Open: November 13 – December 23, 2026 - You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information.
Take a city break in Aalborg in the run-up to Christmas and enjoy a cheap hotel stay close to the city's cosy Christmas market. Risskov's large selection of hotels in Aalborg and the surrounding area offers ideal opportunities to find the perfect stay for you. Combine a mini break or a weekend stay with Christmas shopping, market, harbour atmosphere, art and cultural experiences in one of the country's most beautiful cities.
What happens at the Christmas Market
Aalborg, one of Denmark's four major cities, is home to a charming and atmospheric Christmas market that attracts more than 200,000 visitors every year. The market is beautifully located on Gammeltorv, in the Theatre District, north of the city's cosy centre. With the big sparkling Ferris wheel and the beautiful Budolfi Church as a backdrop, more than 30 different stalls are set up here in cosy little Christmas huts, offering lots of homemade Christmas things, crafts, art, toys and clothing and much more. And of course you'll find several of the obligatory Christmas stalls with roasted almonds, mulled wine and apple pies - just as you'd expect from a real Danish Christmas market.
In many of the surrounding towns, you'll find even more Christmas markets. Take a cheap car holiday and drive yourself to some of the best and cosiest Christmas markets in North Jutland. For example, visit the Sculpture Park in Blokhus, which transforms into a magical Christmas wonderland with exhibitions, stalls and lots of sand sculptures decorated for Christmas.
In Aalborg, it is tradition that Santa Claus comes to town to officially kick off Christmas. Normally, the myth says that Santa's main means of transport is the magic cane driven by the eight reindeer, but Aalborg is a port city, so by its very nature he arrives by ship. Then there is a welcome speech to Santa Claus, given by the city's mayor, after which the two of them ride together in a cane through the city's streets, ending up at the Christmas market on Gammeltorv. A short distance from the Christmas market is the town's new ice rink, where you can rent a pair of skates for a cheap price and have fun with the whole family. The Christmas market at Gammeltorv is open every day until Christmas Eve.
You can also visit the Wolf-Light Light Factory, which has a permanent Christmas exhibition that can be seen all year round. Whatever the time of year, we also recommend a visit to Aalborg's beautiful waterfront, which certainly doesn't look any worse for Christmas. Here you can walk out onto the Limfjord Bridge and enjoy the view towards the Utzon Centre and the House of Music.
