Florence, Italy
Christmas markets are not an Italian tradition except in towns like Bolzano and Trento, in the Sud-Tirol region, where Germanic culture and language blend with the Italian. But there are now small holiday markets in a number of Italian cities. None of them compare to Florence's enthusiasm for the holiday season when Florence Noel has grown to be a well-known gathering for both tourists and locals.
Thousands of colored lights begin to sparkle throughout the city in late November, and its squares start to fill with Christmas market stalls. Two markets, one in Piazza Annigoni and one in Piazza Isolotto, are managed by Italy's association to promote fair trade. Piazza Indipendenza turns into an Italian-only market starting in mid-December, making it a great place to buy delicacies from other parts of the country. Stazione Leopolda, a historic railway station close to Porta al Prato, completely changes into a fantastic version of the North Pole so that kids aren't left out of the celebration. They can tour Santa's (Babbo Natale) residence rooms and have hot cocoa in the Chocolate Village.
