The 10 best Christmas markets in Friuli Venezia Giulia to visit in 2025

Christmas is a magical time for adults and children, that lights up the cities with colors and beauty, but also a special moment to rediscover the traditions of the Italian regions.

Friuli Venezia Giulia, due to its border position, is a real crossroads of different cultures: from the sea to the mountains, from the refined cities rich in history to the countryside, all the heritage of craftsmanship, flavours and fragrances gather on the stalls of the Christmas markets 2025 in Friuli Venezia Giulia and in the variety of events that enliven the cold days of December.

Christmas Markets are one of the most loved attractions by visitors looking for original gift ideas, handicrafts and typical products: in this guide we present the 10 best Christmas markets to visit in 2025 in Friuli Venezia Giulia, with useful information to organize your trip. 

- Trieste

- Gorizia

- Pordenone

- Udine

- Tarcento

- Aquileia

- San Vito al Tagliamento

- Lignano Sabbiadoro

- Sauris di Sopra

- San Pietro al Natisone

Choose the place that inspires you most and enjoy the magical atmosphere of the Christmas markets!

Friuli Venezia Giulia offers many destinations in which to breathe the true Christmas atmosphere: every corner of this region will surprise you for the richness of its culture and the variety of its proposals.

Seaside towns and resorts lit up for the festive season, picturesque mountain villages nestled in the snow and the charming castles of Friuli, enveloped in a magical atmosphere: Friuli Venezia Giulia is the perfect region to spend a Christmas just like you've always dreamed of.

Let's discover the 10 best Christmas markets in Friuli Venezia Giulia to visit in 2025!

Trieste, the elegant border city between the Mediterranean and Central Europe, crossroads of peoples and cultures, is preparing to wear its most glittering dress and celebrate the holidays with its traditional Christmas markets, illuminating thousands of lights in a magical and evocative atmosphere.

The first event is the San Nicolò Fair, which runs from 29 November to 8 December 2025.  The Saint most loved by children will arrive in the streets of the center, among stalls of sweets, toys and Christmas decorations.

From 7 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, there will be Christmas markets in Piazza della Borsa and the surrounding areas:  crafts, gifts, gift ideas and typical products, but also cultural, musical and religious events, such as concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances and Christmas Masses.

There will be plenty of space for children, with games, rides, and stalls selling sweets, candy floss, doughnuts, fritters, and roasted chestnuts.

Gorizia also dresses up in lights and colours for Christmas, offering many opportunities to experience the holiday magic in the city.

It all begins on 29 November at 6.30 pm when the Christmas lights in Gorizia and Nova Gorica will be switched on simultaneously in Piazza Transalpina. The lights will symbolically connect the two cities, emphasising that culture erases borders.

On the same day, starting in the afternoon, there will be workshops for children and an entertainment programme with DJs.  

The Christmas markets will return to the historic centre of Gorizia from 3 to 24 December 2025, offering typical products, crafts, sweets, wines and gift ideas in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The events on offer will also include shows, concerts, workshops and games for children.

The Pordenone Christmas Markets will be set up in the characteristic wooden houses in Piazza XX Settembre, from 28 November 2025 to 6 January 2026: here you can find typical products, crafts, sweets and gift ideas, in a magical and festive atmosphere.

A large decorated tree and an ice skating rink will be the centrepieces of the square.

The opening of the markets will be inaugurated with a special musical event featuring the Powerful Gospel Chorale and a DJ set by Marco Ossanna.

Once again this year, there will be a packed programme of events in the city centre and neighbourhoods.

Udine is the ideal city for those who want to start celebrating Christmas in November.

Among the many initiatives that animate the city, the Christmas markets are certainly the protagonists: the best opportunity to discover a wide variety of local products, crafts, gastronomy and original gift ideas in what is one of the most important events in the region.

"Idea Natale" is the Christmas fair that takes place this year from 27 to 30 November 2025 in the district of Udine Fiere, well in advance of the Christmas holidays to allow everyone to shop without the rush of the last days.

Here you can find over 150 exhibitors offering quality products, from design to furniture, from fashion to toys, from cosmetics to organic products.

"Idea Natale" is also a place of entertainment, with shows, workshops, tastings, book presentations, cultural events and an area dedicated to children.

The 2025 Christmas markets in Tarcento, a few kilometres from Udine, will be open every weekend and on public holidays from 29 November to 21 December 2025 in Piazza Libertà, Via Roma and Via Angeli: a tradition that is renewed every year, bringing in the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia the magical and festive atmosphere of Christmas.

Along the streets and squares of the historic center you can admire and buy typical products, crafts, Christmas decorations, sweets and hot drinks.

Among the main attractions you will find the living crib, the house of Santa Claus, the ice rink, music and entertainment shows and the opportunity to take a ride in a carriage or toy train.

On 21 December, Santa will arrive to hand out sweets and treats to the children present.

For those who want to take advantage of the visit to the Christmas markets to discover the beauties of the territory, Tarcento also offers many cultural and naturalistic attractions, such as the castle of Arcano, the park of the Green Caves, the ethnographic museum and the museum of the peasant civilization.

Aquileia is a city with a fascinating history and one of the most important archaeological sites in northern Italy: it preserves many testimonies of its history as a Roman colony during the empire of Diocletian and later Christian community, starting point for the evangelization of Eastern Europe.

In this setting, even the Christmas markets are steeped in history: the Christmas craft and food and wine market is an exhibition and market now in its 30th edition, held on 8 December in the streets of the historic centre of Aquileia, next to the ancient basilica complex, the Roman archaeological sites and the national museum.

In this evocative context every year is recreated a market of handicrafts and agricultural products that reinterprets an ancient tradition: there are about 130 craftsmen and hobbyists who offer fabrics, paintings, embroidery, ceramics, mosaics, glass, and simultaneously stage practical demonstrations of their craft.

In addition to the handicrafts, there are farms from all over Friuli Venezia Giulia, with their stalls of fruit, vegetables, cold cuts, cheeses, jams, apple cider, honey, wine, lavender and spices.

There are also food and wine stalls where you can taste the typical dishes of the Friulian tradition, workshops and games for children, traveling Christmas music and the arrival of Santa Claus.

For those who love Christmas in Tyrolean style, the ideal destination is the Christmas Village in San Vito al Tagliamento, a few kilometers from Pordenone.

During the three weekends leading up to Christmas, from 6 to 21 December, San Vito Castle will host ‘Voglia di Natale in Castello’ (Christmas at the Castle), a Christmas market and exhibition of typical and artisanal products, with tastings of gastronomic specialities and mulled wine.

The event will be open to the public from 10 to 19.30 and will also be enriched by attractions for all tastes, such as shows, concerts, workshops and games for children.

At the same time, the Christmas Markets will also open their doors for two Sundays: on 8th and 14th December, the stalls will be located in Via Manfrin and Via Amalteo, offering hobbyists, artisans and typical gastronomy.

On this occasion you can find original and quality objects, from design to furniture, from fashion to toys, from cosmetics to organic products, as well as music and shows for adults and children.

Lignano Sabbiadoro is one of the most famous seaside resorts in the Adriatic and is usually associated with summer and beaches, but for Christmas this town turns into a magical and welcoming place, with many initiatives and attractions to create the atmosphere of winter holidays.

Among the most anticipated events there are the Christmas markets: this year they will take place from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026 in Viale Tolmezzo and Parco San Giovanni Bosco.

On this occasion you can find over 150 exhibitors of hobbies, art and crafts, with typical products, sweets and mulled wine. Among the attractions there will also be an ice rink, a large Christmas tree, Santa’s house, entertainment and shows.

But the most awaited tradition is surely the famous sand crib, which will be inaugurated on 6 December 2025.

The crib, made by the Association "Dome Aghe Savalon d'Aur" in collaboration with the Municipality of Lignano Sabbiadoro and local associations, is made without the use of glue or other similar materials, but only with water, sand and meticulous care in compressing and shaping.

The sculptural works are performed by international artists and represent scenes of the nativity and everyday life.

This small alpine village in the province of Udine is one of the most charming destinations for those who want to experience the magic of Christmas in the mountains.

Every year, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the village surrounded by woods and pastures is transformed into a Christmas village where you can discover the traditions and typical products of Carnia, while you stroll through the typical stone and wooden houses decorated with lights and colors.

The appointment for this year is 6,7 and 8 December in the historic center of the country, from 10 to 18: the Christmas market in Sauris di Sopra offers the best of craftsmanship and regional gastronomy, in an atmosphere made magical by the scent of mountain wood and the resin of the decorated fir trees.

Among decorations and carols that create the typical Christmas atmosphere, you can experience all the warmth of a place where traditions have remained the same as the past.

The Christmas Markets of San Pietro al Natisone in the province of Udine are a suggestive event that leads visitors in a real journey into the past.

"Ancient Gestures for a New Christmas" is an exhibition-market of typical products and crafts that will take place at the Municipal Gymnasium, Study Centre of San Pietro al Natisone, on 6, 7 and 8 December 2025.

The peculiarity of this event is the opportunity to attend live demonstrations of ancient crafts such as blacksmith, carpenter, potter, potter, tailor, basket maker, embroiderer and painter, in a warm and familiar atmosphere made joyful by music, songs and games for children.

Here you can buy objects made with ancient techniques, such as ceramics, wood, iron, wool, felt, glass and paper or taste local gastronomic specialties, such as frico, polenta, salami, cheese, honey, sweets and mulled wine.

In San Pietro al Natisone, in addition to the Christmas markets you can visit the ethnographic museum, the museum of peasant civilization, the music museum, the castle of San Pietro and the church of San Pietro Apostolo.