{"id":1212,"date":"2025-11-29T08:04:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-29T08:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=1212"},"modified":"2025-11-29T08:04:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T08:04:01","slug":"my-honest-review-of-the-european-christmas-market-dubbed-tacky-by-its-own-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=1212","title":{"rendered":"My honest review of the European Christmas market dubbed \u2018tacky\u2019 by its own country"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

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If December were a city, then\u00a0Tallinn<\/a>\u00a0would likely be it.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Estonian<\/a>\u00a0capital has been taking the holiday season seriously since 1441, when it is said to have erected the world\u2019s first public\u00a0Christmas<\/a>\u00a0tree (Latvia and Germany still beg to differ).<\/p>\n

Then, 24 years ago, the Estonians levelled up to full Clark Griswold mode by opening a market around the 14-metre spruce. Ever since, the annual festive affair has been consistently recognised as\u00a0one of Europe\u2019s best<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Strolling through the town square, I can see why.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s beginning to look a lot like (Baltic) Christmas<\/h2>\n

In Tallinn, one of Europe\u2019s best-preserved medieval towns, pastel-coloured buildings form a ring around the market, where twinkling lights and kitschy stalls make me feel I\u2019ve just walked onto the set of\u00a0a Hallmark movie<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It has everything you\u2019d expect in a city that does Christmas like Tallinn does.<\/p>\n

\n

Handmade decorations of wooden snow-covered cottages, jewel-coloured baubles, and intricately decorated rocking horses are proudly displayed by local sellers.<\/p>\n

Sizzling sausages are grilled over open flames, the smoke wafting into tourists\u2019 nostrils. It\u2019s the ideal stomach-liner for anyone sampling the traditional Nordic mulled wine, Glogg, which, if you can stomach it, can be mixed with local 40% ABV liquor, Vana Tallinn (a delightful mix of rum, herbs and spices).<\/p>\n

Locals tell me that one shot works like an internal body sauna, and after sampling, I realise they may be onto something.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s cheesy, but love really is in the air. Around me is a couple snapping selfies and kissing for the camera; a mum in a fur coat is watching her toddler spinning around on the carousel; groups of friends laugh over steaming cups of hot chocolate, and school-aged children dance on the stage, which, on the weekends, showcases folk ensembles, dance groups, and, with 5% of Estonians involved in choirs, they naturally feature on the schedule, too.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s enough to warm even the coldest heart.<\/p>\n

Currently, the market attracts around 200,000 visitors every year \u2014 compared with the three million that descend on Winter Wonderland in London, it feels small, but that only adds to the allure.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

While Tallinn may not be the obvious choice for a festive city break (just 4% of Estonia\u2019s\u00a0tourism<\/a>\u00a0comes from the UK each year), being here makes me feel a bit smug, like a member of a VIP club.<\/p>\n

While I take great pleasure in my yearly trip to Hyde Park, drinking at the\u00a0Bavarian Village<\/a>, and always ending up in fits of laughter on the chaotic Ice Mountain, it feels a little like I\u2019m at a more artificial replica.<\/p>\n

Whereas, in Tallinn, with its rich history, genuine local sellers, and still functioning medieval town backdrop, it is absolutely the real deal.<\/p>\n

However, if I had one reason to put Tallinn\u2019s market on the naughty list, it would be the repetition.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

As there are only 60-ish stores, ideally, each would have unique items, but I count at least four serving only Glogg and zero pulling pints of beers.<\/p>\n

And, while several vendors can plate me up sausage, cabbage and potatoes, if I want something else savoury, it would be a struggle.<\/p>\n

Cute knitwear for the modern Estonian is nowhere to be seen; instead, they have comedy hats emblazoned with \u2018Sauna Boss\u2019.<\/p>\n

The county\u2019s public broadcaster recently described the market as \u2018tacky\u2019 and \u2018kitschy\u2019, and while an oversized gingerbread biscuit is exactly what some people want, there is room for a bit more.<\/p>\n

I am told that the tourist board have hinted that there will be a glow up, soon.<\/p>\n

The Estonian way<\/h2>\n

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 <\/p>\n

The market\u2019s central location means that visitors are just a stone\u2019s throw from the city\u2019s best culinary delights.<\/p>\n

Inside the three-floor Pegasus, which has house plants covering every spare sqm (so much so that some diners are, literally, eating under leaves), I warm up with the roasted bell pepper soup and fluffy roasted potatoes covered in spicy alioli.<\/p>\n

In Estonia, dark rye bread is eaten almost every day at virtually every meal, and the tradition is one I happily join in on.<\/p>\n

I ate some of the best at Rataskaevu16, which is baked fresh each morning on-site; it\u2019s as light as a cloud, and served with a butter that could be mistaken for cream cheese.<\/p>\n

Just a 15-minute walk from the hustle and bustle is the ibis Styles hotel, where I stay for the duration of the trip (from \u20ac75 per night).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s part of one of the most famous budget hotel chains, the Estonian venue has a distinctly boutique feel; a photography theme means guests are greeted with a wall of cameras in reception (it shouldn\u2019t work, but it does) and can play in the vintage photo booth.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, jam-packed itineraries mean you can\u2019t be bothered to leave the hotel once you\u2019ve schlepped back with the shopping bags.<\/p>\n

At ibis Styles, this is no issue as their Focus restaurant showcases some of the cosiest dishes. The duck carpaccio starter cooked in a promegrantate reduction, and served with grapefruit gel, and pistachio is one I\u2019ll be thinking about for a while.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

If you want even more elevated lodgings, then the M\u00f6venpick Hotel is its richer, older brother, with its suites, spa, wine cellar, and rooftop restaurant.<\/p>\n

I sneak in for their \u2018chocolate hour\u2019, which runs daily from 4pm to 5pm and celebrates Estonians\u2019 love of the dessert (they are the world\u2019s third-biggest eater when consumption is measured per resident).<\/p>\n

I indulge in as much chocolate fountain, brownies and biscuits as my jeans will allow.<\/p>\n

Exploring the city<\/h2>\n

If you can prise yourself away from the market (and you should), there is plenty more to explore.<\/p>\n

I trace the history of Tallinn on a walking tour led by Eva-Maria, who proudly tells us she was one of the people in the longest human chain, which stretched 600km and three countries, in 1989.<\/p>\n

Two years later, they got their independence from the Soviet Union, and their tough history has meant they are rightly boastful about what makes the country so special.<\/p>\n

The historical highlights include the world\u2019s longest-running pharmacy, Raeapteek, which has been operating since 1422 and sells some of the early ointments, such as an almond marzipan, that is said to help with broken hearts, and the President\u2019s 1938 Barbie-like pink palace. Anybody can stand next to the front door, even if Alar Karis is in, which feels like a novelty.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t a city that relies solely on its past; from the Kohtuotsa viewing platform, I see cranes and Canary Wharf-esque skyscrapers dotted through, and cool neighbourhoods are everywhere, such as former industrial complex Telliskivi Creative City, where the chicest people hang out drinking lattes and checking out local art at Fotografiska.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

While the Tallinn Christmas market finishes at the end of December, decorations here stay up right until the end of February (!), so it\u2019s the perfect country to visit in early 2026 if you\u2019re not ready to let go of the festive spirit so soon.<\/p>\n

Almost 50% of Estonians do not identify with a religion, so the country has taken the season and made it its own outside of the religious connection.<\/p>\n

Sharing it with me for 48 hours was the greatest gift they could have given.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  If December were a city, then\u00a0Tallinn\u00a0would likely be it. The\u00a0Estonian\u00a0capital has been taking the holiday season seriously since 1441, when it is said to have erected the world\u2019s first public\u00a0Christmas\u00a0tree (Latvia and Germany still beg to differ). Then, 24 years ago, the Estonians levelled up to full Clark Griswold mode by opening a market […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t