Where To Find the Best Christmas Markets in the Netherlands (and How To Visit)

In the heart of the Museum Quarter, or Museumplein, you'll find one of the best festive events in the Netherlands—the Amsterdam Christmas ice village, which is especially great for food lovers.

Here you'll be able to browse vendors serving up everything from hand-crafted liqueurs to warming mulled wine, accompanied by treats from around the world (think: churros, smoked eel, raclette, and even make-your-own poffertjes, or Dutch pancakes). It’s also a superb place to pick up gifts from around the world, and admission is free, so you can go back as many times as your heart desires.

Insider tip: See more in less time on a Christmas market tour in the Netherlands.

Dordrecht is one of the top winter destinations in the Netherlands, owing largely to its fantastic Christmas market, which takes place for one weekend only in the Grotekerksbuurt and Groenmarkt section of town.

At this festive event, you'll find dozens of wooden chalets selling tasty snacks, warming beverages, and lovingly crafted Christmas gifts, all illuminated in beautiful twinkling lights. A solid lineup of live musical performances at the town's Stadshuisplein Square adds an extra dose of fun to the festive cheer.

If you’re looking for a Christmas market with ice skating in the Netherlands, look no farther than Maastricht, home to the Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof, considered one of the best Netherlands holiday fairs.

At this market, you can strap on your skates and go for a spin on the ice, play in a fun house, take the kids on a carousal, or soak in city views from atop a towering Ferris wheel (complete with cozy glassed-in gondolas to help you stay warm). Then head to the Christmas market area for drinks, snacks, and plenty of shopping opportunities. It's a great spot to visit with kids, as you might imagine.

For the ultimate Dutch Christmas experience, make your way to Valkenburg in the southern part of the country for the annual Christmas Town Valkenburg experience. While many Dutch Christmas celebrations last only a weekend, the festivities here go on for a full 52 days.

As an added bonus, much of the fun takes place not on city squares but in the Municipal Cave, or Gemeentegrot, home to what the organizers claim is the largest underground Christmas market in Europe. Additional caves host nativity scenes and Christmas sculptures, and there's even a once-to-twice-weekly parade that lights up the Old Town with illuminated floats.

For only three December days, the pretty city of Haarlem, an easy 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam, hosts a lively Christmas market that's chock-full of food, shopping, and live entertainment. Expect nearly 350 stalls spread across 12 different points in the city center, particularly on Saturday and Sunday, when Schagchelstraat and Kleine Houtstraat are blocked off for all sorts of festive fun, including live music, hot spiced wine, beautiful lighting displays, and craft shopping opportunities galore.

While you probably associate a Dickensian Christmas with the dark winter streets of London, the Dutch city of Deventer has its own festival dedicated to the works of the author. While the characters (and ghosts) of A Christmas Carol are certainly lauded, the festival also draws inspiration from Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, and more.

Expect costumed entertainers who look like they've been plucked right out of the 19th century, plus carolers and, of course, a market selling everything from antiques to chestnuts roasted on an open fire. It certainly makes fora fun twist on the typical Christmas celebrations.

Held inside the Landgoed Duin & Kruidberg Estate in Santpoort-Noord, the Castle Christmas Fair has a lot going for it. For one, its setting on the sprawling grounds of a 17th-century estate is nothing short of enchanting, with beautiful architecture that adds an old-fashioned ambiance to the festivities.

You'll also find a market with more than 200 businesses ranging from local artisans to international crafters, not to mention mulled wine, snacks, and a packed music schedule showcasing everything from medieval carolers to brass bands.

Held over just one day in the Zeeland village of Oostdijk, the Oostdijk Winter Fair is a great place to go if you want to experience a traditional Dutch Christmas market without the city crowds. Although this market is smaller than some of its big-city counterparts, it packs a big punch, with special activities for children and around 40 stalls lining a decorated and illuminated 2e Vlietweg, one of the village's main thoroughfares.

If you're looking for sustainable, eco-friendly gifts this holiday season, Amsterdam's Sustainable Christmas Market is the place to go. It’s held over two weekends in December, at De Ceuvel, a shipyard turned sustainability space in the northern part of the city.

While the gifts here are decidedly eco-focused (think: natural soaps and vegan treats), the market still has plenty of the trappings of its more traditional counterparts, including twinkling lights and steaming cups of hot mulled wine.