10 of Denmark's Most Magical Christmas Markets

One of the most impressive castles in Denmark hosts a Christmas market every year in November over two to three weekends. Egeskov Castle is approximately an hour’s drive from Odense and has been standing on the same spot on the island of Fyn since 1554, surrounded by lakes and blossomed gardens. Most of the exhibitions and the castle are closed during the winter, so the Christmas market takes place in the Veteran Museum and in the Motorcycle Museum. However, guests can stroll around the decorated gardens, take a Segway ride or try to find their way through the castle’s maze.

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen’s most famous amusement park, is impressive throughout the year with its flower gardens and water fountains – but during Christmas time it looks like it belongs in a fairytale. There are Christmas trees, thousands of colorful lights, music filling the air, and approximately 60 stalls filled with food and items ideal for Christmas presents. Every year, from mid-November until end of December, Tivoli Gardens welcomes thousands of people – both young and old – who known that there’s no better place in Copenhagen to get into the Christmas spirit.

Tivoli Gardens, Vesterbrogade 3, København V, Denmark, +45 33 15 10 01

Tivoli Gardens Christmas |©Sarah Ackerman/Flickr

Located just a five-minute walk from Nørreport Station, the Christmas market on Kongens Nytorv is in the heart of Copenhagen’s city center – right in front of the historic Magasin Du Nord department store. That means you can’t miss it if you’re in town during Christmas. Wooden stalls decorated with Christmas stockings and mistletoe, the smell of the traditional Danish Christmas flæskesteg and the Danish mulled wine gløgg will make your walk downtown a unique experience.

Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen, Denmark

Kongens Nytorv Christmas Market |Courtesy of Kongens Nytorv Christmas Market

The Christmas market in Ridehuset is one of the most popular in Aarhus. Approximately 80 stalls sell various items, from traditional food and drink to Christmas decorations and crafts, from the end of November until December 21. The historic building is located in the heart of Aarhus, so make sure to stop by while exploring the city center.

Ridehuset, Vester Allé 1, Aarhus, Denmark, +45 29 20 90 43

Take a trip back in time at the ‘Old Town’ museum in Aarhus and discover how Christmas was celebrated in Denmark from 1600s to the 1970s. The open-air museum consists of 75 historic houses, that were collected from all over Denmark, and during Christmas they are decorated based on the period they resemble and the habits of that time. There are also plenty of activities for children and a crafts market filled with goodies.

Den Gamle By, Viborgvej 2, Aarhus, Denmark, +45 86 12 31 88

The merchants shop 1864 |Courtesy of Den Gamle By

Ærø is one of the most picturesque cities in Denmark, preserving the authentic and romantic atmosphere of the past. The small island in southern Denmark celebrates Christmas in its own old-fashioned way, with handmade decoration, warm mulled wine and several Christmas markets selling knitwear and other handcrafts. The largest and most known Christmas market is the one taking place in Ærøskøbing. During Christmas, many events take place in Ærø such as the Elves Parade that runs for several days. On December 23, the horse-drawn carriages and sleighs end up in the town of Søby, with elves offering goodies bags and biscuits to visitors.

Ærøskøbing, Denmark

Christmas Decoration |Unknown/pixabay

The small city of Odense holds its own Christmas market in order to celebrate that special time of the year. Being the birth town of the renowned fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, the Christmas market couldn’t be taking place anywhere else but in the square where Hans Christian Andersen’s house and museum stands. Starting every year on the first weekend of December, the city’s Christmas market transforms the historic square into a fairy tale scene for 10 days – filled with lights, a carrousel, Christmas cows and stalls filled with goodies, while the smell of gløgg and æbleskiver (pancake balls) lingers in the air.

Hans Christian Andersen’s house, Hans Jensens Stræde, Odense, Denmark, +45 65 51 46 01

HC Andersen Julemarkedet |Courtesy of HC Andersen Julemarkedet

The Christmas market on Højbro Plads is one of Copenhageners’ favorite. Located near the pedestrianized shopping street Strøget and the canals at the city’s historic square, the setting is ideal for getting visitors into the Christmas spirit. This year the cute little wooden cabins, selling knitwear and Scandinavian and German delicacies, will be set up on November 17 and will decorate the city center until December 22.

Michael Deutsch’s Julemarked Højbro Plads, Højbro Plads, Copenhagen, Denmark, +45 21 25 93 40

Højbro Plads Christmas Market |Courtesy of Højbro Plads Christmas Market

Christiania Christmas market takes place every year in the autonomous Freetown Christiania. Stalls with jewelry, clothes and handicraft items fill the 19th-century building, while music bands play festive melodies. It’s a relatively small market, but no one leaves the place empty handed. It’s held indoors and that makes the atmosphere even more cozy. Plus, rummaging through Christmas stalls during the Scandinavian winter has proven to be a tough task and a good reason for an extra glass of gløgg. Food stalls with Scandinavian delicacies are also inside, while the smell of caramelized almonds at the entrance of the building welcomes the market’s guests.

Freetown Christiania, Denmark

Christiania Christmas market |©Nico-dk (talk)/ Nils Jepsen/Wikimedia Commons