I visited two of the, in my opinion, most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe. I spent 3 days in Zagreb and 2 days in Budapest. Here are the highlights.
I came to Zagreb on Sunday evening. I spent 3 nights there, I experienced snow, rain and sun. After that I went to Budapest where I spent 2 nights. Here is what I did.
Day 1
Finding a cheap hotel in Zagreb is not so difficult if you don’t have too high standards. I had a very basic room, but it was worth it for a few nights. Sunday evening the markets were incredibly overcrowded. Zagreb is not a big city and there were markets in more locations, squares, streets and parks. They used many Christmas decorations and lights. The overall atmosphere was amazing. I had a small walk but with hope that during the week there is gonna be less people, I went back to my room.
Day 2
Next day was sunny but quite cold. I visited the Zoo. There were almost no people and I really like the zoos, especially the one in Zagreb which is very nice. From the zoo I went to the city.
The Tunnel Grič is always decorated during the holiday. There were almost no people throughout the day. This year’s theme was Polar dream, it was colorful with calming music in the background.
I walked by St. Mark’s church. There was a pretty Christmas tree and no reconstructions. I also had the luck to see how the old lights were turned on manually.
After that I walked through the city. The markets were a lot less crowded. There were many stands with food and also Christmas decorations and goods. The music was playing in many places and everyone was in a good mood. There were many, many lights in the city. At the main square there was a Christmas tree, a lot of decorations, picture backgrounds and a food corner. In Park Zrinjevac were many lights and a few stands.
Trg Kralja Tomislava was in my eyes the most beautiful. There was a big ice rink, besides there were paths for skating around the park. A lot of people were skating, there were many decorations, a great atmosphere with lights and music surrounded by a few stands with food.
The prices in Zagreb were very good. I had a hot dog for 3,50€. They had drinks for similar prices. There were many food options, from basic stuff to fancy food. Access to the ice rink was 4€ and skates rental was also 4€.
And of course a Christmas tram can’t be missing.
After a break in the hotel I also went for an evening walk. The streets near the center also had stands with food and drinks. Honestly, the atmosphere in the evening is the best.
Day 3
This day was very snowy-rainy so I decided to spend it in a shopping mall. I went to Arena centar. It is far from the city center so I had to use the bus. The transport tickets in Zagreb are very cheap and the bus ride took me around 30 minutes. The mall is very big so it provided fun for the whole day. I also went to the cinema. The cinema in Zagreb costs around 6€ and they play movies in English with Croatian subtitles. I went at 4pm on Tuesday, that can be the reason why there was nobody else. Me and my boyfriend were the only ones in the cinema. What can I say, VIP experience. The staff was very nice and they spoke English as well. We came back late so I didn’t go anywhere else. The next day was my trip to Budapest.
Day 4
In the morning I had a bus ride from Zagreb to Budapest. I always travel with flixbus, it’s cheap and easy. The bus trip takes around 4-5 hours. I arrived in the late afternoon. Getting around Budapest is very easy due to public transport. I went to my accommodation. Looking for a hotel in Budapest through the Christmas season is not easy. Everything is booked, and what is not booked is expensive. Luckily I found an apartment a bit further from the center.
After putting my stuff down, I went to the city. The weather was not the best, it was raining and snowing at the same time. The trams were very crowded and there were a lot of tourists everywhere. I went to buy a chimney cake, you can’t miss this in Budapest.
Note: Do not buy them on the market or in the center. It is so much cheaper if you find a stand near/in a metro station. I always buy one in the metro station Astoria. They have the original tastes and it is 2-3x cheaper than in the center.
After that I had a walk in the center but due to the bad weather I went back to the hotel early.
Day 5
This day was rainy, at least in the morning. My safe place is a mall, when the weather is bad or I need a toilet. Arena mall is one of the biggest malls in Budapest and one of my favorites. The malls are so christmassy and full of people buying presents.
In the afternoon I finally visited the markets. The markets this year were bigger than last year. They start on the Deák Ferenc tér with a few stands. The line continues to the shopping street, this street is fully covered in Christmas lights. The main markets are in 2 places, Vörösmarty tér and Szent István tér in front of the basilica. Both of these markets offer a lot of stands with food, goods and decorations. The basilica offers a light show and at the square there is an ice rink.
There are several ice rinks in Budapest, the biggest one City park ice rink is the most expensive. In general the prices in Budapest are a lot higher. The food prices don’t go under 10€. It is a very family friendly city tho. Many ice rinks are free for the small ones.
There are markets in many locations. You can visit the Buda castle, the Vajdahunyad castle, Erzsébet tér or Madách Imre tér and many more. Honestly the whole city is in a Christmas vibe, wherever you show up.
In the evening I also walked to the parliament and enjoyed the view. There is also a big Christmas tree standing and there was a Christmas tram driving around as well.
Day 6
The last day of my trip. I went home with a good feeling filled with the Christmas atmosphere. Because I am from Slovakia it is easy for me to get there with a local bus.
I fully recommend visiting both of these cities during Christmas time. Budapest is always in my heart and it has huge beautiful markets. Zagreb on the other side is smaller and cozier but still very beautiful and lovely.
I’ll give this trip ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How would you rate this trip?