Kraków, Lesser Poland, Poland
Kraków Christmas Market
Stalls across Kraków's vast medieval Main Square. 2026 dates not yet announced; some dates online are years out of date.
The organiser has not yet confirmed this year's dates, and the dates circulating online are either estimates or carried over from a previous year — so we are not publishing them as fact. No official 2026 dates yet. A widely shared start date of "Friday 24 November" matches 2023's calendar; in 2026, 24 November is a Tuesday.
- Address
- Rynek Główny (Main Market Square), Kraków
Kraków’s Christmas market sets up on the Rynek Główny, the city’s medieval Main Market Square, one of the largest town squares in Europe. The stalls stand between the Cloth Hall, the Town Hall Tower and the mismatched towers of St Mary’s Basilica. In recent years the market has had around a hundred trading and food stalls.
Why there are no dates here yet
Kraków’s 2026 dates haven’t been announced. One date doing the rounds online says the market opens on “Friday 24 November”. That’s a giveaway: 24 November was a Friday in 2023, but in 2026 it’s a Tuesday. Other sites give estimates. We’ll add the dates once the city confirms them.
What to expect
Based on recent years: wooden stalls selling glass baubles, ceramics, leather goods, amber and wooden toys. Food stalls sell oscypek (smoked sheep’s cheese from the Tatra mountains, grilled and served with cranberry sauce), pierogi, sausages and grzaniec, the Polish mulled wine.
Don’t miss: the szopki
Kraków has its own Christmas tradition, the szopki krakowskie. These are elaborate, glittering nativity scenes built in the shape of the city’s churches and towers. Each December the makers bring them to the Main Square for a competition, and the tradition is on UNESCO’s list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The winning cribs are then displayed at the Kraków Museum.
Getting there
Kraków Główny station is around ten minutes’ walk from the Main Square. Kraków Airport is linked to the station by train.
Make a day of it
Wawel Castle and Cathedral are a short walk south along Grodzka street, and Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, is beyond them.
When will we know?
We check the official source every week and will update this page the day the dates are confirmed. In the meantime, our What’s open? tool shows the markets that have confirmed dates for any day you’re travelling.