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Tallinn Christmas Market 2026: The Magic of Old Town
By Viktorija Dvariskyte · Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
The Tallinn Christmas market returns to Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) from Friday 20 November 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027, according to Visit Tallinn, the city's official tourism site. Set in the heart of the UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town, it was voted the best Christmas market in Europe in 2019 and is one of the few big markets that stays open over Christmas and into January. Entry is free.
The square's Christmas tree tradition is said to date back to 1441, making it one of the oldest in Europe, and the tree's lights are switched on on the first Sunday of Advent. This guide covers the 5 best ways to enjoy a Tallinn Christmas market trip, from Town Hall Square and the Old Town to the Toompea viewpoints and Telliskivi. Each entry has the address, how to get there and a Pro Tip. Where 2026 details had not been announced, we give last year's dates.
The order starts on Town Hall Square, explores the lanes of the Lower Town, climbs to Toompea, and finishes west of the walls at the Balti Jaam Market and Telliskivi.
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1Christmas Market on Town Hall Square - The Heart of the Old Town
The Tallinn Christmas market fills Town Hall Square, surrounded by medieval merchant houses and the Gothic Town Hall, completed in 1404 and topped by the Old Thomas weathervane. Wooden stalls radiate out from a giant Christmas tree, selling Estonian handicrafts such as woollen socks and mittens, felt slippers, juniper wood and handmade candles.
The 2026 market runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Listings give opening hours of 10am to 8pm, with drinks stalls staying open later in the evening; check Visit Tallinn for the latest times.
Food stalls serve blood sausage with sauerkraut, black rye bread, gingerbread and glögi, Estonian mulled wine, often with a dash of Vana Tallinn liqueur. Father Christmas has a house on the square, and choirs and folk groups perform on the stage.
2Town Hall Pharmacy and the Old Town Lanes
On the corner of Town Hall Square stands the Town Hall Pharmacy (Raeapteek), one of the oldest continuously operating pharmacies in Europe, first mentioned in 1422. It still works as a pharmacy and has a small museum room with historic medicines and curiosities, which is a fun stop during a market visit.
From the square, the medieval lanes of the Lower Town lead past merchant houses, guild halls and churches. Viru Gate, the Old Town's best-known entrance, and the city walls with their towers are especially atmospheric in the snow.
The Old Town is compact, and almost every street leads back to the square and its Christmas tree.
3St Catherine's Passage - Artisans in a Medieval Lane
St Catherine's Passage (Katariina käik) is a narrow medieval lane running beside the ruins of the Dominican St Catherine's Church, lined with arches, old tombstones and the workshops of local artisans. It is one of the most atmospheric corners of the Old Town in winter.
The workshops, part of the St Catherine's Guild, sell handmade glass, ceramics, hats, quilts and jewellery, often made in front of you. It is a quieter alternative to the busy Tallinn Christmas market on Town Hall Square and a good place to find unique Christmas gifts.
Opening hours vary by workshop, and some close earlier in winter, so visit during the day.
Check dates for Tallinn
See what is available on your dates.
4Toompea Viewing Platforms - The Old Town Under Snow
Toompea, the hill that forms Tallinn's Upper Town, offers the best views over the Christmas-lit Old Town. From the Kohtuotsa and Patkuli viewing platforms, you can see a sea of red rooftops, church spires and the Gulf of Finland beyond.
On the way up, you pass the onion-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Toompea Castle, home of the Estonian Parliament. The climb through the medieval lanes of Pikk jalg (Long Leg) and Lühike jalg (Short Leg) is part of the experience.
The viewpoints are free and open at all times, but paths can be icy in winter, so take care. From the top, you can pick out the Tallinn Christmas market tree glowing in the square below.
5Balti Jaam Market and Telliskivi - Local Christmas Shopping
Just outside the Old Town walls, the Balti Jaam Market is a modern indoor market hall where locals buy Estonian food, from smoked fish and cheese to rye bread and berries, alongside vintage stalls and street food. In December, it is a great place to find edible Christmas gifts at local prices.
A few minutes' walk away, Telliskivi Creative City, a former factory complex, is full of design shops, cafés and galleries, and in recent years it has hosted its own Christmas market with design products and music.
Telliskivi's 2026 Christmas market dates had not been announced at the time of writing; check the Telliskivi website before you go.
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Tallinn Christmas Market 2026: Dates, Old Town & Tips - FAQ
The Tallinn Christmas market runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 on Town Hall Square, according to Visit Tallinn. Stalls are listed as open from 10am to 8pm, with drinks stalls staying open later in the evening. Check Visit Tallinn for the latest times before you go.
Yes, entry to the Tallinn Christmas market on Town Hall Square is free. You pay only for food, drinks and gifts, such as glögi, blood sausage and Estonian handicrafts. In 2025, food stalls charged a small deposit for plates, which you get back when you return them.
The Old Town is compact and best explored on foot: Town Hall Square, St Catherine's Passage and the Toompea viewpoints are all within about 15 minutes' walk of each other. Trams and buses stop at Viru Väljak, about seven minutes from the square, and Balti Jaam station is a 12-minute walk away. Wear shoes with good grip, as the cobbles can be icy.
The market season runs straight through Christmas until 6 January 2027, but holiday hours for 2026 had not been published at the time of writing, and some stalls may close or open shorter hours on 24 and 25 December. At noon on 24 December, the mayor traditionally reads the Christmas Peace declaration from a window of the Town Hall. The city museums close on 24, 25 and 26 December.
Yes. The 2026 market stays open until 6 January 2027, so you can visit between Christmas and New Year and in the first days of January. That is longer than in 2025, when the market closed on 28 December. Check Visit Tallinn for any changes to opening hours on 31 December and 1 January.
The market is held on Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats), in the heart of Tallinn's medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The wooden stalls surround a giant Christmas tree in front of the Gothic Town Hall, completed in 1404. The square is a 7-minute walk from the Viru Väljak tram and bus stops.
Visit on a weekday morning for the quietest stalls, then come back after dark, when the tree and the Town Hall are lit. Daylight is short in December, with sunset around 3.20pm in mid-December, so plan viewpoints such as Toompea for the early afternoon. Weekend evenings are the busiest but also have the most performances on the stage.
Yes. St Catherine's Passage, a short walk from the square, has artisan workshops selling glass, ceramics and textiles, and knitwear stalls line Müürivahe Street along the city wall. Just outside the Old Town, the Balti Jaam Market sells Estonian food gifts, and Telliskivi Creative City has hosted a design-focused Christmas market in recent years, though its 2026 dates had not been announced at the time of writing.
Tallinn says its Town Hall Square Christmas tree tradition dates back to 1441, which would make it one of the oldest public Christmas tree traditions in Europe. Riga also claims the first Christmas tree, from 1510, so the title is disputed.
The Old Town ice rink on Harju Street, beside St Nicholas' Church, is the most popular place to skate in Tallinn and a few minutes' walk from the Christmas market. It usually opens between mid-November and early December and stays open until the end of March, daily from 10am to 10pm, with skate hire on site. The 2026 opening date had not been announced at the time of writing.
