Graz, Austria, is a low-key city packed with Christmas markets in easy walking distance and decked out with nativity scenes and lovely lights. The atmosphere and ease hit just the right notes to get almost anyone in the holiday spirit.
We took a break from enjoying Vienna’s Christmas markets with a day trip to Austria’s second-largest city. Even in a short amount of time, we explored most of the beautiful Graz Christmas markets, sampling all the delicious foods and shopping along the way. Here’s what to expect from the remarkable markets.
Most of the markets run November 22 through December 23, 2024 and have limited hours on December 24, except where noted below.
Franciscan Quarter (Franziskanerplatz)
The festivities in the Francisan Quarter (Franziskanerplatz) are technically two markets in one. The first runs alongside the Franciscan church, and the second—the children’s Advent fair—is on the church’s north side at Kleine Neutorgasse. If you’re walking through the city, you probably wouldn’t notice a distinction between the two.
The oldest market in Graz, it is one of the smaller ones. The stalls here feature traditional crafts and decorations from around the region of Styria, of which Graz is the captial. The food vendors selling gingerbread (lebkuchen), nuts, pretzels, and other foods are supplemented by several cafes with outdoor seating. The balcony at Cafe Schwalbennest has an excellent view overlooking the festivities.
If you’re traveling with kids, the children’s Advent fair has a carousel, a mini train, and lots of sweet treats to keep them entertained.
Main Square (Hauptplatz)
The center of the action is the main square (Hauptplatz). The vendor stalls spread out from the towering City Hall and run beside the official Christmas tree, which is covered in 25,000 lights.
The stalls here are truly impressive. The top of each one has an elaborate decoration or scene related (more or less) to what’s being sold below. We saw a toy vendor covered in teddy bears, a mulled wine stand with an animatronic Santa serving wine, and a stand selling gingerbread and candied apples topped with lots of gnomes around a Christmas tree. It was entertaining to walk among them just to look at the designs.
There are lots of gift stands and a wide selection of food. The stand selling the “original Graz Advent waffle” topped with everything from mint and sugar to apricot sauce had a long line of locals. We loved the sausage and chimney cakes we tried but were a bit disappointed to see that our favorite feuerzangenbowle—mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugar cube that gets set on fire—had the rum and sugar already mixed in and lacked the fiery flair, but it was still tasty and warmed us up sufficiently.
The Hauptplatz is most special in the evening when the lights come on. A giant Advent calendar light show is projected on City Hall (November 21-December 24, 2024), and the market is full of fun light sculptures. When you add in the tree and the illuminated kids’ carousel, it’s a glorious environment.
If you’re following the flow of the markets in the order we’ve written them, it may be a good time to detour to one of the things Graz is most famous for–its nativity scene carved out of ice at the Grazer Landhaus. It’s free to enter and fascinating to see, even when it’s melted a little bit. The nativity scene is on view November 30-December 31.)
Artvent in the Leslie Open (Lesliehof)
The market with the most unique merchandise is the Artvent. Nothing here is mass-produced or overly commercial. All of the artwork, ceramics, knitted items, and other special pieces are handwork. Many of the makers sell their own work and are happy to chat and provide more information about their creations.
Through the arch, vendors in the Joanneum Quarter have a series of welcoming stands—complete with heaters and blankets—ready for happy hour. With homemade mulled wine, sparkling wine, and other drinks and light bites, this spot is off the beaten path from the other markets and appeared to be made primarily for locals.
The stands in the Joanneum Quarter open November 22 and Artvent begins November 29; both close December 23.
Glockenspielplatz
The historic buildings of Glockenspielplatz surround the handful of stalls in this area. Most of the offerings here were food, including lots of different cocktails, giant filled donuts, and pastries. The gifts were few and included things like wooden candle holders and scented oils.
To give our feet a break and get a moment out of the cold, we decided to stop for lunch at the Gockl Brau, a Styrian inn on the square. On first glance, it seemed quite touristy (servers wearing dirndls and leiderhosen), but their regional cuisine exceeded our expectations. They brew a local specialty beer called Glockl Brau Bier, which is worth trying.
We finished our late lunch just in time to see the glockenspiel show that happens every day at 11:00am, 3:00pm, and 6:00pm. Two traditional Austrian figurines dance while a carillon plays music. The show isn’t worth planning your day around, but it’s fun to see if you are nearby.
Mehlplatz and Farberplatz
Just a few feet separate the twin markets on Mehlplatz and Farberplatz. The stalls on Mehlplatz are uniquely designed with a more contemporary—almost geometric—appearance. The modest group of vendors here offers original merchandise like paintings, pottery, jewelry, and decorative mobiles. Grab a mug of mulled wine or a hot waffle to enjoy while you browse.
Just around the corner, the handmade market on Farberplatz specializes in high-quality goods. From soap and cheese to felted lapel pins and bags made from tapestry, we loved exploring all the different handcrafted items. Throughout the square, there are a few benches, which is nice because seating is limited at most of the markets. Farberplatz has more limited dates, running November 29 through December 23.
Tummelplatz
The Tummelplatz market, featuring merchandise from around the world, has a Bohemian vibe. Think clothes with traditional prints from Africa and South America, incense from India, and Moroccan tea sets. Plus, there is jewelry, tapestries, blankets, and distinctive carved chairs shaped like hands (the palm of the hand is the seat).
We had planned to have lunch here as it was billed as a “gastronomic” market, but we only found a few toasts and waffles available. Instead, we enjoyed browsing among the different treasures from around the world.
The Iron Gate (Am Eisernes Tor)
The stands at the Iron Gate are a prime happy hour spot for people looking to do a little good with their after-work tipple. All the stands here are run by charities. During our visit, we noted the Austrian Red Cross, Ladies Circle Graz, and Help4Kids among those selling mulled wine, hot chocolate, cider, and hot aperol. There were also sausages and snacks for sale. This market closes December 23.
It can’t be a coincidence that happy hour is the perfect time to visit these stands because that is also a great time to see the many lights that come on all around the plaza. Every day at 4:30pm, the lights get switched on, and there are several prime photo and selfie spots right here.
WonderLEND Mariahilferplatz
In the trendy, artsy Lend district WonderLEND is a food market catering mostly to locals. Away from most of the other markets and across the river from the busy main square, it takes place under a canopy of lights. The most attention-getting aspect is the light projection show on the exterior of the Church of Our Lady of Succor.
We stopped here for dinner on our way back to the train and were happy to find a different variety of foods than at some of our other stops. There were numerous drink stands plus crepes (sweet and savory), churros, currywurst, Styrian chili, and langos (fried bread with toppings that we had at the markets in Budapest). We enjoyed a couple of flammkuchen (flatbread) and warm drinks while watching the lights.
Don’t come here planning to do lots of shopping—we only saw one vendor who was selling socks. WonderLEND closes December 23.
Sudtiroler Platz
The small square Sudtiroler Platz hosts a handful of nicely decorated huts selling food and plenty of drinks. Grab some hot chocolate, apple punch, or mulled wine, and enjoy the atmosphere. The market closes December 23.
If you’re doing a day trip like we did, from Sudtiroler Platz, you are a 4-min ride or 20-minute walk from the main train station (Hauptbanhof).
Laura Longwell is an award-winning travel blogger and photographer. Since founding Travel Addicts in 2008, she has written hundreds of articles that help over 3 million people a year get the most out of their travel. In that time, she has visited nearly 60 countries on 5 continents, often returning to favorite destinations over and over again. She has a deep love of history, uncovering unexpected attractions, and trying all the good food a place has to offer.
In addition to Travel Addicts, Laura runs a site about her hometown of Philadelphia—Guide to Philly—which chronicles unique things to do and places to see around southeastern Pennsylvania. Her travel tips and advice appear across the web.