Easy Guide to Bratislava Christmas Market 2023 | Dates & Venue
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The Bratislava Christmas Market is a popular event in Slovakia. It attracts a large number of locals and tourists every year.
Bratislava at Christmas turns in fact into one huge and festive fairytale village!
Let’s see what to expect and the updated 2023 dates for this incredible holiday event!
When my colleagues approached me about a possible trip to see the Bratislava Christmas market, I was ecstatic. Not only I’d always been very curious about experiencing Christmas in Slovakia, but being… slightly obsessed with everything holiday-themed, it was basically like asking me if I wanted dessert.
How can you expect me to say no? Besides, I still had to buy Christmas gifts for everyone at home and that was the perfect excuse!
Bratislava is a quaint little town in Slovakia, in Central Europe.
We left the sunny Naples to land in a snowy place.
You’d guess one might be disappointed, but the sight of the Bratislava Castle looking down at us, the streets all lit up, the merry decorations and the scent of mulled wine filled our heart with happiness.
Bratislava’s Christmas was going to be epic.
By then, we had learned how to pack light for our winter trips, so we also saved on the flight tickets (you usually get cheaper tickets if you fly with cabin luggage only).
A huge bonus if you consider that we planned to spend the money we saved at the Christmas markets!
Those of you who don’t have much time or don’t feel like walking too much can buy a ticket for a Sightseeing tour by bus.
Click here to check out the best one in Bratislava, with free cancellation, Old Town tour and Castle tour included.
Some of you asked me if Bratislava is a safe place for solo female travellers.
The quick and easy answer is yes.
Bratislava felt very safe to me!
I visited without Al, and while I was with a group of colleagues, I still liked to explore on my own, also at night.
Solo travellers can find so many entertaining things to do in Bratislava. While shopping is obviously one of the top activities, it’s not the only thing you can do at Bratislava’s Christmas market!
Traditional Christmas markets in Slovakia are a long-standing tradition. Each one reflects the culture of the Country – music, drink, food and scents.
That’s probably why Europe is a pretty popular destination in December: every region has a different take on Christmas.
You can eat elaborate pastries straight out of a Medieval cookbook, attend midnight masses in Gothic churches, listen to Christmas carols under a large Christmas tree and so much more.
European Christmas markets are the real thing, y’all!
If you have never been to Bratislava before, you should consider visiting during the last weeks of the year.
It’s when the Christmas atmosphere is stronger. Makes everything better, you know?
The capital of Slovakia in fact lits up with a big Christmas market, which takes place in several areas of the city. That turns Bratislava into one big Christmas village.
There’s absolutely no reason to rent a car, either.
Bratislava Christmas market and the city centre can be explored on a self guided walking tour.
Taxis aren’t expensive, but I strongly suggest you only use the “official” ones.
At the Bratislava Airport you will find several people offering you a cheaper rate to bring you to your hotel.
No need to say that it isn’t safe at all to accept: wheter you are a solo traveler or not.
Being street smart is a must, no matter where you’re travelling to!
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Bratislava is also the perfect starting point for a trip that covers Slovakia, Czech Republic and Austria.
You can in fact reach Vienna and Prague quite easily, they’re just a train ticket away.
Bratislava is more or less in the middle.
With just a few Euros you can reach Vienna in a little more than 1 hour and Prague in about 2 hours from the Bratislava train station.
We used Bratislava as our “home base” to visit these European capitals, so you can visit more Christmas markets in one trip.
Booking a hotel in Bratislava is in fact much cheaper!
By staying for a few days in Bratislava, you will be able to plan a multi-city trip.
That means having a fabulous European Christmas vacation, but spending half of what you’d pay for a holiday in Vienna.
How does that sound?
You can check out the best hotel rates for Bratislava by clicking here.
How about you explore Bratislava with a local?
With a 1 hour walking tour you can discover all of Bratislava best kept secrets!
Click to get a super discounted (and absolutely cheap) ticket!
Quick Links to Post Content
Bratislava Christmas Market dates for 2023
The Bratislava Christmas Market 2023 will take place on the Main Square, Hviezdoslavovo Square and Franciscan Square.
There will be hundreds of market stalls selling seasonal food, Christmas presents, mulled wine.
And of course the fairytale Christmas lights that will be an amazing backdrop for your pictures!
The official dates for the 2023 Bratislava Christmas Market are November 23 to December 23, 2023.
Hlavne Namestie (Bratislava Main Square Market)
The main Bratislava Christmas market in Bratislava is located at Hlavne Namestie.
There are over 100 market stalls selling handmade products made with wood, glass, leather, beeswax and much more.
The Main Square Market can get crowded pretty early in the evening, and yet it never feels overwhelming.
If you climb up the tower of the Old Town Hall you’ll be able to see all the red and white stalls.
With all the lights on and all the people, it’s a truly impressive view!
We have lodget at Hotel Devin, close to the Danube and a few steps away from the Main Square Market.
What led us to the market was actually the delicious scent of food. No need to ask for directions, we just had to follow our nose!
Click to check the best offers for Hotel Devin in Bratislava!
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December is a pretty cold month and the locals get warmed up by drinking mead or mulled wine at the food stands.
One of the locals favorite snacks is a slice of warm bread topped with caramelized onions and melted lard, served piping hot.
You can also buy sausages and roasted meat, cabbage soup, baked potato pancakes and many kinds of sweets (you’ll find more info about the seasonal specialty dishes as you keep reading).
The foodies who are reading this post will be happy to know that there’s a Bratislava Wine Tasting Experience you can book for less.
The experience includes a tasting that goes from 3 to… 72 Slovakian wines, according to how much time you have! The wine tasting can last 30 to 100 minutes, with a professional sommelier.
Click here to discover rates and availability!
Slovakian food isn’t the only reason why this part of the Bratislava Christmas market is so crowded.
Every year the city has a very rich program with concerts and shows.
From jazz to pop music, from a cappella concerts to Christmas carols.
Every night there’s a different show you can go to for free.
Old Town Hall’s Court – The Heart of Bratislava
If you are visiting the Bratislava Christmas Market at Hlavne Namestie, you should also walk to the Old Town’s Hall court, in the city centre.
Here you can buy a ticket for 5€ to visit the Museum of the city history.
While it has nothing to do with food stands or Christmas concerts, it’s still a very interesting activity that you can add to your Bratislava itinerary if you want to learn more about this lovely town.
The Museum in fact shows the events that shaped the city as we know it, and the way people have been living in this area since the Neolitic era.
Before you leave the Old Town Hall you will be invited to watch a very interesting documentary named “People and the city” (included in your ticket).
hviezdoslavovo Square Christmas Market and the Ice Skating Rink
This square is only a short walk away from Hlavne Namestie.
While the portion of the Bratislava Christmas Market here is smaller, the square is much bigger and you will find many vendors selling delicious local street food.
Also, the Christmas decorations are top notch!
Here I managed to buy a bunch of handmade wool scarves for just a few Euros.
It’s by far the area where I’ve found the best deals for Christmas shopping.
November and December, when the beautiful Christmas markets are held, are the perfect time to buy handmade wool clothing and accessories!
If you are looking for Christmas presents, then have a look at Hviezdolav’s Square.
Chances are that you will buy everything you need for half the budget you intended to spend.
Tourists and locals alike love the ice skating rink here.
Because the square is surrounded by beautiful historical buildings, ice skating feels like stepping into a fairytale.
The air is in fact filled with the scent of cinnamon and caramelized onions, the laughter of children and the chatter of happy people.
The festive atmosphere in this part of the city is eves stronger than anywhere else!
In Winter you can ice skate at Hviezdolav’s Square, in Primate’s Square, at River Park and in other areas, designated each year by the Mayor.
New Year’s Eve in Bratislava
If you are spending Christmas in Bratislava, consider staying also for New Year’s eve. Every year in fact in the old town of Bratislava the celebrations start in the late afternoon and last until the following day.
In the main squares there are live music performances, fireworks and lots of fun events. The best place to view the city from above is the UFO Bridge Observation deck.
Here there’s a Casino too, where you can enjoy a delicious 10 course dinner, with live music and gifts. Book as soon as you can to reserve a seat!
2023 Update
We are still gathering info.
We’ll update this article as soon as we have official news about special events or the New Year’s fireworks!
What to Eat while visiting Bratislava’s Christmas Market
As you might have guessed, it’s always better to visit the Bratislava Christmas Markets on an empty stomach.
While I always suggest people to taste everything when they are abroad, there are a few treats that you can’t miss.
Since most of the times the signs are written in Slovak, here’s a little guide to know what you’re ordering.
One of the best travel tips I can offer is to print it down: it will be super useful!
LOKŠA
Baked potato pancakes.
They can be sweet or not, as they fill them with cabbage and sausage, or with Nutella and nuts.
CIGÁNSKA PEČIENKA
It’s a roll filled with pork or chicken, mustard and grilled onions.
KLOBÁSA
It means sausage.
You will find a lot of different grilled sausages at the food stands.
They are generally served with mustard and bread, with onions on the side, if you want.
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CHLEBA S MASŤOU A CIBUĽOU
A slice of bread with lard and onions.
The onions in this one are raw and the scent can be pretty strong if you aren’t used to it.
Some locals also like to add some Slovak cheese on the top, letting it melt before to eat their sandwitch to go.
STRUDEL
There’s a number of them you can try.
With walnut filling, with nuts and cherries, cheese and cherries, poppy seeds and apple.
There’s something for everyone!
You can enjoy your strudel with home made fruit spirits, often sold in the same stands.
Wine and rum included!
TRDELNÍK – TRDLO
Sweet pastry, also sold in Prague and other European cities.
The serving is pretty big and you can choose between cinnamon, cocoa, vanilla or nuts.
MEDOVNÍK – Medovina
Ginger bread cookies.
You will find it decorated with Christmas wishes or pictures, baked in all sorts of different shapes.
There are many stands that sell it, just like in Vienna and Prague.
MEAD
Sweet drink (honey wine) served hot.
It’s considered one of the oldest alcoholic drinks of the old Slavs.
PUNCH
There’s a number of punch flavors sold at the Christmas Market in Bratislava.
The traditional recipe includes lots of fruit. But if you’re not a drinker, there’s one known as “baby punch” which is without alcohol.
Are you feeling adventurous?
Try the Turbo Punch: it’s packed with a good amount of absinthe!
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Travelling Dany – Danila Caputo
Danila Caputo is a bilingual travel writer living in between Naples and the Amalfi Coast (Italy), graduating from the University of Naples Suor Orsola Benincasa in Foreign Languages and Literature. She travels and works with her husband Aldo, photographer and videographer. Their blog chronicles their adventures around the world, their love for the USA (where they have family), Italian/European culture and tips on how to be responsible travelers. You can find out more about their latest trips and their life on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.
I love Christmas Markets…but for me, my primary reason is because of all the food so I love how you have a section featuring all the street grub. Strudel and Trdelnik both sound like they are up my alley. Would love to try them!
Haha I’m the same! Street food is the best!
The Mozart Chocolate Balls sound yummy! With 100 stalls, the market sounds like an epic shopping experience. I would like to visit for the New Years party. From afternoon till the next day, yeah that’s a good time.
I think Bratislava is really beautiful the whole holiday season!
Christmas in Europe is just so charming! I came ohsoclose to Bratislava when I did a Christmas Market river cruise a few years back- but sadly we only saw the border of Slovakia and didn’t actually cross.
Oh gosh that’s too bad!!! Hopefully you can get back for more next year!
Oooh Christmas Markets! This has me feeling so festive! Haven’t made it to Bratislava yet either… next year? Thanks for sharing.
Fingers crossed for you!
It looks like a lot of fun! I would love to tour the shops with the Santas and other decorations. I am not certain about trying bread with lard and onions, though!
To be honest it was too much also for me! The scent was pretty strong!
Mozartkugels are cool and they are delicious! I cant believe Christmas is around the corner and I havent been to a Xmas market yet! I havent been to Bratislava for some time, maybe this is a reason to go back.
I’ve been to the one in Napoli, and soon I’ll go to Milan as well! But you’re right that another trip to Bratislava should be in order!
I am German but I lived in Australia for a long time. You make me miss European Christmas markets! The one in Bratislava does remind me a lot of my childhood experiences… I can almost smell the sweetness of the candied almonds, the mulled wine and the paradise apples! What I find very interesting about Bratislava is that it’s so close to many other fascinating cities, making it such a great base for an exploration of Central Europe. Also good to know that it’s a safe place to visit. Need to look into this more closely now. Thanks!
Christmas Markets in Europe are such a big deal, right? And absolutely yes, Bratislava can be the perfect base especially because it’s way less expensive than Vienna!
I’m not a big fan of Christmas markets – maybe it’s because I’m based in Germany and for us it’s not that special. But it’s interesting how they spread now all over Europe and according to your post they obviously get a local touch everywhere. However, Season Greetings!
Definitely, we have ours in Italy as well 🙂
I’ve never actually been to a Christmas market before, I was close to heading to the Munich airport one this winter but ended up booking London. Plus I’m like Bambi on ice. The pistachio marzipan and nougat chocolate balls sound incredibly tasty, I could definitely do with one now!
London is absolutely amazing during the Christmas period!
We love visiting the Christmas markets in December. Good to hear about Bratislava and Slovakia as it is often overlooked by visitors who tend to visit Budapest or Vienna instead. The KLOBÁSA sounds good on a cold evening.
It’s also less expensive than the other more popular ones 😉
Your photos are brilliant, the make me want to head straight over to the Bratislava Christmas markets. That is the one thing that I wish we had more of over in Australia, but I guess they do not have the same appeal in Summer.
I think Christmas at a very warm place can be very interesting as well! I’ve never experienced one but I’d definitely be willing to try!
You had me at Mozartkugel! I love the christmas markets here in Europe, and I think the food is a big part of that. I love tasting the local street food, and the colder countries always have amazing winter warmer foods – like the bread with onions and lard you mention! I don’t know if that’s something I’d like, but I usually go for the klobása!
I love Mozartkugels! They are delicious! Street food is a big part of this kind of event, you’re right! I’ve had klobasa in Poland, it’s very different from our Italian sausages!
Gingerbread, spice wine and sweet treats all sound pretty heavenly. I would love to visit this Christmas market. it’s one of my bucket list!
I think it’s an awesome destination also because it’s so cheap and offers the real “European” feel for Christmas!
Oh toasted sourdough bread with lard is a treat! I had it last year at the Chrstmas Market in Krakow, and I can never get enough. Lard spread on bread is actually a great hangover food, so it helps from getting too tipsy from mulled wine!
I had no idea! Because I don’t drink (sadly not even mulled wine!) I never know about hangover food, but it makes sense! I’ve seen people drinking *lots* of mulled wine so I suppose lard was helping 😀
I loved Bratislava. I visited in Fall. I can only imagine the Christmas Market there is magical! Great post and pictures.
Was it already cold in Fall? December was brutal but also so beautiful!