Beneath the snowy steps of the city’s great white cathedral sits Senate Square, the location for Helsinki’s Christmas Market (locally known as “Tuomaan Markkinat”). This year the market runs from 1st December to 22nd December 2023.
Helsinki Christmas Market is the oldest outdoor market in Helsinki. I was excited to see that it wasn’t a replica of the stale “European” Christmas markets found in UK cities these days. There are over 100 stalls selling a wide range of goods, mainly by Finnish creators.
Not only can you buy wonderful gifts, but you can also watch some craftspeople at work. My favourite, the glassblower, was busy doing demonstrations when I was there on the first evening of the market. It was a joy to watch. Sadly, I didn’t buy any glass as I was afraid of how I would manage to get it home in one piece! The blacksmith was also giving demonstrations, but I wasn’t lucky enough to catch him at work, though the forge was glowing.
As well as knitted goods, jewellery, toys, wooden crafts, printed goods, Christmas decorations and much, much more, there are also many food stalls, and these seem to be the busiest. From hot chocolate and Glögi to hot chestnuts and pastries, there is plenty of food & drink to choose from.
An old-fashioned merry-go-round takes children and the young-at-heart on a gentle spin, and if you’re lucky you might find Santa Claus at the market!
Contemplating visiting the Helsinki Christmas Market? Don’t forget to wrap up warm! Temperatures ranged between -7°C and -13°C during my visit, and the wind chill can make it feel even colder. As with most Christmas Markets, Helsinki Christmas Market can get very busy, especially at weekends and in the evenings, so keep this in mind if you’re visiting.
I really enjoyed my visit to Helsinki Christmas Market and would love to go again.
Do you have a favourite Christmas market?
57 Comments
tomthebackroadstraveller
… I love seeing European Christmas Markets and the Helsinki market look so festive. Thanks Nikki for taking my along to see the sights. I wish you a Merry Christmas. ☃️ ❄️
Nikki
Thank you for continuing to visit. Merry Christmas!
Her Digital Coffee
Wow, beautiful photos! I’d love to visit the Helsinki Christmas Market one day. I’m hoping to find a Christmas Market in my area this year. Merry Christmas Nikki!
Nikki
Thank you. I definitely want to go again! Our village has a lovely craft fayre in the church in November which I love to visit.
Johanna Bradley
Wow! I know a lady who would absolutely love this, Nikki. She’s been to most of the European Christmas markets, and went back to Krakow this year, in search of snow and mulled wine. I imagine you’d need the latter to keep your hands warm. No matter how festive and pretty, I can’t really be persuaded, though another friend went to Copenhagen and loved it. Scandinavia is horribly expensive too, but I can see how you would have a brilliant time there. All the very best to you, now and in the year ahead.
Nikki
I found Helsinki on a par with London, price-wise (although I think Helsinki’s hotels are cheaper). I was wrapped up well with my new coat, boots, hat & gloves!
Kelly
I’ve been waiting for this post ever since you had some photos on Instagram! It looks so COLD there! I wonder if the temperature has much affect on glassblowing? I would have enjoyed watching that and the blacksmith at work. I love a merry-go-round. 🙂
Nikki
There’s more posts to come as soon as I get time! He didn’t seem to be having much trouble with the glassblowing. The merry-go-round features on a Tiktok video of mine… Let me know if you’d like the link.
Kelly
Send it along and I’ll watch! Can you put it on Instagram?
Nikki
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0UbukDClok/
Alan Rolfe
This looks fabulous and what a great experience. Winchester’s market is quite good but Southampton’s is dire; 95% food and beer stalls.
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
It looks magical with the white cathedral behind it.
Nikki
A cathedral post will be coming soon!
Ann
I’m not much of a fan of Christmas market, perhaps because ours are as stale as those in the UK. The one in Helsinki sounds lovely and of course the snow must have contributed to the Christmas spirit. What a experience that must have been for you Nikki! xxx
Nikki
Yes, I was lucky to have snow for my whole trip. Sadly, I didn’t get to see the northern lights though.
john polley
We don’t have many Christmas markets in the U.S. I wish we did because the one in Helsinki looks amazing. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Walking Away
Wonderfully festive!
Melodie
This is a nice Christmas market. My partner spent a year in Helsinki as part of Erasmus student programme. It was 10 years ago now and I went a couple of days to explore the city. It is a nice one a bit cold though ☺️.
Nikki
The cold was worth it! I visited in the summer too when it was actually quite hot for Finland.
Dave Ply
Having snow gives this Christmas market more credibility. But it looks cold! (We’re going to have visitors from Helsinki shortly after Christmas. Maybe they’re looking for warmer weather too. 😉 )
Kris P
Lovely city scenes, Nikki! There’s nothing akin to Christmas markets in my part of the world. There used to be more craft shows, usually in the summer/fall time periods, but sadly even those seem to have faded away. I used to buy a lot of advance Christmas presents at them.
Beverley
The Christmas market in Helsinki looks a wonderful place to visit. The cathedral in the background looks stunning. Thank you for sharing your photos of a memorable trip.
Take care and sending Christmas good wishes to you x
Nikki
There will be a post about the cathedral soon. Thanks for visiting! Merry Christmas!
Judy@NewEnglandGardenAndThread
Beautiful landscape, wonderful holiday lights, and a variety of craftsmen – what’s not to like here. I truly enjoy glassblowers and welders, both skills I wish I had pursued in my younger days. 🙂
Eunice Ratcliffe
I like the lit up cathedral in the background of your photos, it looks beautiful. I’m not really a lover of Christmas markets, we have one in the main square of my home town but it’s always very crowded and the Manchester ones are even worse so I just don’t go.
Nikki
There will be a Helsinki Cathedral post soon (and it’s featured in a video on my Tiktok/Instgram).
Lorrie Orr
Very pretty. Merry Christmas.
Nikki
Merry Christmas to you too!
Ju-Lyn
As I view your stunning images from a rather muggy Singapore morning, I am envious of the snowy Christmas you are enjoying. As expected, our Christmas fairs & markets are warm although still festive in their own way.
Nikki
I’m back home in Wales now and it’s very much a wet Christmas so far!
Eastside Cats
Looks like a good time!
CherryPie
It looks fantastic 🙂
Maybe next year…
Nikki
I would definitely recommend it!
lisl
It looks nicely spaced out, and very welcoming int he snow. Here in Bath there is a very popular Christmas Market, but the crowds make it difficult to enjoy in a confined space
Ginnie Hart
Believe it or not, Nikki, Astrid and I just took my son Mark to the Christmas markets in Cologne, Germany, this past Thursday. It wasn’t as cold as yours but it was misty and therefore “water cold,” as the Dutch call it. It’s not my favorite Christmas-market place (I like Düsseldorf better) but it was very special for my son (age 48) to see, because it was his first. I’ve noticed that European Christmas markets are having more and more drinking stalls over the years. Have you seen that as well?
Nikki
I hope you enjoyed your trip. I have yet to visit Germany, but I would like to visit one day. Yes, many of the Christmas markets now seem to have more and more drinking stalls these days.
Anca
It looks like a lovely market. I am pleased with the one in Liverpool this year.
Catherine
Lovely post. Christmas markets are such fun places to visit and the covering of snow adds to the ambience. I’m not too sure I’d cope the those temperatures though!
Nikki
I wondered how well I would cope with the cold, but I dressed up warm (knee length winter coat, hat, gloves & boots) and I was fine.
Karalee
I love going to Christmas markets, and Helsinki’s Christmas market looks amazing! Last weekend I went to the Christmas market in Roskilde, and there were a lot of handmade goods and Danish shops as well as æbleskiver and gløgg!
Nikki
That sounds wonderful!
Lisa's Notebook
This is a PROPER Christmas market – especially with the snow. Looks fantastic, Nikki. We have the Bath Christmas Market down here, but I do prefer the look of the Helsinki one, much more authentic.
jeanie
We really don’t have Christmas markets here — at least not in any cities I know. And I wish we did. I’ve always longed to go to one in Germany — but I have a feeling this one might be even better. It looks terrific and the setting couldn’t be more lovely! Merry Christmas, Nikki — and thanks for your visits to my blog!
Nikki
I’d definitely recommend it! I’d like to visit Germany too. Merry Christmas!
Shelley Krupa
That’s such a majestic setting. I love that the vendors each have their own little house to stay warm in while they create and share their items to be purchased. The first thing I thought was, it looks cold there. Wise bundled-up shoppers like yourself make it look super cozy though. Thank you for sharing!
Jo
What a beautiful setting and it sets the scene for Christmas so well with the snow on the ground. I think it would be too cold for me though, I hunker down for the winter months here and it’s nowhere near as cold, haha.
Nikki
I thought it might be too cold for me these days, but I wrapped up with (knee length coat, hat, gloves & boots) and was plenty warm enough.
Cathy (wanderessence)
What a beautiful market! It looks cold, but I’m sure there were plenty of diversions to warm you up! I definitely have Finland on my wish list!
Nikki
There’s so many more places in Finland which I would like to visit!
Astrid
What a unique place to visit for the Christmas Market. SNOW…. that alone makes it feel Christmassy, if you know what I mean. Ginnie and I saw some wonderful Christmas markets, a special one is in Valkenburg, Netherlands. It is all in “marl caves”. It looks like you had a wonderful experience there. What a memory to make.
Merry Christmas to you and for the next year, all the best, good health and wonderful travels to come.
Nikki
The Christmas market in Valkenburg sounds wonderful! Merry Christmas to you too! All the best for 2024!
Yeah, Another Blogger
I wouldn’t mind a spin on that merry-go-round. Hi, and happy new year! Neil S.
chickenruby
that looks so pretty especially with the snow. the glassblower stall would be my favourite and I’d be so tempted to buy a piece.
Peter B.
What a wonderful market. Interesting to see the little roofed sheds. I was wondering how the vendors stayed warm. Our outdoor markets are all open-air. Helsinki looks beautiful. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Maria
That is a very beautiful Christmas market. I love Christmas markets, they really bring on the holiday spirit.
Denise Bush
It all looks very festive! Great night shots and post.
Awakening Wonders
This event is on my bucket list!