Trips to Christmas markets are amongst my all-time favourite things to do. As soon as the Christmas period ends, I start counting down days to when the Christmas markets start again. In the UK, my favourite Christmas markets are in Manchester, Winchester, and Birmingham. Overall, the best Christmas market, in my opinion, is probably in Vienna, Austria. But today, let me take you to a few Christmas markets in my homeland, Poland. The one in Wroclaw is probably amongst the best in Europe!
Christmas market in Wroclaw – Poland’s best Christmas market
Let’s start with the greatest one of them. The Christmas market in Wroclaw is by far the best in Poland, if you ask me. Located on the picturesque town square in the heart of the Old Town and spreading into the adjacent roads, the market is huge and has something for everyone. From dozens of food stands to various gift options and delicious mulled wine served in boot-shaped branded ceramic mugs – it’s the ultimate Christmas market experience. The Christmas market in Wroclaw is incredibly popular, so expect crowds, especially in peak times – but it’s still worth visiting! You can do your Christmas gift shopping and enjoy the view of the colourful old buildings around the town square.
I last visited the market in 2023. When we got to Wroclaw, we had the first stroll around the market (it takes a long time to see everything!), and got some lunch. Then, we went to do some sightseeing.
By the way – when you’re in Wroclaw, keep an eye out for small metal statues of dwarves. There’s over a hundred of them in Wroclaw, and each of them is unique.
Panorama Raclawicka, National Museum
This time, I wanted to also visit some of the major museums in Wroclaw, which I hadn’t had a chance to see before. First on the list was Panorama Raclawicka. I’m not even sure how to describe it! It’s an experience more than a museum.
Panorama Raclawicka is a cicloramic painting depicting the Battle of Raclawice. Essentially, it’s a huge circular canvas, with the painting on the inside. Its circumference is 114 metres! On the floor in front of the painting, there are props – an extension of the scenes from the painting, creating an immersive experience. Whilst I’m not usually a fan of battle paintings, Panorama Raclawicka is unique in its shape, and it’s one of the most famous paintings in the country, so it was good to finally see it.
Next, we also visited the National Museum. They had a seasonal exhibition focusing on glassware, which I found intriguing. Some of the items were modern, others were quite old, but all of them were unique.
Back to the market
After visiting the museums, we went back to the Christmas market, to enjoy the illuminations after dusk, and have some more mulled wine and treats. It may have been crowded, but we had a great time! I’ve been to the Christmas market in Wroclaw twice, and if I could, I’d happily go every year. I can’t recommend it enough!
Christmas market in Poznan
Last year, we went to Poznan – a major city in central-north Poland, which I had never been to before, for some reason!
The Christmas market in Poznan isn’t anywhere near as big as the one in Wroclaw, but it’s set in an equally picturesque location. Those Old Town squares in Polish cities are just stunning. It was a gloomy day, but the surroundings and the Christmas market made it feel cosy anyway.
We got to Poznan just before noon (it was a long journey for us to get there), and we decided to start with some delicious lunch. We chose a Christmas market classic – grilled pork skewer and pork chop, with some baby potatoes. Christmas market food is usually overpriced, but at least it tasted good. Yum!
After lunch, we went on a stroll around the city. The Old Town is full of interesting architecture, and walking around was a pleasure.
We made sure to time our walk well and get back to the town square in time for the Poznan Goats display. Poznan Goats are two mechanical goats living in the clock tower of the Poznan City Hall. Twice a day – at midnight and 3pm – the goats come out to butt heads whilst the clock strikes the hour. During the Christmas market, the goats were wearing Christmassy coats.
After the 3pm display, we continued to stroll around Poznan. We came across a shopping centre with some of my favourite Christmas decorations ever! There were hundreds of small ornaments hanging from the ceiling, it was spectacular.
Then, we got back to the Christmas market to enjoy it by night – the best time for a Christmas market, after all. We enjoyed more food and drinks, and just walked around the beautifully illuminated area. If you have a chance to visit Poznan – at Christmas or otherwise – I highly recommend it.
My local Christmas markets
And whilst we’re on Christmas markets in Poland, let me give an honourary mention to a couple of smaller markets, local to where I’m from. First of all, a tiny market in my home town, Chorzow. There may only be a few vendors, but the illuminations in recent years have been on point! The Christmas tree has neon signs of our local landmarks at the base, which I find really cool. The market is usually on only for a couple of days over a weekend, but it’s always nice to visit it.
The second mention goes to the Christmas market in Katowice. Fairly larger than the one in my home town, it has a lot of food and shopping options, and even a giant Ferris wheel. It’s a great place for gift shopping, but the mulled wine is always delicious too. Especially when it comes in a unique glass!
Final thoughts
It’s always a pleasure to visit Christmas markets in my own country, the large ones and the small ones closer to home, equally. I’ve been meaning to share them with you on this blog, and finally, I got round to it. If you have a chance to visit Poland in December, I highly recommend popping into the Christmas markets – most towns and cities have one! And if you’re able to choose one Polish city to go to, I’d probably choose Wroclaw. I’d say it’s amongst the top European Christmas markets, easily. Trust me – I’m a Christmas market connoisseur!
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