Right now it's terribly dark outside, and you really have to make an effort to catch any of the day's light hours (at least when you work indoors during the day). We have visited this year's Christmas market in the Old Town, and at least it cheers up a bit in the dark with all the lighting and all the colourful stalls. Unfortunately, we have so far missed the neighbourhood's "living Christmas calendar", but if you're not familiar with the concept, we can tell you how it works.
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ShareChristmas market in the old town
The Christmas market in Stockholm's Old Town may not be big, but it is at least a bit charming. The location on Stortorget, among all the beautiful old houses, is perfect for a traditional Swedish Christmas market. What you find here is also largely traditional.
The market offers crafts such as ceramic bowls, knitted mittens, moulded candles and straw buckets. You'll also find sausages, smoked fish and marmalade, as well as a tombola and a classic fishing pond. To be honest, it doesn't take long to walk around the small Christmas market, but when you're done, there's the entire Old Town to stroll around.
Christmas market 2017
If you also want to visit this year's Christmas market in the Old Town, you can find the address and opening hours here. The poster with the opening hours, which I saw at the market, says "Sometimes we open earlier and sometimes we stay open longer". But if nothing else, at least the following opening hours should apply:
- AddressStortorget in Old Town, Stockholm
- Opening hours: 2-23 December, 11-18 pm
The Old Town's Living Christmas Calendar
A very special thing in the Old Town is that every year they organise a living (!) Christmas calendar. For the 13th year in a row, 24 shutters are opened in different locations in the neighbourhood. Each time a window is opened, you get to experience a musical or narrative performance for about 15 minutes.
The hatches, i.e. the windows, are opened at 18.15 every day except on Christmas Eve when the hatch is opened at 11.30. The Christmas calendar is organised by Mäster Olofsgården and if you want to know where to find the shutters you can look at this map. Have you ever seen a gap in the living Christmas calendar?
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Lisa i byn says:
My sister and I travelled by bus from Växjö to Stockholm a few years ago to visit the Christmas market in Gamla Stan. It is cosy with Christmas markets.
07 December 2017 - 7:38
Helena says:
The Christmas market in Gamla Stan is quite small ... but you can combine it with other things to see and do in Stockholm 🙂.
07 December 2017 - 14:26
Ditte says:
Mäster Olofsgården's Christmas calendar is highly recommended. This year I've only had time to do it twice, unfortunately, but it takes you to farms and squares that you wouldn't otherwise do.
Take a look!
I avoid Christmas markets altogether, but many people enjoy them. Got a bit of it this weekend in Värmland, but there was no "tingel-tangel" and only Värmland goods.
But it is a nice tradition with the Christmas market in Ganla town and the space is limited. Good for you with a visit here and some extra light in these dark times.
07 December 2017 - 7:48
Helena says:
Glad you've seen this Christmas calendar from time to time! I really like the idea! 🙂
07 December 2017 - 14:27
Carin says:
What a nice touch with the living calendar.
07 December 2017 - 9:56
Helena says:
Right? Fun idea I think! 🙂
07 December 2017 - 14:28
Nils-Åke says:
The Old Town with its fine houses and Christmas atmosphere is more cosy. Nice on here with live calendar. When I was reading, I thought it was different restaurants and cafes to visit.
07 December 2017 - 10:01
Helena says:
Isn't it fun with the living Christmas calendar? 🙂
07 December 2017 - 14:28
Lars Permelin says:
I like Gamla Stan and their Christmas market. We were there a few years ago with our little cavalier Nellie, it didn't turn out well. It was a weekend and a lot of people were there at the same time as us. Many dropped pieces of sausage and other little things meant that Nellie went completely wild. She got the idea that she would eat everything that was dropped, it didn't matter what it looked like. We had to leave, the risk was too great that she would be trampled as she crawled around among all the feet looking for sweets.
07 December 2017 - 11:52
Helena says:
But wow, not easy to be a pooch there perhaps 😉.
07 December 2017 - 14:29
Steve says:
The old town, a setting made for a Christmas market. A little snow and it will be perfect.
07 December 2017 - 13:20
Helena says:
Yesterday it was frosty and nice anyway! Today it is plus degrees and thaw ... sigh ...
07 December 2017 - 14:29
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
It's nice to have a Christmas market, but last year when we were in Stockholm and the Old Town last December, snowy rain came down and we couldn't feel any Christmas spirit.
A living advent calendar sounds like a really fun idea.
07 December 2017 - 16:24
Helena says:
Snowy rain across the country is the worst... agree that the weather has an impact!
07 December 2017 - 16:34
BP says:
That was a really diplomatic post about the Christmas market in Old Town. Personally, I think it is a bad joke, BUT the Old Town is always worth a visit, as it is always a very cosy atmosphere there, if you avoid Västerlånggatan, that is.
I have never heard of the living Christmas calender. Thanks for the tip!
07 December 2017 - 16:46
Helena says:
Haha, well maybe a bit diplomatic. I think the Christmas market is quite nice but it is incredibly small. If I had travelled far just for it, I would probably have been disappointed. But as I said, there is more to see in the city.
07 December 2017 - 19:28
Lennart says:
Nice to go to the market!
07 December 2017 - 17:30
Helena says:
I think so too. However, the Christmas market here is very small.
07 December 2017 - 19:29
JoY says:
We have encountered a living Christmas market a couple of years ago, in Germany. However, we are very bad at visiting Gamla Stan's Christmas market.
Fun with the last picture of Kryp In, my brother ran that pub with a friend many years ago.
Hugs from us and Denmark's Christmas markets hihihi
07 December 2017 - 18:04
Helena says:
It's great that your brother ran that particular war! ? Have a good time in Denmark!!!
08 December 2017 - 7:48
Matts Torebring says:
It's hard to look past all the gnomes. There are always a few new ones every year. But not this year.
07 December 2017 - 18:45
Helena says:
How many gnomes do you have ...? 😉
08 December 2017 - 7:48
Lena - gott för själen says:
How cosy! Too bad there was no snow! I've never heard of the living Christmas calendar. Fun thing!
Hug Lena
08 December 2017 - 13:18
Helena says:
I really want snow this year! But it's hard to influence ... 😉 ...
09 December 2017 - 7:12
Steel city anna says:
It's fun to go to the Christmas market 🙂 .
11 December 2017 - 16:42
Marias Memoarer says:
What a lovely July idyll!!! I think it doesn't get really bright even at the brightest hour of the day right now in overcast weather, so for daylight it's almost better to go to the gym where they have a light therapy lamp 😀.
13 December 2017 - 0:23
Liniz Travel says:
Cosy 🙂 vab has gotten in the way 🙁 hugs
21 December 2017 - 22:52