Where the Season Switches On: The Hauptplatz and the Christkindlmarkt
Stand on the Hauptplatz as the light fades and the city's Christmas season announces itself. From 19 November 2026 the squares and streets of the centre are lit with varied designs, including new lighting along Herrengasse, and on the main square the Christkindlmarkt vor dem Rathaus runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, with its decorated Christmas tree, avenue of lights, arts and crafts stalls and food stands. In the evening, watch the large Advent calendar projected onto the façade of the Rathaus. Market hours here run 11:00–22:00, closing at 14:00 on 24 December. This is the centre of gravity for the whole season, and the natural place to begin.
Walk the Market Trail Through the Old Town
Graz does not concentrate its Advent into one square; it threads markets through the old town, each with its own character. You can spend a whole afternoon moving between them on foot.
- Altgrazer Christkindlmarkt im Franziskanerviertel (Franziskanerplatz) — the oldest Christmas market in Graz, focused on rural traditions, Thuringian Christmas tree decorations and Styrian gourmet products. 20 November–24 December 2026, 12:00–22:00, closing 10:00–13:00 on 24 December.
- Kinderadvent am Kapistran-Pieller-Platz, in front of the Franziskanerkirche — a children's market with a carousel, a nostalgic Ferris wheel, a giant snowman and sweets. 20–23 December 2026.
- Adventmarkt am Glockenspielplatz — local arts and crafts, communal Advent wreath making, and visits from St. Nicholas and Krampus. 20 November–24 December 2026.
- Advent am Eisernen Tor — deliberately contemplative and quiet, at the edge of the old town near the Opernring, on the site of the former city-wall gate. 20–23 December 2026; Mon–Thu 14:00–22:00, Fri–Sun 11:00–22:00.
- Adventmarkt am Mehlplatz — run by artists and craftspeople, with punch, mulled wine, handicrafts and waffles. 20 November–24 December 2026, 11:00–22:00, until 16:00 on 24 December.
- Kunst/handwerks/markt am Färberplatz — handmade goods, organic and regional specialities, live music and children's workshops. 27 November–23 December 2026; Mon–Sat 11:00–22:00, Sun 12:00–20:00.
- Adventlounge in der Schmiedgasse — Advent huts, punches and four lounge areas. 20 November–23 December 2026.
- Adventmarkt im Joanneumsviertel — Styrian arts and crafts gifts with Styrian restaurateurs. 20–23 December 2026.
Further out, the Grieskindlmarkt am Nikolaiplatz (20 November–20 December 2026) sells sustainable, fairly produced regional gifts alongside mulled wine, punch, cookies, apple strudel, waffles and tarte flambée. The Aufsteirern-Weihnachtsmarkt am Schloßberg (20 November–20 December 2026) is given over to traditional Styrian culture.
Ice, Light and Music: The Season's Set Pieces
Two installations anchor the season. In the Landhaushof, the ice crib returns from 28 November 2026: Finnish ice artist Kimmo Frosti and an international team carve more than 35 tonnes of crystal-clear ice, illuminated after dusk. It is a genuine Graz classic, and worth timing your walk for darkness. At the Graz Winter World on Jahngasse 3, a 3,000 m² ice rink offers skating, curling and ice hockey, with skate hire and a catering area, "Das Advent Paradies." Expect it to run 14 November 2026–31 January 2027 — the one part of the programme that outlasts Christmas. The rink is open Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00, with evening skating Thu/Fri/Sat 19:30–21:30; the Winter Delights catering area runs Mon–Wed 15:00–19:00, Thu–Fri 15:00–22:00, Sat 12:00–22:00 and Sun 12:00–19:00.
For a different angle on the lights, take the Advent sightseeing train through the decorated old town from 20 November 2026, daily 11:00–19:00 (11:00–14:00 on 24 December), departing from the Christmas market. The fare is €4 for adults and €2 for children, and you can board or alight at any stop. The 2025 route ran Hauptplatz – Schmiedgasse – Landhausgasse – Herrengasse – Stubenberggasse – Schmiedgasse – Albrechtgasse – Neutorgasse – Murgasse – Hauptplatz. The Advent tram, run from the Graz Tramway Museum, operates 20 November–20 December on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays plus Tuesday 8 December, roughly 16:00–21:00, along Jakominiplatz – Herrengasse – Südtiroler Platz – Annenstraße – Hauptbahnhof – Laudongasse and back. On 24 December a fairytale ride runs approximately 10:00–16:00.
What to Eat, and Where to Find It
The eating is inseparable from the walking. Punches and mulled wine appear at the Adventlounge in the Schmiedgasse, at Mehlplatz and at the Grieskindlmarkt, where they sit alongside cookies, apple strudel, waffles and tarte flambée. Mehlplatz is the place for waffles with your punch. For something more substantial, the Joanneumsviertel market brings Styrian restaurateurs into the programme, and the Franziskanerviertel market concentrates Styrian gourmet products. At the Freiheitsplatz, the market Gutes aus aller Welt (20 November–24 December 2026) gathers exhibitors from four continents selling gifts, woollens, winter textiles and decorations alongside regional cuisine. At the Südtirolerplatz, the Christkindlmarkt around the Steirerhütte (20 November–23 December 2026) is worth a stop for its record-setting painted Christmas tree bauble and historic sleigh. And at the Karmeliterplatz, Weihnacht am Karmeliterplatz (20–23 December 2026) pairs gourmet products and live music with clock tower views and light projections.
Getting There, Getting Around, and Planning Your Day
Graz is Austria's second city and the largest in Styria, with a UNESCO-listed inner city whose architecture spans the Middle Ages to the 18th century — which is exactly what makes walking between the markets so rewarding. The city is a UNESCO Creative City of Design and was European Capital of Culture in 2003, and its large student population, including many from neighbouring Slovenia, gives the season a younger, livelier edge than you might expect.
Graz Airport lies south of the city in Feldkirchen, near the junction of the Pyhrn and Süd motorways, and connects to the centre by regional rail and local bus in about 15 minutes. The main railway station sits west of the centre, just outside it, with good connections within Austria and across Europe. Local trains, trams and buses are run by Steirische Verkehrsverbund (StVG). The tourist office runs a nativity trail through the main landmarks and Advent locations, with a downloadable booklet — useful for stitching the markets into a single route.
Note that individual market dates vary: most open on 20 November 2026, but the Färberplatz craft market waits until 27 November, the Grieskindlmarkt and the Schloßberg market close on 20 December, and several others finish on 23 December, so check before you set out late in the season. Programme details are subject to change.
The season in Graz runs from late November to Christmas Eve, and the shape of a good visit is simple: arrive before dark, walk the markets from the Hauptplatz outward, time the Landhaushof ice crib for after dusk, and keep an evening free for the rink at the Winter World. Book your travel for the window that suits you, download the Advent folder and the nativity trail booklet, and let the city's lights do the rest.