Tallinn’s Christmas Market Keeps Its Medieval Pace
Town Hall Square, a tree with a long pedigree, and glögi until late. Dates for 2026-27 are set.
Plenty of European capitals put on a Christmas market. Few have the backdrop for it the way Tallinn does. The market sits in Town Hall Square, in the middle of a medieval old town of steep roofs, merchant houses and church spires. In December it gets dark early enough that the lights are on for most of the afternoon.
The dates
This season the Tallinn Christmas Market runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. It is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and hot drinks are served until 22:00, or 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. On 20 November it opens at 18:00 with speeches and the lighting of the city's main Christmas tree. The organizers describe the market as gathering around "the world's first public Christmas tree," a claim Tallinn has long made for itself. On Sunday 29 November, the Mayor of Tallinn and the Dean of Tallinn Cathedral proclaim the start of Advent and light the Advent candle. The square also stays open on 31 December for anyone seeing in the New Year there.
How to do it
- Go on a weekday afternoon in early December, when the square is calmer, and stay into the evening.
- Order glögi, the Nordic mulled wine, and walk the old town walls while it cools.
- Leave the square for dinner. The old town's side streets are quieter and a good deal less theatrical.
Tallinn also pairs well with Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland, which makes for a tidy two-city December trip.
