Bruges · Belgium
December
Belgium's finest Christmas market in the world's most fitting medieval setting — unmissable if you can afford it.
Strong option
#6 of 12 months
There are better months for Bruges — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
6.8°C
Low
1.9°C
Rain
69mm
Sun
1.7hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Bruges
Weather
Above average
Value
Average
Crowds
Average
Events
Perfect
Atmosphere
Perfect
What you gain in December
- ↑The Christmas Market on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein is Belgium's finest and arguably Northern Europe's most atmospheric: the Gothic belfry, the medieval guildhouses, the canal reflections of the lights, and the smell of glühwein and stroopwafels combine into something genuinely magical. The ice rink on the Markt is open daily.
- ↑If frost or light snow falls (it happens in about 30% of Decembers), the effect on the medieval canal city is beyond description — the cobblestones iced, the canals frozen at the edges, and the Christmas lights reflecting in both. This is what the postcards promise and December occasionally delivers.
- ↑The entire city economy leans into the Christmas season: chocolatiers produce their most elaborate seasonal work, the beer bars are warm and full, and there is a festive animation that the city doesn't achieve at any other time of year.
What you sacrifice
- ↓December is the most expensive month after July: hotel prices spike for the Christmas market weeks, and the best canal-view rooms require booking months ahead. Weekend rates in mid-December approach the July premium.
- ↓Weather is cold and dark — less than 2 hours of sunshine per day on average, and temperatures near freezing at night. The Christmas market is most enjoyable in a thermal layer, good boots, and the knowledge that you can retreat to a warm beer bar.
- ↓The city is crowded on December weekends — Belgian domestic visitors, Dutch families, and British day-trippers from the Eurostar all converge simultaneously. The queue for canal boat tours (the boats are covered and heated in December) can exceed 30 minutes on Saturdays.
How December compares to May (best month)
| Factor | December | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 5 | 8 |
| Value | 4 | 6 |
| Crowds | 4 | 6 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Bruges, not across destinations. Methodology →