• Courtesy of André-olivier Lyra
• Québec City's Place d'Youville skating rink

Christmas brings holiday markets to much of Europe: open-air bazaars under galaxies of twinkly lights that dispense a potent blend of mulled wine and nostalgia. Some Christmas markets in Germany trace their origins to the 15th century, and in recent decades Euro-inspired versions have appeared in cities from Tokyo to Toronto. Across Québec, such events are now a fixture of the season, albeit with distinctively French Canadian twists.

"We have vendors that sell whiskey sweetened with maple syrup, we have la tire [sugar on snow], we have beaver tails — a lot of specialties of Québec," said Line Basbous, executive director of La Lutinerie, a nonprofit that organizes Montréal's two biggest holiday markets. "But mostly you come to Christmas markets for the atmosphere, the vibe," she said, adding that bundling up for cold-weather shopping is all part of the fun.

No matter which market you visit, you'll also find plenty of vin chaud — that's mulled wine en français — along with local artisans, performances and the occasional Santa cameo. Ready to venture north of the border? Read on for the best Christmas markets (and some seasonal extras) in Québec this year.

Montréal

• Courtesy of Eva Blue
• Winter markets in Montréal

Montréal's main holiday installation is Le Grand Marché de Noël, an ephemeral cluster of wooden "chalets" housing artisan shops and vendors, running through December 30 on rue Jeanne-Mance. Free musical performances at the market span chorales and Cajun quartet Les Ville-Marie Playboys, while the surrounding Quartier des Spectacles neighborhood is a hub for season-long programming.

On the Quartier des Spectacles' Place des Festivals, the 14th edition of Luminothérapie, a yearly installation of illuminated art, kicks off November 30; there's free outdoor skating at the nearby Esplanade Tranquille rink, where ice dance events with professional skaters draw crowds on Friday and Saturday nights. (BYO skates or rent a pair for CA$10 for kids and $13.05 for adults.)

A 15-minute walk northwest is the excellent McCord Stewart Museum, whose holiday programming through January 7 includes an exhibition of the sweetly vintage mechanical Christmas window displays crafted by Montréal department store Holt Renfrew Ogilvy since 1947.

Smaller and more family-focused is the Village de Noël, open through December 24 outside the 1933 art deco Atwater Market in Saint-Henri, a buzzy neighborhood southwest of downtown. There will be free photos with Santa — that's Père Noël to francophone Québécois — on Saturdays and Sundays all season long, as well as musical performances and themed gourmet events each Friday evening.

December 1 brings the seventh annual Montréal Raclette Party. Crowds will celebrate the Alpine delicacy by snacking on mild Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser raclette cheese melted over boiled potatoes with cornichons, ham and sausage. (Reserve vegetarian or non-vegetarian raclette in advance for $18.40 or $23 per plate, respectively.)

Cultural organization Les Alsaciens de Montréal will host a Knack Party at Village de Noël on December 8 highlighting culinary specialties from France's German-influenced Alsace region, including sauerkraut, pretzel-like breads known as "bretzels," and smoked pork-and-beef knack sausages. (Reserve plates of knack, potato salad and bread for $15.)

Québec City

• Courtesy of Kerstin Winkler
• Marché de Noël Allemand de Québec

For cozy continental vibes, it's hard to beat the Marché de Noël Allemand de Québec, which runs through December 23 in Québec City and channels the spirit of German Christmas markets, which are the oldest in Europe. (It's not open every day, so check the website for details.) German-style mulled wine called glühwein, traditional German cakes and an ocean of German beer sustain crowds that come for free programming, including Bavarian folk music and the horned yuletide boogeyman Krampus. There are also Santa photo events for pets, plus a kids' zone with crafts, games and a puppet theater.

The market's more than 90 stands are spread across five locations within the compact, UNESCO World Heritage-listed neighborhood of Old Québec, which goes all out for the holidays with massive lights displays decked above its 17th-century cobblestone streets. Also within Old Québec: a wooden slide built in 1884 at Dufferin Terrace that becomes a startlingly high-speed sled run by mid-December (ticket to ride: $4). Just outside the city walls, and illuminated by a giant Christmas wreath, is the free Place d'Youville skating rink (on-site skate rentals are $10 for adults and $5 for children).

Eastern Townships

• Courtesy of Tourisme Cantons-de-l'est
• Marché de Noël de Sutton

Communities across the border-hugging Eastern Townships stage their own, more low-key holiday markets, many of which showcase the wines, cheeses, ciders and beers for which the region is known. The biggest of these is Marché de Noël de Sutton, continuing on December 2 and 3, with seasonal music, a small Christmas train and local producers selling everything from fir-tip honey to ice cider.

The December 2 and 3 Festif Bromont in Old Bromont features bonfires, activities, 30 vendors and tastings from vintners along the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route. More than 60 producers come together for agricultural holiday market Les Rendez-Vous Agroalimentaires des Fêtes, which will be in Granby December 1 to 3 and Saint-Joachim-de-Shefford on December 10. Find a full list of Eastern Townships Christmas markets here — and joyeuses fêtes (happy holidays).