Here are some of Norway’s best Christmas markets

One of the capital’s Christmas fairs lasts for well over a month by Spikersuppa on the main street Karl Johans gate, a mere stone’s throw away from the Royal Palace. Winter Wonderland combines delicious food and delicacies, high-quality craft, a Ferris wheel, and lots of additional fun for the whole family.

During the winter season, Spikersuppa is Norway’s most popular public ice skating rink. Entrance is free, so bring your skates and practise your pirouettes.

One of Norway’s most popular Christmas fairs is Norsk Folkemuseum’s annual Christmas fair, and understandably so. At the open-air museum in Oslo, visitors can buy Christmas gifts from more than a hundred stalls as they wander through a historical retelling of Christmases both decades and centuries past.

The whole museum is decorated in line with various customs and eras, allowing you to experience anything from Christmas Eve in a fancy merchant’s home in 1769 to the home of a rural Norwegian family in 1959.

And then the real magic starts. Children with rosy cheeks and locally produced artisan wares like knitted gloves, glassware, cured sausages, smoked salmon, and woodwork line the streets during what could conceivably be named the mother of all Christmas fairs.

This is where you go for a horse-drawn sleigh ride underneath a sheepskin blanket, or to have close encounters with real reindeer. For kids, the real adventure will probably be a visit to Santa.

At the Christmas market in Trondheim, you’ll come in close contact with farmers and craftspeople eager to tell the stories behind their wares, whether you’re showing interest in a ceramic bowl at the wooden stalls or some exotic jam in the tent that is home to the Farmer’s market.

Large lavvo tents will be built to serve as both café and indoor stage, featuring fireside troubadours, local food, and a theatre performance for children.

Lastly, at the Torvscenen stage, you’ll find a constant stream of talented artists and bands putting on concerts for the benefit of the Salvation Army’s charity work.

Northern Norway is about much more than the midnight sun – especially as the Christmas spirit is lurking around the corner. And few places in Norway conveys the mood of this holiday like Henningsvær bathed in northern lights.

With tall mountains and deep fjords as a picturesque frame you can buy local glass crafts and ceramic (or make your own!), dive into regional delicacies such as the Lofot caviar and paté, or borrow a kicksled for cruising the wintry streets.