This is the place to feel the truly festive atmosphere, with wishes of #TheBestChristmas for Everyone!
The Christmas Market begins in Gdańsk on 18 November. This eagerly awaited, exceptional time, full of charm and friendly moments, will last until 23 December.
– Let's build a good brand for the city of Gdańsk – appealed Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk, to those gathered at Targ Węglowy.
– Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, the infrastructure needed to create a good atmosphere here is being built around us. A good atmosphere is created by people, but also by the festive spirit. I think that in these difficult times we all need, very much, to be able to meet in a pleasant place. That's why I am delighted that the city of Gdańsk, together with numerous partners, has been consistently building the market's brand for several years now – said the Mayor of Gdańsk.
During the Market, the streets of Gdańsk's historic centre will be transformed into a festive town. Atmospheric decorations, stalls with unusual products and a rich artistic programme mean there will be something for everyone.
– The area around us will be filled with beautiful, energy-efficient lighting, a good atmosphere and good food. But, very importantly, the Christmas Market is also a boost for the local economy. Over 60% of exhibitors are local entrepreneurs, restaurateurs and makers of various beautiful goods associated with local industry – added Aleksandra Dulkiewicz.
Gdańsk's Christmas Market is a place where you can really feel the festive spirit! This event is created for all lovers of the Christmas atmosphere, both residents of the Tricity and surrounding area, and tourists from Poland and abroad.
– We are delighted that the annual celebration for the people of Gdańsk, the Christmas Market, will start on 18 November. This year it will combine tradition with new elements, so that every visitor finds something for themselves – said Paweł Orłowski, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Gdańsk International Fair.
Looking for gifts at the market!
The market will host 155 stalls offering unique gifts, decorations and treats. It's the perfect place to bring unique gift ideas to life. Lovers of folk crafts will find wooden nutcrackers, linen and wool products, hand-blown baubles, lights, painted angels, jewellery, natural candles and wooden toys here. There will also be plenty of dried-fruit decorations, wreaths, Christmas ornaments and artistic ceramics.
– A mini market will appear by Forum Gdańsk, featuring 11 additional Christmas stalls. This year we wanted to improve the flow of visitors, so it will be easier to move freely between the stalls – added Paweł Orłowski.
World cuisines at the Market
Besides classic festive treats, visitors with a taste for food will find dishes from cuisines all over the world. This year's offering will be especially rich, featuring as many as 20 countries, including Japanese, Thai and Crimean Tatar cuisine. You'll be able to try dishes from Lithuania, America, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Ukraine, Italy, Turkey and Poland. Those seeking winter flavours can enjoy currywurst, churros, langos, kürtőskalács, chips, zapiekanki, festive pierogi and aromatic mulled wine.
Among the culinary novelties will be brioche with ice cream, crispy tofu, raclette, prawn skewers, tempura oscypek cheese, quesadillas, cinnamon rolls and vegan bigos.
The bitter Polish winter holds no fear when hot chocolate and perfectly matched tea blends are within reach, along with mulled wine with aromatic spices for adults. Warming drinks taste best in a collectable market mug, with a different design every year. We also encourage you to buy the mugs because part of the proceeds from their sale will be donated to the Hospice.
“Let Christmas Play!”
– Thanks to cooperation with other partners, new illuminations will appear, including angel wings, a fountain created in cooperation with the Wedel company, and a forest gazebo created in cooperation with the State Forests. The Market is a time of hope and of helping others – let's remember that as we visit our stalls – said Paweł Orłowski, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Gdańsk International Fair.
The Market's programme will consist of themed blocks. In line with this year's slogan, “Let Christmas Play!”, the market stage will resound with different kinds of music. During the recurring “Jazzy Carolling” concerts, well-known Tricity musicians will perform; during “Carolling in Voices” you can admire the extraordinary skill of choirs performing Christmas songs and carols; during “Joyful Carolling” you'll be able to feel the power and energy of young performers, while “Carillon Carolling” will put us in a nostalgic mood.
“Christmas Storytelling” is a series of events dedicated to the youngest visitors: theatrical performances (with a Polish Sign Language interpreter), shows, festive parades, visits from Santa Claus, winter animations and the daily opening of the Advent calendar windows.
Interesting facts about forest life, talks and birds-of-prey displays, and music inspired by the forest are just a few of the attractions prepared by the Pomeranian Foresters as part of “Christmas Education”.
“Christmas Giving” – the time spent preparing for Christmas is a special and exceptional period. In running the Christmas Market, we don't forget that above all it's a time of hope, love, unity and helping others. That's why the Market always includes charitable initiatives.
The “Christmas Snapshots” market scenery provides the perfect backdrop for capturing fleeting moments in commemorative photographs. Alongside last year's hugely popular illuminated throne of Santa Claus, new features will make their debut! An illuminated “Market” sign in its winter guise, angel wings for young and old, a sleigh full of presents, a gazebo and a fountain. Santa Claus, giant candy canes, decorative baubles (stilt walkers) and our mascots – Mr and Mrs Orzechowski, the market's Grandpa and Grandma Nutcracker – will all pose for photos with visitors.
– It's important that, in these difficult times, we will be able to enjoy the Market. Thanks to it, we can continue our tourism promotion, and the season in Gdańsk will last a full 12 months. We are one of only two cities in Poland taking part in the European Best Christmas Market competition. I encourage everyone to vote now, which will help showcase us to the whole of Europe and the whole world. Gdańsk's Christmas Market is considered one of the most romantic Christmas markets in Europe. We hope to welcome guests from Scandinavia and Germany, who have visited our event in large numbers so far. This is the time when we can really show that Gdańsk is a city where you can spend time not only in summer and on the beach, because in winter too, I hope, with the winter weather, you can enjoy not just weekends here but longer stays as well. During the event we will also be promoting the new edition of the “Flavours of Gdańsk” project, and we encourage you to try Old Gdańsk dishes – said Łukasz Wysocki, President of the Board of the Gdańsk Tourist Organisation.
The Moose Has a Voice
The undisputed star of the market is the much-loved moose, Lucek, who speaks with a human voice! He has been entertaining visitors to the Christmas Market for several years, and his popularity keeps growing. He awaits his fans in the Moose Corner on Bogusławskiego Street, guaranteeing traditional moose crackers.
Market at the Armoury from 2 December
After a break, the market will return to the historic interiors of the Great Armoury of the Academy of Fine Arts, where an Artistic Corner has been created. There will be plenty to choose from for anyone who values the worth and beauty of artistic craftsmanship. The offering will be very rich, with unique artistic products and crafts on offer such as: wooden nativity scenes, natural cosmetics, wooden puzzles, handmade Christmas cards, wooden models, handmade lanterns and paintings.
The “Festive Workshop” will host creative workshops for children, where they can make Christmas decorations and wreaths, as well as heartfelt gifts – hand-decorated candles or forest jewellery. After a busy time, you'll be able to relax by doing a jigsaw puzzle or playing a board game. We invite the youngest visitors to film screenings at the Treflik cinema, as well as to meetings and games with Treflik.
Here you'll be able to swap books in the festive bookcrossing point.
Another attraction of the Artistic Corner will be the “Teddy Bear Gate”, prepared in cooperation with the SMYK company.
At Christmas, we work together!
The festive season encourages togetherness and action for the common good. As always, this idea will also be reflected during the Christmas Market. Confirming that at Christmas it's worth, and even necessary, to help others, will be an initiative organised together with GPEC for the Hospice Foundation. Buying a charity ticket worth PLN 25 will allow a group of up to 3 people to take unique photos in a snow globe powered by a bicycle. As a memento, donors will receive a bauble with a photo from the globe. All proceeds from the sale of the tickets will go to the Hospice Foundation. We will also support the Hospice's patients by buying official Market merchandise.
New at the Market!
This year we have a special premiere: for the first time, animated nutcrackers will be presented – “Mr and Mrs Orzechowski” – whose distinctive costumes, modelled on the uniforms of the soldiers of the Gdańsk Garrison, are kept in the visual style of the market. Unfortunately they don't yet have names, and probably don't feel too good about that. We hope that, with the support of our market visitors, this will soon change.
Another new feature at this year's market is the huge illuminated sign “MARKET”, which, positioned at the heart of Targ Węglowy, will be a great spot for commemorative photos. As will the remarkable angel wings in the Angel Corner on Tkacka Street.
For the first time this year, new market merchandise will appear, including delicious gingerbread, aromatic market coffee and colourful magnets. All available at GOT's fairy-tale house at the heart of the market.
A distinguishing feature of Gdańsk's Christmas Market is the calendar at the Advent Gate. Its secrets are revealed every day from 1 to 23 December by soldiers of the Gdańsk Garrison, to the delight of sweet-lovers. This year the Advent Calendar's partner is the Wedel company, which is providing the chocolatey, sweet contents of the windows.
Vote for Gdańsk!
The Christmas Market is regarded as one of the most beautiful in Poland. Its fairy-tale festive atmosphere captivates residents of the Tricity and tourists alike. This year, Gdańsk's market has once again been nominated in the competition for the title of “European Best Christmas Market”. Votes can be cast via the website www.christmas.ebdest.in from 25 November to 8 December 2022 (one vote per day may be cast from a single IP address).
In 2019, thanks to your votes, Gdańsk's Christmas Market was the only one in Poland to take third place!
Tourists, of whom there are more every year, also appreciate the unique atmosphere of the Fair. With them in mind, a Tourist Information Point run by GOT operates at the fair.
The Christmas Market is an annual event and one of the city initiatives held as part of the “Odpalamy Święta w Gdańsku” (“Switching On Christmas in Gdańsk”) campaign.
Light illuminations
The Christmas Market will traditionally light up with festive lights – snowflake gates leading into the Fair and a sky of lights on Bogusławskiego Street. In the middle of Targ Węglowy, a new “Forest Arbour” will be created in cooperation with the State Forests. For well-behaved children, for whom Father Christmas has presents, photo points with angel wings will be waiting, and smaller wings for the younger ones. Snow sleighs will glide by with an invitation to festive shopping at Forum Gdańsk.
For years we have prepared all illuminations with respect for the environment – we use soft, yellow light and produce them using energy-efficient EKO LED technology. This is particularly important at a time when we pay close attention to electricity consumption – the total cost of the new illumination elements is around PLN 8.80 per day.
The Christmas Market is Gdańsk's biggest winter tourist attraction. The illuminations are seasonal tourist attractions, drawing thousands of people to the Main City and the historic Śródmieście, thanks to which local business (restaurants, shops, hotels) thrives during this period. By providing employment and additional revenue, the benefits of lighting up the Fair are decidedly greater than the costs.
In an era of energy crisis, we should all be saving. We do so too – by choosing LED lights instead of bulbs.
All illuminations are energy-efficient and based on eco-LED technology. They require 9 times less power than traditional bulbs. The new illuminations at the Gdańsk Christmas Market draw 1.2 kW/h, the same as one refrigerator switched on. One evening of illuminations at the Fair costs under PLN 9.
NON-STOP FAIR ATTRACTIONS
ANGEL MILL – look up at the figures!
THE GIFT FACTORY AT FATHER CHRISTMAS'S HOUSE – buy official fair gadgets for Christmas presents
THE TALKING KATARZYNKA BOX – drop a letter to Father Christmas
ADVENT GATE – admire the Fair from above
FATHER CHRISTMAS'S MAGIC SLEIGH – try the flight simulator
THE YOUNG GDAŃSK RESIDENTS' CHRISTMAS TREE – feel the Christmas spirit
THE MAGIC SNOW GLOBE WITH SWIRLING SNOW – snap a keepsake photo, give a heart at the Fair, support the Hospice Foundation. You are invited by Grupa GPEC!
CAROUSEL WITH STEEDS – take a spin!
LUCEK THE MOOSE – listen – he speaks with a human voice!
THE GROVE WITH THE WAYSIDE SHRINE – pause for a moment
FAIR STAGE – enjoy the performances or take a festive photo on Father Christmas's throne
EXHIBITION OF WINNERS OF THE KAZIMIERZ OSTROWSKI AWARD / Zbrojownia Sztuki, Targ Węglowy, Organiser: Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (10–31.12)
FESTIVE ILLUMINATIONS –
130 light installation elements, 60 different types
▪ 6 established locations across Gdańsk
▪ 3 new locations – Zaspa, Wrzeszcz, Old Town
▪ New thematic strands – Gdańsk burghers, amber-themed by the Amber Museum, aviation-themed on the former runway of Zaspa Airport
▪ Light curtain in Oliwa Park
For many residents of Gdańsk, a visit to the Christmas Market is an essential part of the pre-Christmas preparations. In this atmospheric setting, to the sound of carols, it is impossible not to feel the warmth and closeness of the approaching festive season. The Gdańsk Christmas Market undoubtedly plays first fiddle!
Key information:
Christmas Market – 18 November–23 December
Christmas Market at Zbrojownia – 2–23 December
Stalls open to visitors:
Sunday – Thursday 12.00–20.00, Friday – Saturday 12.00–21.00
Location: Targ Węglowy, Bogusławskiego Street, Tkacka Street, Forum Courtyard
WWW: bożonarodzeniowy.pl
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