Christmas markets in France 2026: official dates for Strasbourg, Colmar, Lyon, Nancy, Annecy and the Provence santon fairs, train times and trip ideas.
The best Christmas markets in France in 2026 are in Alsace: Strasbourg runs from November 27 to December 24 and Colmar from November 23 to December 29, and Colmar is open on Christmas Day. Add Lyon's Festival of Lights (December 5 to 8, 2026), the Saint Nicholas celebrations in Nancy, Montbéliard's Lumières de Noël, Annecy by the lake, or the santon fairs of Provence, which run into January. Paris has markets too, but they are not the reason to come.
Our travel designer Aurélie grew up in Alsace and designs our French Christmas trips. Here are the 2026 dates we confirmed on each official site, what makes each place different, and how we connect them by train.
| Market | Region | 2026 dates | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strasbourg Christkindelsmärik | Alsace | Nov 27 to Dec 24 | 11 am to 9 pm; closed Dec 25 |
| Colmar, six markets | Alsace | Nov 23 to Dec 29 | open Dec 25, 10 am to 8 pm |
| Kaysersberg | Alsace | Fri to Sun, Nov 27 to Dec 20 | 10 am to 8 pm |
| Eguisheim | Alsace | Nov 27 to Dec 30 | closed Dec 24 to 26 |
| Riquewihr | Alsace | Nov 27 to Dec 20 | 10 am to 6:30 pm, weekends to 7 pm |
| Ribeauvillé medieval market | Alsace | Dec 5, 6, 12 and 13 | two weekends only |
| Mulhouse | Alsace | Nov 20 to Dec 27 | a new Christmas fabric each year |
| Metz | Lorraine | Nov 20 to Dec 30 | closed Dec 25 |
| Nancy, Saint Nicholas festival | Lorraine | Nov 20 to Jan 3, 2027 | big parade on Saturday Dec 5 |
| Montbéliard Lumières de Noël | Franche-Comté | Nov 21 to Dec 24 | Switzerland is the 2026 guest |
| Lyon Fête des Lumières | Rhône | Dec 5 to 8 | evenings only |
| Lyon market, Place Carnot | Rhône | Nov 20 to Dec 24 | closes early during the festival |
| Annecy Noël des Alpes | Alps | Nov 26 to Jan 3, 2027 | chalets along the lake |
| Marseille Foire aux Santons | Provence | Nov 14 to Jan 3, 2027 | the 224th santon fair |
| Aix-en-Provence market and santon fair | Provence | Nov 13 to Dec 31 | illuminations from Nov 28 |
| Arles Salon des Santonniers | Provence | Nov 14 to Jan 10, 2027 | EUR 2 (about $2.30) entry |
Paris and Reims: the City of Paris lists the Tuileries market from November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Reims had not published its 2026 dates on an official site we could check at the time of writing (November 8, 2026); we confirm them for our travelers before booking, and explain below what to expect.
Strasbourg has held its Christkindelsmärik since 1570, on Place Broglie since 1871, which makes it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe. In 2026 it opens on Friday, November 27 (2 pm to 9 pm that day), then runs daily from 11 am to 9 pm until Thursday, December 24, when it closes at 6 pm. No chalets open on December 25.
The markets are spread over the Grande Île, the old town on its river island: Place Broglie, the cathedral square, and Place Kléber, where the Great Christmas Tree stands above a village of about 110 charities. Cars are not allowed on the Grande Île while the market is open, and there are checks at the bridges, so plan to arrive by tram or on foot and leave your bags at the hotel first.
Our advice: stay on or next to the Grande Île, start at the cathedral square at 11 am, and keep an afternoon for the quieter Petite France quarter. Strasbourg is about 1 hour 45 minutes from Paris Gare de l'Est by TGV.
Colmar spreads six markets through its old town from November 23 to December 29, 2026: Place des Dominicains, the old customs house (Ancienne Douane), the indoor market in the Koïfhus, Place Jeanne d'Arc, a children's market in Little Venice and a food market on rue de la Montagne Verte. Hours are 11 am to 7 pm Monday to Thursday and 10 am to 8 pm Friday to Sunday. Colmar is one of the few major French markets open on Christmas Day, from 10 am to 8 pm, and its food market and Ferris wheel stay until January 3.
Around Colmar, the wine villages hold smaller markets: Kaysersberg on weekends only, in the Arsenal courtyard and behind the church; Eguisheim, daily but closed December 24 to 26; Riquewihr; and the medieval market in Ribeauvillé, with costumed performers and wild boar on the spit, on two weekends in December. The villages have no useful train service, so we send our travelers with a driver and a wine tasting. Our Alsace Christmas markets guide covers each one in detail.
Mulhouse, south of Colmar, runs its market from November 20 to December 27, 2026 around the Temple Saint-Étienne. The city was built on textiles and commissions a new Christmas fabric every year: in 2026 it is called "Jardin d'Hiver", and it dresses the stalls and the streets.
Lyon's Fête des Lumières runs from Saturday, December 5 to Tuesday, December 8, 2026, in the evenings (7 pm to 11 pm, and 6 pm to 10 pm on Sunday, December 6). Light installations cover the old town, the riverbanks and the squares, and families put candles in their windows on December 8. It is the busiest weekend of the year in Lyon, so book the hotel first and plan the rest around it. Our Lyon Festival of Lights guide explains where to stay and how to see it without fighting the crowds.
The Lyon Christmas market on Place Carnot, by Perrache station, runs from November 20 to December 24, 2026, and closes early during the festival nights. Lyon is about 2 hours from Paris by TGV, and a direct train from Strasbourg takes about 3 hours 45 minutes, so Alsace and Lyon combine well.
Annecy's Noël des Alpes runs daily from November 26, 2026 to January 3, 2027, with chalets along the lake quays to the Jardins de l'Europe and an ice rink. It is the place to combine a market with snow: the ski resorts of Haute-Savoie are within reach, and our French Christmas in 7 Days trip ends with three nights of skiing in Val d'Isère after Colmar and Lyon.
Provence celebrates Christmas differently. Instead of chalets and mulled wine, it has santon fairs: santons are small clay figures for the Provençal nativity scene, with the baker, the shepherd and the fishwife next to the Holy Family.
The weather is milder than in Alsace, and a santon bought from the maker is a better souvenir than most market ornaments. Paris to Marseille is about 3 hours by TGV.
Paris has Christmas markets every year, usually in the Tuileries Garden, at La Défense and near Notre-Dame, but they are smaller and more commercial than in Alsace. In 2026 the Tuileries market, with about 95 chalets and rides, runs from November 14 to January 3, 2027, according to the City of Paris. What Paris does well in December is the lights: the Champs-Élysées, the department-store windows on Boulevard Haussmann and the giant tree under the dome of the Galeries Lafayette, a yearly tradition. We treat Paris as the first or last two nights of a Christmas trip, not the main event.
Reims holds a large market a few minutes' walk from the cathedral every year and is about 45 minutes from Paris by TGV, which makes it an easy day of Champagne cellars and Christmas lights. Its 2026 dates were not yet published on the official sites we checked.
| Route | Fastest train, about |
|---|---|
| Paris to Strasbourg | 1 hour 45 minutes (TGV) |
| Strasbourg to Colmar | 26 minutes (regional train) |
| Colmar to Basel | 45 minutes |
| Strasbourg to Lyon | 3 hours 45 minutes, direct |
| Paris to Lyon | 2 hours (TGV) |
| Paris to Reims | 45 minutes (TGV) |
| Paris to Marseille | 3 hours 5 minutes (TGV) |
TGV seats are always reserved, and SNCF limits luggage to two suitcases and one small bag per person, each with a name label, with fines for extra bags. We book first class and, where the hotel is far from the station, a private transfer. Our Christmas markets by train guide compares the rail routes across France, Germany and Switzerland, and our German Christmas markets guide covers the markets across the Rhine.
Most French markets close on December 24, and museums and shops shut on December 25. If you are in France for Christmas itself, base yourself in Colmar, where the markets are open on December 25 and until December 29, or in Annecy, Marseille and Arles, which run into January. Our guide to France in December covers what is open over the holidays.
The centers of Strasbourg, Colmar and Lyon's Presqu'île are flat but paved, and the aisles between stalls are narrow and crowded in the evening. Strasbourg's car ban on the Grande Île means drop-offs happen at the edge of the island. SNCF's Assist'enGare service provides free help at stations when booked at least 24 hours ahead, and we arrange it with every train ticket when needed. We choose hotels a short, step-free walk from the markets and plan visits at opening time on weekdays.
Tell us which markets you want to see and when you can travel, and Aurélie will design your French Christmas, with the hotels by the squares booked first.
More guides: Christmas marketsPlaces and regionsMonth by month
Strasbourg for history and scale: it has run since 1570 and fills the whole old town. Colmar for the setting, with six markets among half-timbered houses and canals, and the wine villages around it. They are 26 minutes apart by train, so most of our travelers see both, with two nights in Strasbourg and three in Colmar.
Most open in the second half of November 2026: Marseille's santon fair on November 14, Metz, Mulhouse and the Lyon market on November 20, Colmar on November 23, Annecy on November 26 and Strasbourg on November 27. Strasbourg closes on December 24, Colmar on December 29, and Annecy and Marseille run to January 3, 2027.
Strasbourg's are not, and neither are Metz, Mulhouse or Eguisheim. Colmar is open on Christmas Day 2026 from 10 am to 8 pm, and its markets run until December 29. Annecy's Noël des Alpes, Marseille's santon fair and the Arles santon show also stay open over the holidays and into January.
Paris has a few markets, usually in the Tuileries Garden, at La Défense and near Notre-Dame, but they are smaller and more commercial than in Alsace. Paris is better for the lights and the department-store windows. We suggest two nights in Paris at the start or end of a trip, and the markets themselves in Strasbourg and Colmar.
By TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est to Strasbourg, about 1 hour 45 minutes, then a regional train to Colmar in about 26 minutes. TGV seats are reserved and luggage is limited to two suitcases and one small bag per person. We add private transfers in Strasbourg, where the old town is closed to cars during the market.
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