AROUND THE WORLD
Nativity Fairs Around the World
There are nativity fairs in Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland and Peru, under other names, with other customs, and sometimes going back further than in Provence. Here are the events worth the trip, and the words you’ll need to find them yourself. For many American nativity lovers, a December trip to Europe planned around these fairs is a kind of pilgrimage.
What it’s called elsewhere
“Santon fair” (foire aux santons) is a Provençal term that doesn’t really translate, since the santon belongs to Provence. Elsewhere, people talk about the nativity scene and its figures, and every language has its own word for the market where you buy them. That’s the first hurdle, and it’s a bigger one than it looks: without the right word, your search turns up nothing. Here’s what to search for in each language.
| Country | The nativity scene | The fair or exhibition |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | el belén | feria del belén · feria de belenes |
| Catalonia | el pessebre | fira de pessebres; in Barcelona, the Fira de Santa Llúcia |
| Italy | il presepe | fiera dei presepi · mercatino dei presepi; a mostra is an exhibition |
| Germany, Austria | die Krippe | Krippenmarkt · Kripperlmarkt; a Krippenausstellung is an exhibition |
| Poland | szopka | konkurs szopek: a contest |
| Portugal | o presépio | feira de presépios |
| Malta | il-presepju | wirja tal-presepju: an exhibition |
| Czech Republic | betlém | betlémské trhy |
| Peru | el nacimiento | Santurantikuy, “the sale of saints” in Quechua |
| Mexico | el nacimiento | tianguis de nacimientos |
| Colombia, Venezuela | el pesebre | feria del pesebre |
A false friend to know. In German, Krippenmesse looks like “nativity fair” and isn’t one: Messe means both “trade fair” and “Mass,” and in this word it’s the Mass that wins: a Krippenmesse is a church service in front of the nativity. The word to search for is Krippenmarkt, or Kripperlmarkt in its Bavarian form.
The international calendar
Events, sorted by country. The label under each date tells you how reliable it is: confirmed with the organizer, usual based on past years, rule-based for a date that follows a set rule, fixed date for an event that never moves.
No date is guaranteed, and even less so here than for France: this information comes from sources abroad that we can’t always double-check, and many cities only publish their schedule in October or November. Before you book a trip, check with the organizer.
Filter by type
| 2026 dates | City and name | Type | Venue, hours, price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | |||
| November 6–8Confirmed | AlcobendasFeria Internacional de Belenismo | Market | Hotel Amura, avenida de Valdelaparra 2Fri. 4–8 p.m. · Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sun. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.€3 per day, free for children |
| November 8 – December 23Usual | SevilleFeria del Belén | Market | Avenida de la Constitución and calle Fray Ceferino GonzálezMon.–Fri. 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–9 p.m. · Sat., Sun. and holidays 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4–9 p.m.free |
| late November – December 23Usual | BarcelonaFira de Santa Llúcia | Market | Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova10 a.m.–9 p.m.free |
| late November – December 31Usual | MadridMercado de Navidad de la Plaza Mayor | Market | Plaza MayorSun.–Thu. 10 a.m.–9 p.m. · Fri. and Sat. 10 a.m.–10 p.m.free |
| Italy | |||
| mid-November – January 6Usual | NaplesSan Gregorio Armeno | Craft street | Via San Gregorio Armenoworkshops ~9:30 a.m.–7 p.m., until 8 p.m. in Decemberfree |
| mid-November – mid-JanuaryUsual | VeronaPresepi dal Mondo | Exhibition | Palazzo del Capitanio, entrance from piazza dei Signori9 a.m.–8 p.m., holidays included€8 (reduced €7) |
| November 21 – December 26Confirmed | BolognaFiera di Santa Lucia | Market | Portico dei Servi, Strada Maggiore 43about 9 a.m.–8 p.m.free |
| Advent weekends, then December 21 – January 6Usual | GreccioMostra Mercato del Presepio | Market | Via Limiti Nord 17, Limiti di Greccio10 a.m.–6 p.m.free |
| November 28 – January 6Confirmed | OrtiseiWeihnachtsdorf / Christmas Village | Market | Downtown Ortisei, Val GardenaMon.–Fri. 4–7 p.m. · Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m.–7 p.m.free |
| December 1 – January 6Usual | RomeFesta di Piazza Navona | Market | Piazza Navonafree |
| December 6 – February 2Usual | RomeInternational exhibition of the federation | Exhibition | Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle, corso Vittorio Emanuele IIabout fifty nativity scenes sent by the associations of some twenty countries |
| Germany | |||
| November 20 – December 24Confirmed | MunichKripperlmarkt | Market | Marienplatz, around the Alter Peter churchMon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m. · Sun. 10 a.m.–8 p.m. · Dec. 24 10 a.m.–2 p.m.free |
| Austria | |||
| November 19 – January 1Confirmed | SalzburgKrippenpfad | Exhibition | Residenzplatz, Christkindlmarktfree |
| early December weekendsUsual | TyrolTyrolean Krippenausstellungen | Exhibition | Parish halls, village by villageusually 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekends |
| December 5–6Confirmed | DornbirnGroße Krippenausstellung | Exhibition | Studasaal, Dornbirn-Haselstauden, VorarlbergSat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m. · Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. · blessing of the nativities Saturday at 11 a.m. |
| Poland | |||
| Thursday, December 3Rule-based | KrakówKonkurs Szopek Krakowskich | Contest | Rynek Główny, at the foot of the Mickiewicz monument10 a.m.–noon, then processionfree |
| early December – early MarchUsual | KrakówSzopka exhibition, Krzysztofory Palace | Exhibition | Pałac Krzysztofory, Rynek Główny 35Tue.–Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.34 zł (reduced 29 zł) |
| Portugal | |||
| November 30 – December 23Usual | Vila do CondePresépios de Portugal | Market | ADAPVC, praça Luís de Camões 31 |
| November 30 – January 6Usual | AlenquerAlenquer, Presépio de Portugal | Contest | Downtown, several venuesfree access, some attractions charge admission |
| Malta | |||
| mid-December – January 6Usual | VallettaWirja tal-Presepju | Exhibition | Parliament Building hall, Republic Street |
| mid-December – early JanuaryUsual | GħajnsielemBethlehem f’Għajnsielem: a living village | Exhibition | Ta’ Passi Fields, Għajnsielem, Gozofive acres, about 150 performers · free · certain days only, mostly late afternoon |
| December 9 – January 4Usual | NadurIn Praesepio: a living nativity | Exhibition | Historic house and gardens, Nadur, Gozo6–9:30 p.m. · free · about a hundred performers |
| mid-December – January 4Usual | ŻejtunPresepju mekkanizzat (mechanical nativity) | Exhibition | Jesus of Nazareth Institute, Żejtun9:30 a.m.–noon and 4–7 p.m. · free · a mechanical nativity running since 1947 |
| mid-December – January 5Usual | VictoriaWirja ta’ Presepji | Exhibition | Augustinian friary, Victoria, Gozofree · annual exhibition of the Gozo society of friends of the crib |
| Czech Republic | |||
| early December, one SaturdayUsual | TřebechoviceBetlémské trhy | Market | Masarykovo náměstí and the betlém museumfree market |
| December 26 – February 2Rule-based | TřešťBetlémská cesta: the nativity trail | Exhibition | Marked route through the town, Vysočinaabout twenty private homes open their nativities · 4 miles, about 2 hours |
| December 15 – January 6Rule-based | Jindřichův HradecKrýzovy jesličky | Exhibition | Muzeum Jindřichohradecka, Balbínovo náměstídaily · visits in 15-minute time slots · the largest mechanical folk nativity, about 650 sq ft (60 m²) |
| Belgium | |||
| October 16–18Reported | VerviersVerviers santon fair | Market | to be confirmed locally |
| Switzerland | |||
| December 19–20Reported | PosieuxPosieux santon fair | Market | to be confirmed locally |
| Slovenia | |||
| December 25–30Rule-based | PostojnaŽive jaslice: an underground living nativity | Exhibition | Postojna Caveseveral performances a day · 18 scenes over 3 miles, by train then on foot · about 1½ hours · tickets online |
| December 25–30Rule-based | MojstranaLedene jaslice: a living nativity under the ice | Exhibition | Mlačca Gorge, upper Sava valleyperformed at the foot of frozen waterfalls · about 50 minutes |
| December 10 – February 3Usual | Stari trg ob KolpiVseslovenska razstava jaslic | Exhibition | Slovenian national exhibition8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily · more than 70 nativities · the venue may change from year to year |
| Netherlands | |||
| mid-December – January 4Usual | LiempdeKribkesroute | Exhibition | Self-guided route through the village, North Brabantmore than 300 nativities in windows and gardens · free · best on foot, after dark |
| mid-December – January 6Usual | BaarnKribkesroute | Exhibition | Self-guided route through the town, province of Utrechtmore than 400 nativities · free |
| mid-December – mid-JanuaryUsual | UtrechtThe Neapolitan nativity of the Catharijneconvent | Exhibition | Museum Catharijneconvent, Lange Nieuwstraat 38about 600 18th-century figures, staged in an Utrecht setting · free access |
| Liechtenstein | |||
| last weekend of November or first of DecemberRule-based | rotating townKrippenausstellung | Exhibition | The venue changes every yearexhibition of nativities made during the year by students in the association’s classes |
| Peru | |||
| December 22–24Fixed date | CuscoSanturantikuy | Market | Plaza de Armas (Hawkaypata)about 6 a.m.–8 p.m.free |
| Mexico | |||
| throughout the December seasonUsual | Mexico CityTianguis de nacimientos, Sonora market | Craft street | Annex of the Mercado de Sonora, avenida Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 419free |
And the conventions? National federations hold their own gatherings, often off-season and in a different city each time: the Italian national congress, the Spanish national congress, the Biennal del Pessebre Català every two years in December (next edition expected in late 2027), and the convention of the American association, Friends of the Creche, in the fall. They’re aimed first at members, but the exhibitions that go with them are open to the public. Details are on the page nativity associations, and the world congress has its own.
Five countries to know
Each one has its own page, with what makes the local tradition special and the events in detail.
The other countries on the list (Portugal, Malta, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland) don’t have their own page yet; their events are in the table above. For how the nativity itself differs from place to place, see traditions by country and region.
Market, exhibition, contest
The word “fair” can mean three very different things, and people are usually disappointed because they mixed them up.
| The type | What you’ll do there |
|---|---|
| Market | You buy. Figures, scenery, materials. It’s the direct equivalent of the Provençal santon fair: Barcelona, Bologna, Munich, Cusco. |
| Exhibition | You look; you don’t buy. Often paid, often the most beautiful thing on the trip. Verona, Malta, the Tyrolean Krippenausstellungen. |
| Contest | A judged competition, with an awards day and an exhibition afterward. Kraków is the unique case, and one of the most beautiful sights of the season. |
| Craft street | Not an event but a place: workshops open year-round that spill into the street as Christmas approaches. Naples, and the nacimiento markets of Mexico City. |
How this page is made
We looked up each event in the local language, then checked it where we could with the town hall, tourist office, museum or organizing group. Each date is labeled with how reliable it is, and we made nothing up: when we don’t know the hours or the venue, the cell stays blank.
We don’t claim to list everything, either. Bavaria, Tyrol and northern Italy have dozens of village exhibitions listed by local clubs (krippe.at for Austria, krippen-bayern.de for Bavaria), far more than a page like this can cover. We list the ones worth traveling for.
Spotted a mistake, something missing, or an event we don’t know about? Let us know with the submission form (it works for fairs abroad too) or write to us through the contact page.
Page current as of September 13, 2026.