My Review of Steninge Slott’s Christmas Market

Steninge Slott’s Julmarknad is always a fun trip out to Sigtuna, Sweden.

The Christmas market is housed in the stone barn behind the 17th Century palace and the interior is stunning.

The vaulted ceilings of the barn give it an airy atmosphere and illuminated advent stars hang from the ceiling begging to go home with you.

Our favorite purchases usually involve buying a paper sack of candied almonds and some warm glögg while we walk around the property among the tree-lined pathways.

However, Steninge Slott’s rustic charm is undergoing a bit of a renovation and the grounds are currently under construction with new housing development on the property.

No longer do you feel like you are on a large estate property but now you feel a bit like you’re intruding on people’s backyard.

Another change from years past is that Steninge Slott now sells furniture and home decorations year round. The inventory for this new business has pushed the crafts and local vendors who participate in the Julmarknad toward the back of the property in a makeshift tent-like structure instead of being located on the second floor of the barn.

Unfortunately, this has resulted in a loss of the authenticity that the julmarknad had in the past as it felt like we were touring an IKEA showroom rather than a festive Christmas market.

It was extremely disappointing to experience and although it was our first Christmas market of the season, we will probably not return to it in the future.

You can still purchase handicrafts and local meats, but we only saw about five local vendors in total. The rest of the items for sale were also items you could find in your local toy store.

My suggestion

Head to the Christmas market with plenty of patience as they have changed their parking lot to accommodate for larger crowds. 

Make a day of it and head to the Sigtuna Julmarknad when you’re through at Steninge.

Things to know

  • Address: Steninge Slottsby, Sigtuna, Sweden
  • Parking: Free
  • Entry: Free
  • Dogs are allowed
  • The restaurant is on site and is usually packed, so arrive early if you want to eat lunch
  • Bathrooms are located on the lower level
  • Julmarknad is open Nov 18-Dec 23
    • Mon-Fri 11-18 
    • Sat-Sun 10-17

My Christmas Market Rating: C+

This used to be one of my favorite Christmas markets to visit but after they prioritized selling living room furnishings over the local vendors and relegated them to lower-trafficked real estate behind the barn, this market dropped significantly in quality and authenticity. 

Check out my video here for why I’m a bit sad that Steninge Slott’s Julmarknad isn’t as joyful as it was in the past.

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