Florence is a magical place to spend Christmas. With a picturesque dusting of snow across the hills of the Arno Valley, glittering store window displays along Via Tornabuoni, and festive lights throughout the city center, the holiday season in Florence is enough to put even Scrooge into the Christmas spirit.

The main highlight of December in Florence is the German Heidelberg Market at Santa Croce, where wooden huts selling ornaments, hand-made toys, ceramics, decorative paper lanterns, and a plethora of stocking stuffers pack the enormous piazza. Locals and visitors stroll through the market, enjoying traditional German snacks such as strudel, bratwurst, honey biscuits, and holiday confections. There’s a merry-go-round for the children and a merry-go-round-like bar for adults to sample German beers or a spiced vin brulè. The market opened at the end of November and will continue daily until December 18.

Add a few lights and some snow and Florence becomes even more magical at Christmas. (photo via Firenze Turismo)

Nearby, check out the massive Christmas tree in Piazza della Repubblica and the festively-decorated main pedestrian drag Via Callimala, stretching from the Duomo to Piazza della Signoria.  Hop on a city bus to Piazza della Libertà for some outdoor ice skating.  Just 6€ will let you rent skates and hit the ice from morning until 1am.

At night, check out one of many concerts—some even for free! Both classical, holiday, and liturgical music will be played nightly in venues across the Renaissance City. Composers, musicians, and programs vary dramatically, but highlights include concerts at the Church of St. Mark’s, concerts by Amici della Musica at Teatro della Pergola, Christmas concerts up in the hills at the Cathedral of Fiesole, and free classical music concerts at the Church of San Frediano in Cestello and the Church of San Firenze.

Be it day or night, there is plenty to do in Florence at Christmas!

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 at 2:08 pm and is filed under Fashion and Shopping, Florence, Food and Wine, Holiday Travel, Italian Festivals, Italian Holidays, Italy Travel Tips, Religious Italy, Tuscany, Winter in Italy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.