Alsace Christmas Markets 2026: Strasbourg, Colmar and the Wine Villages

The Alsace Christmas markets run in 2026 from November 27 to December 24 in Strasbourg and from November 23 to December 29 in Colmar, according to the two cities' official sites. Around Colmar, a string of wine villages hold their own markets, some daily, some only on weekends. The best way to see them is with two bases, Strasbourg and Colmar, over four or five nights, and a driver for the villages, which have no practical train service.

Our Christmas itineraries are designed by Aurélie, who was born in Alsace. This guide gives the official 2026 dates, how the markets differ, and how we plan the days.

Alsace Christmas market dates for 2026

The village dates come from the Colmar tourist office's Christmas site. Opening hours can still change, so we confirm them for each traveler shortly before departure.

Strasbourg: the largest and the oldest

Strasbourg has held its Christkindelsmärik since 1570 and calls itself the Capital of Christmas. The market is not one square but eight sites spread across the Grande Île, the island at the heart of the city:

• Place Broglie, the historic Christkindelsmärik;
• Place de la Cathédrale and Place du Château, in the shadow of the cathedral;
• Place Kléber, under the Great Christmas Tree;
• Place Benjamin Zix and Place Saint-Thomas in Petite France;
• Terrasse Rohan and Place du Marché-aux-Poissons for food (the Quai des Délices);
• Square Louise Weiss for small Alsace producers;
• Place du Temple Neuf and Place Grimmeissen, the latter a solidarity market.

2026 hours. On opening day, Friday November 27, the chalets open from 2 pm to 9 pm. On other days they open from 11 am to 9 pm, weekends included, and on December 24 from 11 am to 6 pm.

Crowds. The city itself says the quietest times are Mondays, Tuesdays and mornings, and the busiest are Wednesday afternoons, Friday evenings and weekends. We schedule Strasbourg early in the week whenever the trip allows, and the cathedral and Petite France in the morning, before the market crowds build.

Security and bags. Access points with security checks are set up on the bridges leading onto the Grande Île, and there is no luggage storage inside the market area. Arrive at your hotel first, or leave bags in the lockers at the central station, about a 10-minute walk from the first chalets.

Getting there. Direct TGVs from Paris reach Strasbourg in about 1 hour 50 minutes. Trams A, C, D and F stop close to the market squares.

Colmar: the prettiest setting

Colmar is smaller than Strasbourg, and its markets fill the old town between half-timbered houses, canals and the lights of Little Venice. The markets are spread across several squares: Place des Dominicains around the church, the square of the Ancienne Douane (the Koïfhus), Place Jeanne-d'Arc, a children's market in Little Venice, and a crafts market inside the Koïfhus hall. A gourmet market has in recent years stayed open into early January.

The old town is lit in the evening, and Colmar is at its best between dusk (around 4:30 pm in December) and dinner. We book a table for 8 pm and spend the hour before it walking between the markets.

Colmar is about 30 minutes from Strasbourg by regional train and about 45 minutes from Basel, which is also the nearest airport (EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg).

The wine villages around Colmar

The villages of the Alsace Wine Route are within 20 minutes' drive of Colmar. Each market is small; the setting is the reason to go.

• Eguisheim is built in concentric rings of lanes around its castle, and it is one of the flattest villages to walk. Its market runs from November 27 to December 30.
• Riquewihr sits inside medieval walls with a main street climbing gently to its gate tower. The market runs daily from November 27 to December 20, and the village is busiest on Saturday afternoons.
• Kaysersberg has a river, a ruined castle and a bridge with a chapel. In 2026 its market opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, so plan it for a weekend.
• Turckheim is a small walled town on the Colmar-Munster railway line, with a market from November 27 to December 30.
• Ribeauvillé holds a medieval Christmas market on only two weekends, December 5-6 and 12-13, with costumed stallholders and music.

None of the first three has a railway station, and buses are infrequent in winter, which is why we use a private driver for village days. A driver also means you can taste the wines.

Sélestat, between Strasbourg and Colmar, is worth a stop for its connection to the Christmas tree: a 1521 entry in the town's accounts is often cited as one of the earliest written mentions of one. Mulhouse dresses its market in a different printed fabric each year, a nod to its textile history.

What to eat and drink

• Vin chaud, red or white (the white is very Alsatian), and spiced apple juice for those who do not drink.
• Bredele, small Christmas biscuits in dozens of shapes and flavors, sold by weight.
• Manala, brioche figures baked for Saint Nicholas on December 6.
• Pain d'épices, the Alsace gingerbread, and kougelhopf, the ring-shaped brioche.
• Flammekueche and choucroute for dinner, with a glass of Riesling or Gewurztraminer.
• Bière de Noël, the Christmas beers of the Alsace breweries.

How many days, and where to stay

Four or five nights work best: two in Strasbourg, then two or three in Colmar for the villages. Stay inside the Grande Île in Strasbourg and in Colmar's old town, so you can walk back to the markets after dinner when the lights are on. Hotels for December weekends fill early; we book by September.

A five-day plan

1. Arrive in Strasbourg by TGV from Paris. Evening at Place Kléber and the cathedral.
2. Strasbourg in the morning: the cathedral, Petite France, a boat on the Ill. Afternoon on the markets, dinner in a winstub.
3. Morning train to Colmar. Afternoon in the old town, evening at the markets.
4. Driver day on the Wine Route: Eguisheim, a tasting at a family estate, Riquewihr or Kaysersberg (on a weekend), back to Colmar for dinner.
5. Ribeauvillé or Turckheim in the morning, then onward to Basel, Lyon or Paris.

Weather. Expect around 40°F by day and temperatures around freezing at night, with fog or light snow possible. Warm boots matter more than anything else on this trip.

Accessibility at the Alsace markets

Strasbourg is the most accessible: the Grande Île is mostly flat and pedestrian, the trams are low-floor, and the city lends wheelchairs and walkers free of charge from the information chalet on Place Kléber (leave an ID document; no reservation needed). It also publishes an accessibility map of the markets with level routes, chalet ramps and adapted toilets. Colmar's old town is cobbled in places, and Riquewihr's main street slopes, while Eguisheim is flatter. On weekends the crowds are the real obstacle, so we plan weekday mornings for travelers with reduced mobility.

Alsace within a longer Christmas trip

Our French Christmas in 7 Days, from EUR 2,099 (about $2,440) per person, spends two nights in Colmar's old town with a guided day in Eguisheim, Riquewihr and Kaysersberg and a wine tasting, then continues to Lyon and three nights of skiing in Val d'Isère. Our Belgium, Alsace and Switzerland by Train runs in a Christmas version from late November, with Brussels, Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel and a snowy Zermatt. All our ideas are on the Christmas markets trips page.

To compare Alsace with Nuremberg, Munich, Basel and Montreux, read our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe, and if you are weighing a Rhine cruise against a train trip, our river cruise vs train comparison. Our free Christmas markets 2026 guide lists the dates in one place.

Tell us your dates and how you like to travel, and Aurélie will design your Alsace Christmas with the hotels booked early.