Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is making a concerted effort to establish its Christmas market as one of the most popular in Europe. The city’s annual “Zagreb Advent” event has already been voted the best Christmas market in Europe for three consecutive years, from 2015 to 2017.
The push to promote Zagreb’s festive offerings is part of a broader strategy to transform Croatia into a year-round tourist destination, rather than one solely focused on the peak summer season. Croatia’s Tourism Minister, Tonci Glavina, emphasises that the country is no longer just about “sun and sea” but now offers a diverse range of tourism products across the country.
Zagreb Advent is a multi-venue spectacular that takes over large parts of the city centre, with each location offering its own unique theme, decorations, and content. From traditional Croatian food and crafts to music stages and an enormous ice rink, the event aims to provide visitors with a truly immersive festive experience.
The city’s efforts have paid off, with the number of visitors staying at least one night in Zagreb during the last month of the year more than doubling from 100,198 in 2014 to 245,352 in 2024, generating an estimated €100 million economic boost.
However, Zagreb still has a long way to go to catch up with Europe’s Christmas market heavyweights. The market in Cologne, Germany, is expected to attract four million visitors this year, with an economic impact of €229 million. Vienna’s Christmas market in Austria draws around 2.8 million visitors, while Strasbourg in France sees two million people.
Despite its relative infancy, with the first Zagreb Advent held in 2014, the event is already attracting visitors from across Europe, including Italy, Spain, Bosnia, Slovenia, and even the UK. Lucija Vrkljan, a steward at the ice rink, says, “They come here from all over. It’s a great place to be.”
Marko Peric, the dean of the Faculty of Tourism at Croatia’s University of Rijeka, acknowledges that Zagreb Advent brings “unusually high” numbers of arrivals and overnight stays in December. However, he cautions that Croatia’s heavy reliance on the summer season is a weakness that still needs to be addressed.
The Tourism Minister, Tonci Glavina, insists that Croatia is making progress, with a slight dip in visitor numbers during July and August, but significant growth either side of the summer peak. He believes this is “just perfect” as the country transforms into a sustainable tourism destination.
As Zagreb Advent continues to grow in popularity, the city’s efforts to position itself as the premier Christmas market in Europe are clearly paying off. While it may not yet rival the scale of some of its European counterparts, the event is undoubtedly helping to diversify Croatia’s tourism offerings and attract visitors throughout the year.