As the festive gets underway, ERR reporters Veronika Uibo and Ragnar Kond visited the Christmas markets in Tallinn and Latvian capital Riga to check out the local hits and compare prices.
Tallinn’s Christmas market opened last Friday and will be running this year until December 28. Sales tend to drop significantly after Christmas and, as was the case in 2024, trading will also end before the New Year this time round. This winter, there are more locally-designed products and handicrafts than usual at the Tallinn Christmas market.
Tallinn Christmas market is known by some as the “mulled wine market,” simply because the popular drink is the best-selling item year after year. On Sunday, the count was off, but there were definitely over 20 mulled wine (glögi) sellers at the market. A traditional glögi costs €7 this year, but if you want something a little stronger, you’ll have to pay €8 or €9.
There is plenty to eat at Tallinn Christmas market. The menu includes lamb cutlets, grilled chicken, oven-baked salmon and blood sausage. A classic Christmas meal with pork will set you back € 5-17.
Riga Christmas market bills itself as the largest in the Baltic States. Prices there are slightly lower than in Tallinn. For example, mulled wine costs €6 and a chicken stew is €9, but you still have to pay €16-17 for a steak. Latvian Christmas markets are very craft-oriented.
Read more: ERR.EE
