Guides · Tartu
Tartu Christmas Market 2026: Dates, Ice Rink & Festive Magic
By Viktorija Dvariskyte · Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
The Tartu Christmas market, known as Christmas City (Jõululinn), fills Town Hall Square in Estonia's second city from 29 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, according to Visit Estonia. Instead of wooden huts, Tartu's Christmas City is built from brightly lit glass pavilions, each with its own theme, around a Christmas tree, a giant chandelier and a free ice rink. Entry and all events are free.
Tartu is a university town with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, and its Christmas season includes a one-day Christmas fair along Küüni Street, a Winter Folk Dance Day and a Christmas market at the Estonian National Museum. This guide covers the 5 best ways to enjoy a Tartu Christmas market trip, each with the address, how to get there and a Pro Tip. Where 2026 details had not been announced, we give last year's information.
The city centre is compact and walkable. The order starts on Town Hall Square, moves to the ice rink and Küüni Street, climbs Toome Hill, and finishes at the Estonian National Museum.
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1Christmas City on Town Hall Square - Glass Pavilions and Lights
The Tartu Christmas market fills Town Hall Square with glass pavilions in front of the pink-and-white Town Hall. Inside the pavilions, visitors can see exhibitions, try crafts and Christmas customs, join workshops and listen to live music. Children love the straw house, swings and carousel.
The 2026 Christmas City runs from 29 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, according to Visit Estonia. In 2025, it opened on the first Sunday of Advent with the lighting of an Advent candle at 6pm, and candles were lit each Sunday of Advent. Food and drink came from a Christmas Café and an Ice Rink Café, and a Christmas shop sold handicrafts, local design and souvenirs.
The event follows green event guidelines, with a deposit system for cups and dishes.
2Ice Rink around the Kissing Students Fountain - Free Skating
Each winter, an ice rink is laid out around the Kissing Students fountain, Tartu's best-known landmark, in the middle of Town Hall Square. Skating is free, and visitors can bring their own skates, helmets and pads or rent them on site.
In the 2025 season, the rink was open daily from 10am to 10pm, and skate rental was available from 10am to 9pm, according to the City of Tartu. The rink stays open long after the Christmas City closes, until early March, making it a highlight of any Tartu Christmas market visit.
The programme has included free skating lessons, skating discos and a fairytale ball for children.
3Küüni Street Christmas Fair and Winter Folk Dance Day
On one Saturday in December, Tartu holds a large Christmas fair along Küüni Street, the pedestrian street running from Town Hall Square to the Kaubamaja department store. Stalls also set up next to the Tartu Market Hall and along the riverside boulevard by the Emajõgi.
In 2025, the fair took place on 13 December and ran until 4pm, according to The Baltic Guide. Stalls sell handicrafts, knitwear, food and gift ideas from across Estonia and beyond.
On one weekend in December, hundreds of folk dancers from Tartu and South Estonia also come to the Christmas City for the Winter Folk Dance Day, dancing around the Christmas tree. The 2026 dates had not been announced at the time of writing.
Check dates for Tartu
See what is available on your dates.
4Toome Hill and the Cathedral Ruins - A Winter Walk
Toome Hill, rising behind Town Hall Square, is a wooded park crowned by the ruins of Tartu Cathedral, a huge brick Gothic church. One of its restored towers houses the University of Tartu Museum, and the towers offer views over the city.
The hill is criss-crossed with paths, monuments and bridges, including the Angel's Bridge and the Devil's Bridge, and it is especially atmospheric under snow. Nearby, the main building of the University of Tartu, founded in 1632, is one of Estonia's finest neoclassical buildings.
The museum is ticketed and has reduced opening hours in winter, so check before you go.
5Estonian National Museum - Christmas Market and Estonian Traditions
The Estonian National Museum (ERM), housed in a striking modern building on a former military airfield, tells the story of Estonian life and traditions. It is the best place in the country to learn about Estonian folk culture, including winter and Christmas customs.
The museum also hosts its own Christmas market. In 2025, the ERM Christmas Market took place on Saturday 13 December from 10am to 6pm, the same day as the Küüni Street fair, according to The Baltic Guide.
Entry to the museum's exhibitions is ticketed. Check the ERM website for the 2026 Christmas market date and any entry fee.
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Tartu Christmas Market 2026: Christmas City & Ice Rink - FAQ
Tartu Christmas City runs from 29 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 on Town Hall Square, according to Visit Estonia. It traditionally opens on the first Sunday of Advent.
Yes. Entry to Tartu Christmas City and all its events is free, and so is skating on the ice rink. You pay for food, drinks, gifts and skate rental.
Trains from Tallinn's Balti Jaam station reach Tartu in about two hours, and buses take a similar time. From Tartu station, Town Hall Square is about a 20-minute walk. Once you arrive, the compact centre is easy to explore on foot.
Christmas City stays in place over Christmas, so you can visit the square, the tree and the ice rink on 25 December. The cafés and pavilions may keep shorter hours on public holidays, so check the programme on tartukorraldab.ee.
Yes, Christmas City continues until 10 January 2027. In the 2025 season, the final week included New Year's tin pouring, family workshops and a closing Seto winter celebration, and the ice rink stayed open until 1 March.
Christmas City fills Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) in the centre of Tartu, with glass pavilions, a Christmas tree and a giant chandelier. The ice rink circles the Kissing Students fountain on the same square.
Visit on an Advent Sunday, when the Advent candle is lit at 6pm and followed by a Christmas concert. Weekday daytimes are quieter for exploring the pavilions, and the square looks its best after dark.
Christmas City on Town Hall Square is the main event. Tartu also hosts a one-day Christmas fair along Küüni Street and a Christmas market at the Estonian National Museum, both covered in this guide.
Yes. The rink around the Kissing Students fountain is free to use. In the 2025 season it opened daily from 10am to 10pm until 1 March, with skate rental from 10am to 9pm. You can also bring your own skates and helmet.
Instead of wooden huts, Tartu uses lit glass pavilions with themed exhibitions, workshops and live music. Families also love the straw house, swings and carousel, and the relaxed university-town atmosphere makes it a quieter alternative to Tallinn.
