From its tiniest villages to its largest cities, Italy pulls out all the stops to celebrate the Christmas season. Streets twinkle under holiday lights, shops transform their windows into winter wonderlands and piazzas become hubs of activity and good cheer.

Throughout the country, annual festivities revolve around religious traditions, like the living nativity scenes in central Umbria and the famous presepi in Naples. But Italy is also a shopper’s paradise, and those in-the-know head to Trentino Alto Adige to peruse its delightful Christmas markets and frolic in the snow.  

If you’re planning a trip to Italy this holiday season, here are a few tips on where to experience the magical wonder of Christmas.

Christmas Markets in Trentino Alto-Adige

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, Trentino Alto Adige is the perfect destination. Bordering Austria and Switzerland, it’s home to Italy’s spectacular snow-peaked Dolomites, a stunning backdrop to the region’s stately cities and enchanting villages. Every year, tourists from around the world descend on Trentino Alto Adige to enjoy the festive atmosphere at its annual Christmas markets. Town squares overflow with artisan craftsman and local producers, and the air is filled with music and the scent of vin brulè, a typical warm mulled wine.

Dubbed the Città di Natale, or “Christmas City”, Trento boasts one of the region’s most popular Christmas markets. Rows of characteristic wooden huts fill the historic squares of Piazza Fiera and Piazza Cesare Battisti, bursting with traditional artisan products and local gastronomic delights. Beautifully decorated Christmas trees, sparkling lights and merry crowds infuse the city center with holiday spirit.

In the ancient village of Primiero you can browse Trentino’s oldest Christkindlmarkt now in its 26th year. The Siror Christmas Market is the ideal spot to find unique gifts like handmade ornaments and meticulously crafted nativity scenes. Old barns, stables and wooden huts turn into charming shops for the occasion, and horse-drawn carriages called troika give tours of the village. Don’t miss the annual Christmas tree decorating competition or the eagerly expected arrival of Saint Nick on December 8th.

Picturesque Ala in Trentino, with its beautifully preserved baroque atmosphere, becomes even more bewitching with a touch of holiday magic. During December, the town’s magnificent 18th century palaces host music, art and poetry events, and their halls become an elegant and unique setting for vendors showcasing Christmas wares. Of special note are the silk and textile products for which Ala is historically famous.

A bit north in Alto Adige, the handsome city of Bolzano abounds with Christmas spirit. Homemade candles, hand-painted glass ornaments, wood-carved figurines, locally made honey and a plethora of other culinary delights tempt visitors at more than eighty stalls spread throughout Piazza Walter and beyond. Not far from Bolzano, the lovely town of Merano puts on a lively Christmas market which runs from the end of November until the Epiphany on January 6th. Choirs, theatrical performances and kid-friendly events are programmed every weekend and stalls along the scenic Passer Promenade and Merano’s main squares offer delicious South Tyrolean food and traditional handicrafts.

Nativity scenes and the world’s largest Christmas tree in Umbria

In 1223, Umbrian born Saint Francis of Assisi created the first nativity scene in a cave in Greccio, Italy. Inspired by his recent visit to the site of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, he replicated the simple stable scene with a hay-filled trough, live ox and donkey. Since then, the age-old tradition has flourished in the beloved Saint’s native region of Umbria. Every year towns large and small stage their own depictions of the birth of Jesus, attracting people from around the globe to witness the Christmas miracle. 

In the small hamlet of San Gregorio, close to Saint Francis’ birthplace, a tableau vivant is organized inside the village’s 14th century castle walls and the surrounding countryside. Locals become characters and time-honored trades come alive for a completely immersive experience culminating at the manger of baby Jesus.

On December 26th and January 6th, Rasiglia’s streets teem with carpenters, blacksmiths, cobblers, weavers, apothecaries and an old marketplace replicating the past and celebrating Christ’s birth. Nearby in the castle of Marcellano, local inhabitants recreate scenes of daily life in ancient Palestine. When darkness falls, torches and oil lamps are lit, the Christmas star shines in the sky and the grotto where Baby Jesus lies cradled is illuminated.

Umbria’s most famous nativity celebration can be found in the beautiful hamlet of Massa Martana during the National Nativity Scene Exhibition which runs from December 24th through January 6th. More than 70 artists from across Italy create original interpretations of the nativity scene utilizing a vast array of mediums, including papier mâché, wood, embroidery and ceramics. One impressive masterpiece is even carved completely out of ice!

In addition to its religious traditions, Umbria is also home to “The World’s Largest Christmas Tree” (Guinness Book of World Records, 1991). More than 2,000 hours of volunteer labor and hundreds of lights create Gubbio’s 650-meter-high tree on the side of Mount Ingino every year. The awesome spectacle is switched on with grand ceremony on the Eve of the Immaculate Conception (December 7th) and remains lit until the Epiphany. Families with children will love the lighting ceremony’s pomp and circumstance as well as Gubbio’s merry ambiance. Officially nicknamed ChristmasLand, the town abounds with kid-centric attractions and activities like the Elves’ Village, panoramic Ferris wheel, 3D light show, chocolate laboratory and rides on Santa Claus’ sleigh. 

Handcrafted presepi and holiday lights in Campania

If Campania doesn’t come to mind when you think of the Christmas season, this southern Italian region may just surprise you. In addition to the amazing light displays along the Sorrento coast and an all-around festive atmosphere, its regional capital, Naples, is famous worldwide for its artisanal presepi (nativity scenes).

To fully appreciate Naples’ centuries-old crib handicraft, visit the San Martino Museum located on Vomero hill overlooking the city. Housed in an ornate 16th century monastery of the same name, it boasts some of Italy’s most prized Neapolitan nativity scenes including the remarkable Presepe Cuciniello, which consists of more than 160 people, animals, angels and hundreds of miniature items. In the heart of the city, head to the characteristic alley, Via San Gregorio Armeno, where market stalls brim with handcrafted nativity figures in every shape and size imaginable, from the traditional to the present-day, classic to ironic. Watch the master craftsman at work and take home a handmade Neopolitan souvenir.

Further south, elaborate holiday lights illuminate the streets and squares of Salerno’s historic center. The annual event, “Luci d’Artista” dazzles visitors of all ages with mind-boggling masterpieces made from thousands of lights. Fairytale worlds of dragons and horse-drawn carriages, brightly colored flowers, sparkling waterfalls, larger-than-life animals and mythical characters wow visitors at every turn. If that’s not enough to kindle your Christmas spirit, take a drive down the Amalfi coast where every village proudly displays its own unique illumination to celebrate the season.

And the New Year? What’s better than an incredible firework display over the Tirreno Sea? Take your pick between Sorrento or Amalfi and ring in 2020 with fabulous fireworks and live entertainment for an Italian Capodanno you’ll never forget.