Bressanone Christmas Market: the millenary traditions of Advent

Cathedral Square once again lights up for the Christmas season: citizens and tourists can visit the Bressanone Christmas Market, one of the most fascinating in South Tyrol. Let’s take a look at all the events offered by the oldest city in Tyrol during Advent!

A Christmas of history and ancient customs

The Bressanone Christmas Market is set in the evocative historic center of the city, particularly in Cathedral Square, where a large Christmas tree will be lit in the main flowerbed, decorated as an Advent wreath: each Sunday of Advent a torch will be lit.
Wooden huts and Christmas lights will fill the square and its arcaded streets, creating a unique atmosphere, colorful and rich with enchanting scents and delicious flavors. The square will also be enlivened by delightful Christmas concerts.
With over a millennium of history, Bressanone still preserves many traditions linked to Advent, which can be fully experienced at the Market.

The opening of the Market is scheduled for November 28, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., with a parade of angels, drummers, and musicians through the historic center to Cathedral Square, where guests will be welcomed by the children’s choir, the mayor, and all the event organizers. In the square, the traditional gingerbread cutting will also take place.
The Bressanone Market will close on January 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. with the arrival in Cathedral Square of the Befana and the Three Wise Men, accompanied by more than sixty costumed figures.

The Market is easily reachable from Bressanone station, just a ten-minute walk away.

Christmas stalls

Over 40 stalls will be set up for the Christmas festivities in Bressanone.
At the stands, visitors can purchase not only classic Christmas products but also local specialties and items typical of Bressanone’s traditions.
Unmissable are the handcrafted creations: ceramic or leather objects, fabrics, glass spheres, natural cosmetics, wooden sculptures, nativity figurines (and even handmade cribs), wool slippers, felt shoes—all strictly produced or crafted in South Tyrol!
As a gastronomic destination, Bressanone offers a rich culinary selection, with specialties from the Isarco Valley such as Barbiano plums, speck, dumplings, chestnuts, homemade mulled wine, sweet krapfen, and much more.

To celebrate one of the most important local traditions, beeswax candles will be on display, and visitors will even have the chance to make one themselves! This is because on December 7, Bressanone celebrates Saint Ambrose, patron saint of beekeepers and candle makers.
Also, in homage to old customs, on December 4, the feast of Saint Barbara, Barbarazweige (Saint Barbara branches) are distributed. According to tradition, on December 4 every family in Bressanone cuts a cherry branch and places it in water. If it blooms at Christmas, it is a good omen of happiness.

And if you are food lovers, don’t miss the brazier in the heart of the Market, offering a glimpse of authentic South Tyrolean cuisine.

Historic nativity scenes of Bressanone

A must during Christmas is the nativity scene and nativity art in general. Inside the Hofburg, visitors can admire one of the most precious collections of nativity scenes in the world, from all over Europe and naturally from Italy, particularly Naples and Sicily. Wooden, papier-mâché, and terracotta cribs are the protagonists of the Hofburg galleries, the historic episcopal palace that hosted various German emperors.
Also noteworthy are two large nativity scenes boasting about five thousand figures, created by Prince-Bishop Franz Graf von Lodron.

OOPS – Light & Music Show

Christmas in Bressanone would not be complete without lights and music, elements that have characterized the festivities for ten years.
For this anniversary, the French light artists Spectaculaires collaborated with disco music icon Giorgio Moroder, winner of multiple Grammy Awards and Oscars, who composed a special soundtrack for the OOPS light show.
By purchasing a ticket, visitors can enjoy twenty minutes of unforgettable luminous art while also supporting UNICEF: €1 will go to the Wash Zambia Program to help children in Africa.

Shopping

Christmas is a great time for shopping, especially in Bressanone! Shops remain open even on Sundays and holidays, with reduced hours only on December 24.
Small and large stores offer ancient treasures, local handmade products, for all tastes. The key words are quality and sustainability.
And while strolling through the shops, don’t forget to stop in one of the many cozy inns to enjoy a coffee or a snack.

Activities for children

Children love Christmas, so there are plenty of initiatives for them and their families! Near the Hofburg, fun is guaranteed with an ice-skating rink.
Children can also meet Santa Claus and the Christmas Angel, who will give them small gifts. They can enjoy a day in craft workshops or take part in carriage rides.

Don’t miss the chance to visit Bressanone and its Christmas Market and experience all these opportunities firsthand!
For more information, visit the official Christmas Market website.

Photo credits (where not otherwise specified): Bressanone Tourism/Brixen Tourismus