Red Square Christmas Market, Moscow

On a few occasions, I had the opportunity to spend winter in Moscow (check out here the top places to see in Moscow). Winter in Moscow may sound daunting for some. It is cold, yes, -20C is not a walk in the park for most. But there are attractions to keep you warm, like having some mulled wine at the biggest Moscow Christmas market. On my winter trips to the Russian capital, I visited the Red Square Christmas Market on several occasions and will tell you more about it this interesting event that usually starts in mid-November and end early February.

Red Square Christmas Market, Moscow

I’m a fan of Christmas markets myself, and I’ve been known to travel to Germany, where you find some of the best Christmas markets in Europe, just to enjoy them, or even the ones in London. So finding this one at the end of January was a pleasant surprise.

But why is this Christmas market still open so late in January, when in the rest of Europe they close before the New Year? The reason for that is that are Russian Orthodox Christians, and the Orthodox celebrate “Christmas” on 7th January. That’s when they have their holidays, and many businesses close for a whole week. And since the Russian winter is not only heavy, but long, it makes sense to keep the market open until later.

The Red Square Christmas market is set around one of Moscow’s largest ice rinks and also has an amusement park for children. The market itself is not so big, considering the vastness of Red Square. Thank goodness size doesn’t always matter, especially when you are surrounded by the imposing walls of the Kremlin, the colourful St Basil’s Basilica and the G.U.M. shopping centre.

All stalls are already open very early in the morning, so you could have a good cup of coffee and stroll in the snow. This Christmas market is perfect to buy typical Russian souvenirs, like the babushka – those dolls with many others inside.

So, if you’re looking for a different Christmas market experience for this year, why not consider the beautiful and utterly Russian Red Square Christmas market? Just make sure you’re warm enough, as temperatures can plummet to -25!