Why You Should Visit Croatia for Christmas Market

Why You Should Visit Croatia for Christmas Market

Check why the Croatian capital Zagreb is named the best Christmas market in Europe. Croatia also offers Christmas markets at the seafront!

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When thinking about the Christmas market in Europe, your first thoughts probably go to the traditional German Christmas Market, winter ambiance of the aristocratic Vienna with fairy-tale decorations or the vivid streets of London with thousands of lightning bubbles, glittering installments and dazzling ornaments at every footstep.

Let it snow, Christmas market in Zagreb, Photo: www.adventzagreb.comLet it snow, Christmas market in Zagreb, Photo: www.adventzagreb.com

Maybe visiting Croatia for the Christmas market is not the first thing that comes into your mind, but if you continue with reading this blog post on Christmas market in Croatia, I believe you will get amazed and seriously consider it as must-visit Christmas market in Europe for at least once in a lifetime.

The Christmas market in Croatia is seriously competing with other European long-established Christmas market destinations.Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is voted for the best European Christmas market destination three years in a row. Zagreb is also the most likely to be crowned with the 2019 European best Christmas Market title.

Advent in Zagreb Official Badge by www.adventzagreb.com :

Advent in Zagreb badge

If you prefer warmer weather, than spending winter holidays on the Adriatic could be the better option for you. Here you can find out what is so special about Christmas time on the Adriatic Coast. We highlight the winter in Dubrovnik in the very south of Croatia and the second largest Christmas market in Croatia, the festive market in the city ofSplit in Central Dalmatia. There is also Sibenik city as raising Advent destination in Dalmatia.

Advent in Zagreb Streets, Photo: www.adventzagreb.com

Advent in Zagreb Streets, Photo: www.adventzagreb.com

Check the update on Christmas markets in Croatia for 2019/2020 in the post: Best Christmas Fairs in Croatia

Christmas Market in Zagreb – Advent in Zagreb

Let's start from the beginning, with the biggest and the greatest Christmas market in Croatia – Zagreb Christmas market. The Zagreb Christmas market opens on 1st December and the closing date is 6th January. The official name of the Zagreb Christmas market isAdvent in Zagreb. Here isthe link to the official website with all the information and updates on events.

VIDEO: Advent in Zagreb by ZAGREBTOURIST

Zagreb city itself transforms into a big Christmas market. You can find wooden stalls selling authentic souvenirs, homemade cheese, and smoked meat products. The street food scene is tempting and will make happy even the ones with the finest palates. You can try the classical Christmas market specialties like sausages, mulled wine and ginger cakes. But not only to be left on classical offer, in Zagreb you will find plenty of Croatian domestic specialties like street sarma, fritule, dozens of different spirits – rakijasand many other authentic goods. The international kitchen is also evenly represented.

Advent in Zagreb, Photo: www.zagrebadvent.comAdvent in Zagreb, Photo: www.zagrebadvent.com

The special atmosphere happens and the most attractive events take place at several big squares in the city center. You can start with the main square, and when you get warmed enough with the mulled wine and when the stomach is full, take a stroll around vibrant streets in the centers and visit several Christmas market venues within a 5-minute walk.

You can find the timetable of different events, live music concerts, exhibitions, children workshops in Zagreb during the Christmas market time at the Zagreb Christmas map.

The Christmas market Zrinjevac, Zagreb Photo: www.adventzagreb.com The Christmas market Zrinjevac, Zagreb Photo: www.adventzagreb.com

The best Christmas market venues in Zagreb

  • The main Square in Zagreb - Christmas fairy-tale
  • Ice Park- Put the skates on and enter the skating ring while the live Christmas music entertains the crowd enjoying warm beverages and tasteful.
  • Strossmayer Park
  • Zrinjevac ParkOne of the most vivid places with live music every day, wooden stalls with street food and

Ice Park in Zagreb, Photo from www.adventzagreb.comIce Park in Zagreb, Photo from www.adventzagreb.com

Not only in Croatia, but the Christmas market in Zagreb was also named the best Christmas market in Europe third-time in a row, since 2016 and it is seriously competing to be crowned with the title of the best European Christmas Market in 2019.

Christmas market in the south of Croatia – Christmas market on the Adriatic

Dubrovnik Winter Festival

Dubrovnik Winter Festival, Photo: www.dubrovackizimskifestival.com

While there is a great chance that you will experience snow in Zagreb during the wintertime, the south of Croatia has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters. So, if you are not so big fan of cold weather and would rather spend the winter holiday season in the warmer destination, cities Dubrovnik, Split or Sibenik could be your choice.

Advent Festival in Split – Winter Joys Split 2019

While the capital of Croatia, Zagreb was named the best European Christmas market in 2018, the third year in a row, Split Christmas market is growing and offering a completely different experience of Christmas market.

VIDEO: Advent in Split by Split Tourist Board

The Split city hoststhe second largest Christmas market in Croatia, right after the best European Christmas market in Zagreb.

The main events of Advent Festival are being held in the seafront promenade in the city center. There are also several other places around Diocletian's Palace where you can find wooden stalls serving mulled wine, homemaderakijas,and Croatian authentic dishes.

Advent in Split at the waterfront

Advent in Split at the waterfront, Photo: Facebook Tourist Board Split

In Split, you can taste soparnik– the local authentic dish made of thin pastry and swiss chard spiced with domestic olive oil and garlic. Soparnik used to be the food of poor people in the past, and nowadays it finds its place on the table on every festive occasion in Dalmatia.

What is so special about Advent time and Christmas holidays in Split?

Advent in Split,

Advent in Split, Photo: Facebook Tourist Board Split

The peak of Christmas markets in Split is definitely happening in New Years Eve where the popular performers entertain large audience gathered in the open-air concert followed by the long fireworks in the first minutes of new years.

Christmas market on the Pjaca Square in Split

Christmas market on the Pjaca Square in Split, Photo: Facebook Tourist Board Split

There is saying in Croatia that the people from Split are always a little bit different than others. You can experience that if you visit Split in the holiday season. The bravest of the young males will celebrate the arrival of the new year by jumping in the sea.

Swimming in the middle of winter is maybe not so wise idea, but in Split is considered an act of bravery.

At the main Split beach, Bacvice Beach, you'll see many local people in swimsuits playing popular game piciginon the New Years Day. Basically, it is a game playing in the shallow sea where the group of people hit the small ball in the air and the goal is to keep the ball as long as possible in the air. That is the goal, but the hidden goal is to make attractive jumps to „save the ball“ and entertain the audience.

Christmas market in Split, wooden stalls and cafes

Christmas market in Split, Photo: Facebook Tourist Board Split

Split has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and lots of sunny days. Sometimes you will feel cold wind biting your cheeks but mostly you can expect gentle winter. The main seafront promenade is the center of all happenings throughout the year, and it is so at Christmas time. Having coffee or drinking mulled wine at the waterfront while the sun shines and festive music comes from all sides, in the open cafes with Christmas decorations is certainly something different than Christmas markets we are all used to.

Stradun  the main street of Dubrovnik Old Town in Christmas time

Stradun – the main street of Dubrovnik Old Town in Christmas time, Photo: www.dubrovackizimskifestival.com

Dubrovnik Winter Festival

If you are familiar with Croatia, then definitely you are familiar with Dubrovnik. This beautiful historic town on the Adriatic Sea has been deservedly the most wanted holiday destination in Croatia.

While in the peak of the summer season Dubrovnik mostly gets too crowded by visitors all over the world, shoulder season and winter season in Dubrovnik are offering a more relaxed atmosphere and maybe even more different things to experience.

VIDEO:Dubrovnik Winter Festival

Dubrovnik Tourist Board hosts the Dubrovnik Winter festival to keep visitors and locals entertained all year round. Dubrovnik Winter Festival starts in the middle of November and ends in the early spring.

Dubrovnik Old Town in Winter,

Dubrovnik in Winter, Photo: www.dubrovackizimskifestival.com

Highlights of the Winter Festival Dubrovnik are the following programs

  • Advent in the City
  • New Year's Eve
  • The Festivity of St. Blaise
  • Valentine's Day
  • Dubrovnik Carnival

Why is Dubrovnik worth-visiting in winter?

Christmas time in Dubrovnik, Stradun

Christmas time in Dubrovnik, Photo: www.dubrovackizimskifestival.com

The Christmas market ambiance in Dubrovnik is really special. Tastefully decorated Old Walls with the lightning that gives an incredibly magical touch brings you way back in past and you easily start daydream about the life as it once was here. Festive installments and Christmas ornaments, wooden stalls with authentic souvenirs and domestic food are all around and wandering the streets of the old town of Dubrovnik gives such an enjoyment.

Sibenik Christmas market in City Park

Sibenik Christmas market, Photo: www. adventura.sibenik.hr

Sibenik Adventura

Sibenik is one more destination on the Croatian coast that we put on our Christmas market map.Advent in Sibenik or Sibenik Adventura is one of the youngest Christmas markets in Croatia. While several years ago, probably no one from local residents could not imagine having the big Christmas market in Sibenik, that significantly changed.

VIDEO:Adventura Šibenik

Christmas market in Sibenik or Adventura starts on the Saint Nicolas day, 6th of December and ends on the 3rd of January, few days after the New Year celebration.

Advenutra is the first and only plastic-free Christmas market in Croatia. That means that all the food and drinks are served in ecologically acceptable packages. Also, there is no place for plastic bags in souvenir shops.

The main Advent events are taking place in the city park where all the trees are full of Christmas lights. There are also open-air live music concerts almost every evening, entertainment programs for children, an ice rink and many more.

Advent in Sibenik Gastro

Advent in Sibenik, Photo: www.adventura.sibenik.hr

What are your impressions of the Christmas market in Croatia? Have you already visited one of the highlighted destinations or some other place in Croatia in a holiday season? Feel free to share your experience and photos with us! We wish merry festive season to all our readers!

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