Day 7 – 9 of my 9-day European Christmas Market Adventure
Riga – Vilnius – Warsaw
Want to get away to some Christmas Markets in Europe but not sure which to choose? Well here’s one to add to your list!
In the first week of December, we decided to head over to 3 different European cities, in 3 different countries, checking out their Christmas Markets. Instead of hiring a car and driving to each country, as we normally would do, we decided to fly. It actually worked out cheaper to fly to each country, than to hire a car, pay the cross-border fees, and single-way drop-off fee.
Our third and last stop, on our 9-day European Christmas Market Adventure, was Warsaw.
Warsaw is the capital and the largest city in Poland. Sadly, during World War II, between 85% to 90% of the city was destroyed. Since then, the city has rebuilt itself and is now home to the newest Old Town in Europe.
Why Did We Choose Warsaw For The Christmas Markets?
There were 3 main reasons for choosing Warsaw for the Christmas Markets this year:
- cheaper to visit compared to other European cities
- a city we have not visited before
- supposedly quieter than some of the other European Christmas Markets
The Christmas Light Turn On
We were fortunate enough to be there for the Christmas light turn-on at Castle Square. This was just by chance. On Friday, the day before the Christmas Lights were turned on, we noticed none of the lights were on. We were confused about why they weren’t. We then had a look online and saw they were getting turned on at the weekend, Saturday 7th December. I am not sure why they got turned on later than the rest of the Christmas Lights in Europe. However, this is something worth noting before you book to visit.
The Christmas light turn-on was great fun. The atmosphere was fantastic! There were street performers, live brass bands, food stalls, and lights everywhere. At the Multimedia Fountain Park, they had a great light show. They had a little carousel you push around yourself, free of charge. The light turn-on started at 3.30 pm and went on into the evening. If you are wanting to see a light turn on, this is the one to visit!
The Christmas Markets
The Christmas Markets in Warsaw were good. There may be not as big as the German Christmas Markets, however, there was certainly something for everyone. The night we visited the markets, they were very busy, as it was the light turn on. However, this is not to say they are this busy every night. There were stalls selling local food, food from different countries, festive drinks, and homemade gifts. If you are planning on buying anything from the stalls, just make sure you have some cash on you. We found a lot of the stalls do not have card machines.
The Christmas Markets were dotted around the Old Town. There were some along the Castle Wall and some in Square Mermaid, where the ice rink was located. We also found some stalls dotted along the Royal Route too.
Christmas In Warsaw
Without a doubt, Warsaw is one of the most festive cities I have ever visited at Christmas. The Polish capital certainly knows how to celebrate the season. In every direction you look in, there are lights or Christmas Trees twinkling away. If you enjoy ice skating, there are 2 outdoor ice rinks: one in Square Mermaid and one outside the Palace of Science and Culture. It is truly one magical city at Christmas.
Getting To and From The Airport
Getting to and from the airport is easy and cheap. You can catch the train S2 from the airport to the centre. The train station is under Terminal A. The journey will cost you around £1 and will take you about 20 minutes. We decided to catch an Uber. This took us a little longer than 20 minutes as we arrived in rush hour. It was also a slightly more expensive way to get to and from the airport. Our journey cost us just under £6.
To watch our full vlog of Warsaw Christmas Markets, please head over to our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/yz1rBfHrrfg?si=nSwKGL0hjFCl-uPH
Would like more Christmas Market inspiration? Check out some of my other blogs:
A Guide to Vilnius Christmas Markets
A Guide to Riga’s Christmas Markets
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