centres as a backdrop to alpine-style market stalls, carousels, twinkling lights, ice-skating rinks, Santa’s houses, and all of the other elements of a Christmas market only adds to the experience and makes them even more special.
Florence and some of the towns in the metropolitan area of the city are home to some of the finest and most numerous examples of incredible Christmas markets and celebrations in Tuscany so find a luxury villa in Florence and you can come and explore the area’s wonderful examples of Christmas markets this Holiday Season. Enjoy hot drinks, delicious Tuscan snacks, handmade crafts and local produce, buzzing excitement, stunning settings, and much more besides at Florence’s Christmas markets in addition to everything else that makes this part of the region a wonderful place to visit, particularly over the Holidays.
But what Christmas markets take place in and around Florence? Where are they found? What do they offer? And when are they open? Well, here’s our guide to visiting Florence (and her close neighbours) and the city’s magic Christmas markets in 2022...
Weihnachtsmarkt/Mercato Natale di Firenze, Piazza Santa Croce, Florence
19th of November 2022 to the 18th of December 2022
The most famous of the city’s annual Christmas market, this traditional German-style market sees the beautiful piazza in front of the Basilica di Santa Croce (a polychromatic Gothic gem of a church that is one of the loveliest in Florence) transform into a village of wooden cabins with twinkling lights strung up between the rows. From these cabins all sorts of incredible gifts, crafts, treats, snacks, and more are sold from spices to Christmas ornaments to candles to clothes. In addition to being able to shop for Christmas gifts and special souvenirs and enjoy various culinary delights, wine, and more, this market plays host to various other entertainments such as live music, carol singing, traditional flag-waving performances by costumed troops, and more. There is also a special letter delivery service on site to ensure that all letters and messages for the big man himself are safely sent to Santa by local children and those on vacation in Florence.
Free to enter.
Open daily between the 19th of November and 18th of December 2022, from 10am to 11pm.
For more information, you can call them at 339 6937235.
There are also many other, smaller markets to be found in and around Florence over the Holidays. Many regular weekly markets have special Christmas editions and many neighbourhoods have once-off Christmas markets and celebrations so be sure to keep your eyes peeled as you explore the city if you have found a luxury villa in Florence and are seeing all that she has to offer at this time of the year. Some confirmed markets that will take place throughout the season, however, include the 19th edition of NataleperFILE, a charity Christmas market raising funds for the seriously ill and their families in the area (2nd to the 4th of December 2022, from 10am to 7pm) inside the elegant Palazzo Corsini, and La Fieruncola dell’Immacolata, one of the oldest of the city's Christmas markets that takes place on the 8th of December (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception) in Piazza Santo Spirito and the 18th of December in Piazza del Carmine and is focused on incredible quality culinary products that are made locally.
Empoli Città del Natale, Empoli, Throughout the town
19th of November 2022 to the 8th of January 2023
A town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Empoli’s wonderful annual Christmas celebrations can easily be enjoyed on a day trip if you find a vacation rental in Florence. The Empoli Città del Natale sees the whole town taken over by Christmas cheer and all sorts of special events, celebrations, attractions, and more set up for the entirety of the festive period. For those who really love everything about the season, it really is a must-see with all sorts of lights, lighting displays, and projections illuminating the streets and buildings of the town and making it a truly magical place. In addition to the lights all throughout Empoli, the centre is adorned with a giant fir tree that is a key symbol of the event and important focal point.
Aside from the decor, there are all sorts of special experiences and attractions to enjoy: Piazza Matteoti plays host to the Luna Christmas Park and Skating Rink with ice-skating and various kinds of rides and is open daily from Monday to Friday, 2.30pm to 10.30pm. There is a lovely German-style Christmas market in the Piazza della Vittoria on certain days with a special emphasis on good food and handicrafts so it’s the ideal place to snack, grab a hot chocolate or mulled wine, and buy some unique gifts and mementos. Snow is also always guaranteed in this Tuscan town, something that makes this whole experience even more impossibly magical and lovely, with the Grand Snow, which sees snow pumped into the Piazza Farinata degli Uberti on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays throughout the duration of the festival in a dazzling display. Santa can, too, readily be found in Empoli, in his house on Via dei Neri presso Chiostro degli Agostiniani, where he can be visited and found on certain dates throughout the celebrations. For views over all of this and more, you can go up on the Ferris Wheel in Piazza Guido Guerra and take in all of the festive charm of Empoli at once in a rather romantic sort of way.
Or, to explore it all in a fun way that kids are sure to love, you can take a ride on the adorable little tourist train, which is open every day during the festival and goes about the town. With so much to see and do in Empoli at this time of the year, it really is one of the most amazing places to enjoy a festive day trip while on holiday in Tuscany. Plus, aside from the attractions of the festival itself, the twinkling lights all over and the festive atmosphere ensure that simply wandering the streets, shopping, grabbing a drink or something to eat, and other normal activities in Empoli are much more special experiences at this time of the year!
Free to enter as it is spread throughout the town but different activities may or may not have individual charges.
Open daily, though not every part of the festival is open and working every single day.
There is even more to be discovered, more to be announced, and lots more information about each of the events so for all the details that you need to know, be sure to head to their website.
Many more neighbouring towns will have all sorts of little markets, bonfires, traditional celebrations, events, and more to celebrate Christmas and will announce their dates for 2022 in the coming weeks so, if you find a holiday rental in Florence this Holiday Season, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for all of those as well while you explore the area. For a wonderfully festive getaway in addition to a holiday enjoying all of the things that Tuscany already has to offer, it really is an ideal time to plan a magical and unforgettable trip to this lovely part of the world.
