First Christmas in Strasbourg?

Strasbourg Christmas Markets & Things To Do

Planning December in Strasbourg tends to raise the same few questions. When do the chalets open, which square is the real Christkindelsmärik, how bad are the crowds, and which tours add more than a guide pointing at stalls? Each one gets a line below and a link to the long answer, so you can close a few tabs and book the train.

Only here for a weekend? Two evenings and a day

  1. Evening one · free, or guided from ~$39 Walk the squares

    Start on the roof of the Barrage Vauban for the view over Petite France, then follow our route across the island to Place Kléber. Along the way come seven market squares and the cathedral, plus the lit quays. It takes about half an hour of walking, or three hours once the vin chaud starts. Would you rather have a local lead the first night? Discover Strasbourg's two-hour walk takes the same line in groups of ten or fewer, pours you a mulled wine on Place Broglie and finishes beneath the big tree.

    The squares on a mapThe guided walk
  2. Day two · from ~$29 See the cathedral, then eat

    Standing at chalets gets cold by the second day. Spend the late morning inside the cathedral on a 90-minute tour with a licensed guide for ~$29, then sit down to choucroute and Alsace cheese on Do Eat Better's food walk for ~$90. Both keep you under a roof for much of the time.

    Bredele and vin chaudThe cathedral quarter
  3. One day · from ~$168 Go out to the villages

    Colmar and the wine-route villages run Christmas markets of their own, some on weekends only. A small-group day with Ophorus covers Colmar and one village by minivan. Prefer the train? Colmar is about 30 minutes away and easy alone.

    Alsace marketsOther days out

What to expect, in short

  • WhenOpening on the last Friday of November and running to 24 December, with an early close at about 6 pm that day. Closed on Christmas Day. Dates and hours
  • ColdAbout 41 °F (5 °C) by day, close to freezing after dark, damp more often than snowy. What to wear
  • CrowdsAround three million visitors a season. Weekdays in late November are calm, mid-December Saturdays are not. Best days
  • CostEvery square is free to walk into. Tours on this page start at ~$29. All prices
  • SecurityBags are checked at the entrances to the old town for the whole season. Travel light. Getting in
  • BookingMarkets need none. Dinner tables and hotels fill early, as do the small-group days. Our picks

Or browse everything Strasbourg offers at Christmas

Plan my first evening Our three picks Find my square

The markets, square by square

Strasbourg's Christmas markets, one by one

There is no single market here. Chalets fill about a dozen squares on the Grande-Île, the island ringed by the Ill, and the seven below are the ones that matter. All of them lie within a 20-minute walk of each other; the map shows where each one sits, and a tap on a number jumps to it.

Ask a local where the Christmas market is and you will get a question back: which one? Each square has its own character. One is the old original and one has the tree. Another sells mostly food, and farmers run another. They sit so close together that the only real choice is where to start.

01Place Broglie, the Christkindelsmärik

  • Since 1570
  • The largest
  • Crafts and food
  • By the Opera

This long square in front of the city hall is the market that gave the season its name, the Christkindelsmärik, the market of the Christ Child. It is the biggest of the squares, a double row of chalets selling ornaments and crafts, with something warm to eat every few steps. After work, locals crowd around the hot red wine at Chez Mathilde.

Go here firstMireille Oster's gingerbread stall, for pain d'épices to carry home. Then walk the whole row once before you buy, since some stalls sell the same mass-made ornaments you could find anywhere.

Daily from about 11:30 am to 9 pm; from 2 pm on the opening Friday; 24 December until about 6 pm

Our guide to Place Broglie

A brightly lit market stall at night under a sign reading Capitale de Noël, with Vin chaud lettered above the counter
Vin chaud under the sign the city uses for the season

02Place Kléber and the Great Christmas Tree

  • Tree about 30 m
  • Light shows hourly
  • Village du Partage
  • Tram hub next door

The biggest square in town holds the Grand Sapin, a fir of about 100 feet (30 m) that is lit at an opening ceremony the evening before the markets start. Around its base, the chalets of the Village du Partage belong to local charities. The soup and the mulled wine sold here help someone else.

Time it rightFrom 4 pm to 9 pm the tree plays a light show set to music every hour, on the hour, then twice more without music at 10 and 11 pm. Arrive five minutes early and stand back from the trunk to see the whole thing.

Chalets about 11:30 am to 9 pm; tree shows every hour from 4 pm to 11 pm

Place Kléber and the tree

03Place de la Cathédrale and Place du Château

  • Around the cathedral
  • Nativity scene inside
  • Decoration chalet

Chalets run right up to the pink sandstone of the cathedral and round the corner onto Place du Château. These are the busiest lanes of the season, partly because everyone wants the photo of the facade above the roofs of the huts. Käthe Wohlfahrt's big decoration chalet stands on the Château side.

Go insideEntry to the cathedral is free, a nativity scene goes up for Christmas, and it is warmer than the square. The astronomical clock sets its figures moving at 12:30 pm, so a late morning visit fits well before the lanes fill.

Daily from about 11:30 am to 9 pm; the cathedral keeps its own hours and can close for services

The cathedral quarter and Petite France

Strasbourg does not ask you to pick a market. Start in Petite France and finish under the tree. The island does the rest.

04Palais Rohan terrace and Place du Marché-aux-Poissons

  • Mostly food
  • By the river
  • White vin chaud

Behind the cathedral, the terrace of the Palais Rohan and the little square beside it make up the market the city calls the Délices, the treats. It is the one to visit hungry. The river runs right below, and the quays are lit after dark.

Go here firstA white mulled wine made with Alsace wine, from La Tribu des Gourmets. Most visitors only know the red, and the white is the local specialty.

Daily from about 11:30 am to 9 pm

05Place du Temple-Neuf and the Carré d'Or

  • Gourmet and craft
  • Decorated facades
  • Gluten-free bredele

Between the cathedral and Place Kléber, the shops of the Carré d'Or compete over who decorates best. Rue des Hallebardes and the lanes around it hang chandeliers and garlands over the street, and the facades carry teddy bears and gifts beside giant baubles. The small market on Place du Temple-Neuf leans toward gourmet food and good crafts.

Look upThe decorations above the shop windows are the show here. Walk it slowly and keep your eyes above the crowd. Gluten-free bredele are sold at a bakery stall on the square.

Daily from about 11:30 am to 9 pm; the shops keep their own hours

A narrow lane at night strung with gold lights and glowing angel figures, leading toward the lit cathedral facade
Light angels over the lane toward the cathedral

06Petite France: Benjamin-Zix and Louise-Weiss

  • Farm producers
  • Advent village
  • Children's market
  • Glass baubles

At the west tip of the island, among the half-timbered houses of the old tanners' and millers' quarter, two groups of chalets split the work. Place Benjamin-Zix sells crafts, including hand-blown glass baubles from Meisenthal. On Places Louise-Weiss and Suzanne-Lacore, the farmers of the Irréductibles Petits Producteurs Alsaciens sell beer and cheese alongside honey and jams, next to an Advent village and a market for children.

Go here firstThe producers' chalets, for food gifts that were made nearby. The bredele from the Moulin de Hurtigheim stall come well recommended.

Daily from about 11:30 am to 9 pm; in some years the Advent village carries on after Christmas

Petite France at Christmas

07Place Saint-Étienne and the smaller squares

  • Quieter
  • White vin chaud
  • Marché OFF

When the main squares slow to a shuffle, the small ones keep moving. Place Saint-Étienne, at the east end of the island, has a handful of chalets and a second stand of La Tribu des Gourmets' white mulled wine. Place Saint-Thomas has its own little market, and Place Grimmeisen hosts the Marché OFF. It is a social and solidarity market aimed more at locals than at visitors.

Best as a breatherCome here when Place Broglie gets too full. A night walk with Bretzel&Fun also meets on Place Saint-Étienne, for those who want the side lanes explained.

Broadly the same hours as the main squares; smaller sites can vary

1570First Christkindelsmärik on record

30 mThe Great Tree, about

7Squares worth the walk

4 pmFirst tree show of the evening

Hours follow the pattern of recent seasons; the city publishes its final program shortly before opening, so check it before you travel. Every date and opening hour in one place.

Also on the calendar. Saint Nicholas comes on 6 December, when the bakeries fill with manala, little brioche men with raisin eyes. The quays along the Ill are lit every evening, the Batorama boats run Christmas storytelling cruises, the Musée Alsacien offers visits on Christmas customs, and churches across the island hold concerts through Advent. Strasbourg at Christmas with kids lists what suits children.

The season in practice

How Strasbourg's Christmas season works

Most plans come down to two questions. Will you spend your days on the island or out in Alsace? And which week? The squares and the villages each keep their own calendar, and so do the crowds.

Style · afternoons and evenings in town

Lit squares and food, with the cathedral by day

Markets walk, food walk, market tastings, cathedral tour

12–9 pmdark by about 4:30; chalets close at 9

The squares look their best after dark, which in December means from late afternoon. See the cathedral in daylight and eat in the afternoon. Save the lit lanes and the tree shows for the evening. Book a guide or a food walk for one of your days, so you learn what you are looking at before you wander alone.

Style · a day out

Village markets, vineyards, the Black Forest

Colmar markets day, wine-route villages, Black Forest

7–10.5 hminivans leave the center between 8:30 and 9 am

Alsace is small and its villages dress up for Christmas as much as the city does. A minivan day does the driving on winding roads and brings you back by early evening, still in time for an hour on the island. The train covers Colmar and Obernai on your own.

The season, fortnight by fortnight

  • How crowded the evenings get
  1. Mid-Nov0squares open in townColmar first

    Colmar, Sélestat and Mulhouse open about a week before Strasbourg

  2. Late Nov7squares openOpening weekend

    The tree is lit on Thursday evening; the chalets open on the last Friday from 2 pm

  3. Early Dec7squares open+ Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé

    Saint Nicholas on the 6th; the village weekend markets are on

  4. Mid-Dec7squares openBusiest Saturdays

    Coaches arrive from across Europe; go on weekdays if you can

  5. Christmas6 pmlast chalets, 24 DecClosed on the 25th

    26 December is a public holiday in Alsace too

  6. AfterFewsites in townColmar runs on

    Colmar to about 29 December, Eguisheim to the 30th, Obernai to the 31st

The bars are rough guidance on how full the lanes get in the evening. We would pick the highlighted fortnights in late November and early December. Every square is open, weeknights are calmer than in mid-December, and the weekend-only village markets are running. Every date and opening hour.

A day at the markets, hour by hour

  • Chalets open
  • Tree light show with music
  • Silent tree shows

Hours as the city has run them in recent seasons. The dashed end marks the two quiet shows at 10 and 11 pm, after the chalets have shut and the square empties.

  1. Go on a weekdayMonday to Thursday from late afternoon, the lights are on but the lanes still move. Monday and Tuesday are usually the calmest.
  2. Keep Saturday for a day outMid-December Saturdays bring the biggest crowds. Spend the day in the villages or the Black Forest and come back for the last tree show.
  3. Mind the 24th to the 26thChalets close at about 6 pm on Christmas Eve, everything is shut on Christmas Day, and the 26th is a holiday in Alsace.
  4. Book tables and small tours earlyWinstubs fill weeks ahead, and the minivan days take eight guests at most. Our picks.

Strasbourg in December covers the weather and the short days, plus what to wear for an evening of standing still on cold cobbles.

An evening on foot

A Christmas market walk, from Petite France to the tree

With stops it fills two and a half to three hours, though the walking alone takes about half an hour. It crosses the island from west to east and back, linking the seven squares before it ends at Place Kléber in time for a light show. It costs nothing.

A star-shaped arch of lights reading Strasbourg Capitale de Noël over a busy street at night, flanked by two glowing gold teddy bears
One of the star arches that mark the streets of the old town

The west end, from about 4:30 pm

  • Barrage VaubanClimb onto the roof of the old dam for the view over the towers of the covered bridges. The guided walk starts here too.
  • Petite France, Place Benjamin-ZixCraft chalets among half-timbered houses and canals. Look for the glass baubles.
  • Places Louise-Weiss and Suzanne-LacoreThe farm producers' market and the Advent village. Buy your first bredele here.
  • Grand'Rue to Place GutenbergAn old shopping street east to the square with the printer's statue.

Into the cathedral quarter

  • Place de la Cathédrale and Place du ChâteauThe busiest lanes, the facade above the huts, the decoration chalet.
  • Palais Rohan and the Marché-aux-PoissonsFood by the river. Order the white vin chaud.
  • Rue des Hallebardes and Temple-NeufWalk slowly under the decorated facades of the Carré d'Or.
  • Place BroglieThe original Christkindelsmärik, the longest row of chalets.
  • Place KléberFind a spot facing the Great Tree a few minutes before the hour, then watch the show.

Rather walk it with a local?

Discover Strasbourg runs a two-hour guided version. It starts at the Barrage Vauban and crosses Petite France and the cathedral squares to reach Place Broglie, where your guide buys you a mulled wine or a hot juice. It then ends at the tree on Place Kléber. Groups stay at ten or fewer. It scores 4.8 from 37 reviews on GetYourGuide, where guests praise guides such as Pierre and Arno, and 4.1 from 12 on Viator. Book it for the stories and the local tips, since you can walk the route alone.

GetYourGuide Viator

Our picks

Three things we would book, one for each kind of day

The markets need no booking. These three add what the chalets cannot give you: a local who knows the order to walk the squares, a sit-down lunch of Alsatian food in the shops locals use, and a day in the villages without a car.

The carved sandstone facade of Strasbourg cathedral at night with a glowing angel of white lights hung across the lane in front For the evening

Christmas markets walk with mulled wine

Discover Strasbourg · up to 10 guests

4.8 on GetYourGuide (37) · 4.1 on Viator (12)

Two hours from the Barrage Vauban, where you climb onto the dam for the view, through the chalets of Petite France and the cathedral squares to Place Broglie. There a mulled wine or hot juice is on the guide. It finishes under the Great Tree on Place Kléber. The guides are locals and tell you which stalls they buy from themselves.

Price
from ~$39 per person
Duration
2 hours
Start
Barrage Vauban, Place du Quai Blanc
Catch
Few reviews so far, lower on Viator
GetYourGuide Viator

Full details and who should skip it

A food tour group seated along a long table with a red cloth in a wood-panelled Alsatian tavern, plates and wine glasses in front of them For the afternoon

Traditional Alsatian food walk

Do Eat Better · up to 12 guests

4.9 on Viator (813+) · 4.8 on GetYourGuide (275+)

Three and a half hours and at least four stops that add up to a full meal: charcuterie with soft bretzels, a cheese shop locals love, choucroute garnie with its smoked sausages, a glass of Alsace wine, and a seasonal dessert (kougelhopf or pain d'épices). The guides mix the food with the city's history, and the stops are warm shops and a sit-down table.

Price
from ~$90 on Viator, about $111 on GetYourGuide
Duration
3.5 hours
Start
Place d'Austerlitz
Catch
One glass of wine included, tips extra
Viator GetYourGuide

Full details and who should skip it

A large iced gingerbread heart reading Colmar hanging at a Christmas market stall full of sweets For a day out

Colmar and a village market by minivan

Ophorus · small group, up to 8

4.6 on Viator (48+) · 4.4 on GetYourGuide (29)

The minivan leaves the tourist office by the cathedral at 9 am for the 50-minute drive to Colmar, where a guided walk through the old town leads into free time at its markets. The afternoon goes to a second village along the wine route, chosen by date. It may be Riquewihr or Obernai. Bergheim is possible too, as is Ribeauvillé on the days of its medieval market. You are back in Strasbourg by late afternoon.

Price
from ~$168 per person
Duration
7 hours
Start
17 Place de la Cathédrale, 9 am
Catch
You do not pick the second village
Viator GetYourGuide

Full details and who should skip it

Live availability for the Christmas markets walk on GetYourGuide

Powered by GetYourGuide

The 7 tours

Seven festive things to do in Strasbourg, with the catch

We read the winter listings for Strasbourg on both booking sites and kept seven we would book ourselves: four for an afternoon or evening on the island, three for a day out. Each card shows the price and the operator. Next come the rating and the catch, with a button for each site that sells it.

Matching a tour to your trip

Our three picks suit most first visits, but a single evening calls for different bookings than a week in Alsace. Children or a tight budget change things again. Find the line that sounds like your trip, then jump to the card.

What we left out. Many tours sold under a Christmas name in Strasbourg are new and have few reviews or none. Several Christmas-market trips from Basel and Zurich, or from Paris, run only as private tours priced for a whole group. A few good extras appear in our Place Broglie and day trips guides, with their catches spelled out.

One evening only
Take the guided markets walk from the dam to the tree, then stay on for dinner in a winstub you booked ahead.
A weekend
The free walk on Friday evening and Colmar with a village on Saturday. Then the food walk on Sunday before your train.
Three or four days
Add the cathedral tour one morning and the wine-route villages or the Black Forest on a weekday.
A rainy day
The cathedral is dry and free to enter, and the food walk moves between warm shops and a table.
Bringing children
Both Do Eat Better walks charge less for under-tens, and the Christmas market tastings are sweet and short. The minivan days take no children under four.
On a tight budget
The squares cost nothing. Two tours cost least, the cathedral tour at ~$29 and the markets walk at ~$39, mulled wine included.

In town Markets and food, plus the cathedral

A Christmas market chalet at night crowded with red and gold ornaments, little Santa figures and fairy lights Our evening pick

Christmas Markets Walking Tour with Mulled Wine, Discover Strasbourg

For a first evening, before you know which square is which.

A local guide meets you beside the Barrage Vauban and takes you up onto the dam for the view, then down through the markets of Petite France and the cathedral squares, about half an hour in each. On Place Broglie, the largest market, you stop for a mulled wine or a hot juice. The walk ends on Place Kléber at the Great Tree, with stories about Alsace's Christmas traditions all the way.

  • DurationAbout 2 hours
  • OperatorDiscover Strasbourg
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.8 (37) · Viator 4.1 (12)
  • StartPlace du Quai Blanc, by the Barrage Vauban
  • StrengthsSmall groups, a drink included, the dam view most visitors miss
  • Ideal forFirst-timers, couples, solo travelers

Good to know: Up to ten guests. The walk runs in English and French, plus Spanish. Few reviews on either site, and a lower score on Viator. One guest's map app sent them to the wrong spot, so look up the meeting point beside the dam before you set off. About $40 on Viator. Place Kléber and the tree.

~$39per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A plate of choucroute garnie with sauerkraut, smoked pork, two sausages and boiled potatoes on a red-rimmed plate Our afternoon pick

Strasbourg Traditional Food Tour, Do Eat Better

The one to book early in your stay, so you know where to eat afterwards.

A guide leads a dozen guests at most through the old town. First comes charcuterie with soft bretzels in a local shop, then Alsatian cheeses at a fromagerie, then choucroute garnie, sauerkraut cooked with smoked sausages and salted meats. A glass of Alsace wine comes on the way. Dessert depends on the season: kougelhopf, pain d'épices or a sweet tarte flambée with apple and cinnamon.

  • Duration3.5 hours on foot
  • OperatorDo Eat Better
  • RatingViator 4.9 (813+) · GetYourGuide 4.8 (275+)
  • StartPlace d'Austerlitz, by the bronze map of the city
  • StrengthsA full meal in four or more stops, guides whom reviewers praise by name
  • Ideal forCurious eaters, friends, a cold afternoon

Good to know: Cheaper on Viator; about $111 on GetYourGuide. One alcoholic drink is included, for guests over 18; extra drinks and tips are not. Expect 10 to 15 minutes of walking between stops, so it does not suit reduced mobility. Children under 10 pay less. What to eat at Christmas.

~$90per person
Viator GetYourGuide
Two young men sharing a soft bretzel on a riverside walk, with a grand classical palace across the water behind them Christmas tastings

Christmas Market Food Tour with Tastings, Do Eat Better

For the sweet tooth who wants the market snacks explained.

The same company's Christmas version, two hours from 3 pm. It starts with a mini kugelhopf on Place du Corbeau, moves to a bretzel gratiné, a heart-shaped bretzel under melted cheese, on Place Gutenberg, then through the cathedral market. A glass of hot wine with honey comes on the way, and the walk ends in Petite France with pain d'épices.

  • Duration2 hours, from 3 pm
  • OperatorDo Eat Better
  • RatingNew listing, no reviews yet
  • StartPlace d'Austerlitz
  • StrengthsFour tasting stops in the markets, an operator with hundreds of good reviews
  • Ideal forFamilies, a short afternoon, a first taste of Alsace

Good to know: Tastings, not a meal. The hot wine is for over-18s, with an alcohol-free alternative. Children under 10 pay less. New on both sites, so no reviews yet; the company's traditional walk scores 4.9 on Viator. About $63 on Viator. The market on Place Broglie.

~$62per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Detail of the astronomical clock in Strasbourg cathedral, gilded gears and dials under a panel reading Comput ecclésiastique Highest rated

Guided Tour of Strasbourg Cathedral, My Cathédrale

For anyone who wants to know what they are looking at above the chalets.

Ninety minutes outside and inside the cathedral with a guide approved by the French State. You start with the sculptures of the facade and the story of the building since the 15th century, then go in for the Pillar of Angels, the astronomical clock with its chimes, the pulpit in the nave and one of France's great collections of medieval stained glass.

  • Duration1.5 hours
  • OperatorMy Cathédrale
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.9 (76+) · Viator 4.8 (34+)
  • StartOutside the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, beside the cathedral
  • StrengthsThe cheapest tour on this page, licensed guides, dry on a wet day
  • Ideal forHistory lovers, a morning before the lanes fill

Good to know: Entry to the cathedral is free, so there is no queue-jump to pay for. Services can close the building and cancel the tour. Groups can reach 30. Sleeveless tops and short skirts are not allowed inside. The cathedral quarter.

~$29per person
GetYourGuide Viator

Out of town Villages and vineyards, or the Black Forest

Rows of pretzels hanging at a Christmas market stall beside straw hearts and red ribbons Our day-out pick

Alsace Christmas Markets Day Tour from Strasbourg, Ophorus

For those who came to Alsace for the village markets and have no car.

A minivan with an English-speaking driver-guide leaves from in front of the tourist office at 9 am and takes eight guests at most to Colmar. A guided walk through the old town comes first, then free time across its markets. In the afternoon you drive the wine route to a second village with a market that day, Riquewihr, Obernai, Bergheim or, on its medieval-market days, Ribeauvillé.

  • DurationAbout 7 hours
  • OperatorOphorus
  • RatingViator 4.6 (48+) · GetYourGuide 4.4 (29)
  • Start17 Place de la Cathédrale, meet 10 minutes before 9 am
  • StrengthsTwo markets in a day in a small group; no driving, no parking
  • Ideal forA first trip to Alsace, a crowded Saturday in town

Good to know: The second village depends on the date, so you cannot choose it. Meals are extra. So are tips and entry fees. It needs at least two adults to run and takes no children under four. The day ends outside the old town, at an address agreed with the guide. About $171 on Viator. Christmas markets in Alsace.

~$168per person
Viator GetYourGuide
Colourful half-timbered houses above a rocky stream in Kaysersberg, with a stone bridge and green hills behind Most reviewed

Medieval Villages and Wine Tasting Day Trip, Tour.Alsace

For a long day along the wine route, with a glass at a family winery.

A minibus heads south from the bus station at 9 am to Bergheim inside its medieval walls, then Ribeauvillé and a photo stop at the fountain in Hunawihr. Next is a tasting with a local winemaker, then a lunch break in Riquewihr. The last stops are Kaysersberg and Eguisheim, both past winners of a French television vote for favorite village. You are back in Strasbourg in the evening.

  • DurationAbout 10.5 hours
  • OperatorTour.Alsace
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.9 (412+) · Viator 4.8 (73+)
  • StartStrasbourg bus station, Place de l'Étoile, 15 minutes early
  • StrengthsSix villages and a tasting, audio guide in 12 languages
  • Ideal forWine lovers, photographers, a weekday out

Good to know: The driver speaks French, and the commentary comes through an audio guide. Lunch is at your own cost. Not for children under four or for reduced mobility. Whether a village has its Christmas market on your day depends on its own calendar. About $151 on GetYourGuide. Getting to the meeting points.

~$143per person
GetYourGuide Viator
The Triberg waterfalls cascading over mossy rocks in the Black Forest, framed by trees in autumn colour Over the Rhine

Black Forest Day Trip to Triberg, Titisee and Freiburg, Abnoba Tours

For a day of German forest and cuckoo clocks, with cake, after a week of chalets.

An eight-seat minibus crosses the Rhine at 8:30 am. In Triberg you get 80 minutes for the cuckoo-clock shops and Germany's highest waterfalls, then the road climbs through farms and pastures to Lake Titisee for an hour and a half and lunch. The last stop is Freiburg, with an hour's guided walk past the Minster and the little street canals, then free time.

  • Duration8 to 9 hours
  • OperatorAbnoba Tours
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.8 (160+) · Viator 4.9 (49+)
  • StartOutside the Mercure and Ibis Budget hotels on Place de la Gare
  • StrengthsA live guide in four languages, never more than eight guests
  • Ideal forSecond-time visitors, a break from the crowds

Good to know: Entry to the Triberg falls, about €9, and food are extra. It is a sightseeing day, not a Christmas-market day. The forest is more often white than the city, but never certainly. About $142 on Viator. Winter day trips from Strasbourg.

~$139per person
GetYourGuide Viator

Everything else to do in Strasbourg this winter

About these links. The booking buttons lead to GetYourGuide and Viator, and if you book through them we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. That money pays for the research behind this guide. It does not decide which tours make the list, and it never softens the catches we mention.

Before you go

Eight things about Christmas in Strasbourg that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page or the city's program, and each one decides whether your evenings feel easy or like a queue.

What you should know

  1. Your bag will be checked. For the whole season there are security checks at the entrances to the Grande-Île. They move quickly with a small bag and slowly with luggage, so drop the suitcase at the hotel first. Getting in.
  2. The Christkindelsmärik is one square. The name belongs to Place Broglie, the oldest market. The rest are separate markets with their own themes, which is why the city spreads over a dozen squares. The original market.
  3. Weekdays in late November are the sweet spot. Every square is open, and the lanes still move. Mid-December Saturday evenings can slow the cathedral lanes to a shuffle. Hours and best days.
  4. Christmas ends early. The chalets close at about 6 pm on 24 December and stay shut on the 25th. In Alsace, 26 December is a public holiday as well, unlike most of France.
  5. Do not drive into the center. Park-and-ride lots include a tram ticket in the price. At weekends they fill by early afternoon, and buses skip some island stops while the markets run.
  6. The mug has a deposit. Hot drinks are served in reusable mugs, and a deposit is added to the price. Hand the mug back for the money, or keep it as the cheapest souvenir in town.
  7. Not everything is made in Alsace. Some chalets sell the same mass-made goods you could buy anywhere. For local food and crafts, head to the producers' market in Petite France and the glass baubles on Place Benjamin-Zix.
  8. Book dinner and the minivan days early. The small winstubs fill weeks ahead in December, the day trips take eight guests at most, and hotels on the island book up months out.

Everything in one table

Seven festive tours, catch included

The seven tours side by side, so each row shows a strength next to its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price How long Where it starts Operator and rating Strength and catch Book
Christmas markets walk (our evening pick) A first evening ~$39 2 h on foot Barrage Vauban Discover Strasbourg
GetYourGuide 4.8 (37)
Viator 4.1 (12)		 Dam view, mulled wine, the tree. Few reviews, lower on Viator.
GetYourGuideViator
Traditional food walk (our afternoon pick) Eating your way round ~$90 3.5 h on foot Place d'Austerlitz Do Eat Better
Viator 4.9 (813+)
GetYourGuide 4.8 (275+)		 A full meal over 4+ stops. One glass of wine, pricier on GetYourGuide.
ViatorGetYourGuide
Colmar markets day (our day-out pick) Village markets without a car ~$168 About 7 h Place de la Cathédrale, 9 am Ophorus
Viator 4.6 (48+)
GetYourGuide 4.4 (29)		 Colmar plus one village. Village set by the date, no under-fours.
ViatorGetYourGuide
Christmas market tastings A short sweet afternoon ~$62 2 h, from 3 pm Place d'Austerlitz Do Eat Better
New on both sites		 Kugelhopf, bretzel, hot wine. No reviews yet, snacks not a meal.
GetYourGuideViator
Cathedral guided tour A morning, a rainy day ~$29 1.5 h 3 Place du Château My Cathédrale
GetYourGuide 4.9 (76+)
Viator 4.8 (34+)		 Clock, angels, glass explained. Services can cancel it, up to 30 guests.
GetYourGuideViator
Wine-route villages Wine and old villages ~$143 About 10.5 h Bus station, 9 am Tour.Alsace
GetYourGuide 4.9 (412+)
Viator 4.8 (73+)		 Six villages and a tasting. French-speaking driver, long day.
GetYourGuideViator
Black Forest day A break from the crowds ~$139 8–9 h Place de la Gare, 8:30 am Abnoba Tours
GetYourGuide 4.8 (160+)
Viator 4.9 (49+)		 Clocks, a lake, Freiburg. Extra cost for food and falls entry.
GetYourGuideViator

How to read the figures. Each price is the lowest per-person "from" rate in US dollars, taken from whichever of the two sites was cheaper, and each rating is the score that site showed when we compared them. Travel dates and group size shift both, as do special offers, so look at the listing itself before you pay. The price on the booking page is the one that counts.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who spent December in Strasbourg

Fourteen travelers, some with frost on the cobbles and some with drizzle down their collars, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Christmas markets walk

We did this on our first evening and it set up the whole trip. Pierre met us by the dam and took us up onto the roof first, so we saw the towers of Petite France lit up before we went anywhere near a chalet. Then he walked us through the markets in an order that made sense, told us which stalls locals actually buy from, and handed us a vin chaud on Place Broglie. We ended under the big tree just as the music started. After that we never needed the map.

NBNora B. · Bristol, EnglandCrisp and clear
★★★★★Traditional food walk

Choucroute at lunch, cheese at four, and no dinner at all. Come hungry.

KSKenji S. · Osaka, JapanGrey and drizzly
★★★★☆Colmar markets day

Colmar was lovely and our driver knew exactly where to park and where the markets were. The second stop was Obernai, which was nice, but I had hoped for Riquewihr and you do not get to choose. Seven hours goes fast when there is a minivan doing the work. Bring cash for the stalls and something to eat on the way back.

MDMarta D. · Valencia, SpainGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Christmas market tastings

Mini kugelhopf on one square, a cheesy bretzel on the next, and a mug of honey wine to keep our hands warm in between. Two hours felt like a snack crawl with a history lesson attached. Our guide timed it so we finished in Petite France as the lights came on.

ALAisha L. · Toronto, CanadaCrisp and clear
★★★★★Cathedral guided tour

The guide made the clock make sense. I would have stared at it for a minute and left.

GHGareth H. · Cardiff, WalesGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Wine-route villages

Six villages in one day sounded like too much, but it worked because the minibus did all the winding roads. The tasting at the winemaker was relaxed and generous, and the lunch stop in Riquewihr gave us time to walk the walls. The driver speaks French and the audio guide fills in the rest, which was fine for us. Eguisheim at the end of the afternoon, with its round streets, was the one we talked about at dinner.

IRIngrid R. · Gothenburg, SwedenCrisp and clear
★★★★★Black Forest day

We wanted one day of real winter scenery and got it. The falls at Triberg were half frozen, Titisee was grey and still, and the guide walked us around Freiburg as the lights went on in the old town. Eight of us in a minibus felt like a road trip with friends. Pay the small entry at the falls, it is worth the walk up.

TWTom W. · Denver, ColoradoGrey and drizzly
★★★★☆Christmas markets walk

Good guide, good route, good mulled wine. On a Saturday evening, though, the lanes around the cathedral were so packed that we lost half the group twice and had to wait. If you can, book a weekday. The view from the dam at the start was my favourite moment.

CFClaudia F. · Munich, GermanyCrisp and clear
★★★★★Traditional food walk

I booked it as a lunch and it turned into the best afternoon of the trip. Darya took us to a charcuterie shop for bretzels and sausage, then a cheese shop where the owner clearly knew her, then a winstub for choucroute with a glass of Riesling. We sat down for that one, which matters in December. She finished with pain d'épices and told us where to eat for the rest of the week. We went to every place she named.

BOBen O. · Auckland, New ZealandGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Colmar markets day

Colmar at Christmas is busy, so having someone who knew the town meant we went straight to the markets in Petite Venise and the old customs house instead of wandering. Our second village was Ribeauvillé on the day of its medieval market, which was pure luck and wonderful, with costumes and music in the streets. Small group, warm van, easy day.

SPSophie P. · Lyon, FranceCrisp and clear
★★★★★Christmas market tastings

Perfect two hours before dinner. The bretzel gratiné is now my favourite snack in Europe.

RMRahul M. · Mumbai, IndiaGrey and drizzly
★★★★☆Cathedral guided tour

Our guide knew every carving on the facade and every window inside, and the Pillar of Angels was the highlight. We lost a bit of time at the start because a service was ending and the group had to wait outside in the cold. Thirty people is the limit and we were close to that, so stand near the front. It is a lot of history for very little money.

EKElena K. · Athens, GreeceCrisp and clear
★★★★★Wine-route villages

We are not big wine people, but the villages were the reason we came to Alsace and this was the easy way to see them without a car. The tasting was short and friendly, nobody pushed us to buy. Kaysersberg had its weekend market on, and we wished we had longer there. The day is long, back around dark, so we kept the evening quiet.

DVDaan V. · Rotterdam, NetherlandsGrey and drizzly
★★★★★Black Forest day

Cuckoo clocks, a frozen lake and Black Forest cake in Freiburg. My kind of day out.

LJLucy J. · Sydney, AustraliaCrisp and clear

Been already?

Tell the next traveler how it went

Share your market walk, your food tour or your day in the Alsace villages. We read every review before it goes up, and we publish the critical ones too.

Your rating
The weather on the day

At least 40 characters, 40 to go

Mittens on

Book an evening and an afternoon, then a day out

Walk the squares on your own; they are free, and the route above does the job. Then add the three things the chalets cannot give you: a local who walks you through the markets in the right order, a long lunch of Alsatian food in shops you would not find alone, and a day in Colmar and a village without a car.

On GetYourGuide all three can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours ahead, and you can reserve there now and pay later. On Viator, check the terms on each listing. December weekends fill, so if your dates are fixed, book those first.

  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later on GetYourGuide

Good to know

How Strasbourg keeps Christmas, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading, and the Christ Child's market, the biscuit tins on every counter and the little brioche men in the bakery windows will all make sense.

Strasbourg has changed hands between France and Germany several times, and its Christmas shows both sides. The words on the chalets are French. The biscuits and the brioche men come from the German-speaking Rhine valley, and the old town on the Grande-Île looks the part for both.

01The Christ Child's market

The Christkindelsmärik goes back to 1570, so it ranks among the oldest Christmas markets anywhere in Europe. In the years after the Reformation, the city replaced an older market held for Saint Nicholas with one named for the Christ Child, the Christkindel, who brings the presents in Alsace. It has moved several times and settled on Place Broglie. Place Broglie in detail.

02A capital of Christmas

Strasbourg calls itself Capitale de Noël, and the city puts the slogan on star-shaped light arches over the streets. Around three million visitors come each season, spread over about a dozen squares, which is why the lanes need security checks and the trams run extra. The city's full program of concerts and events comes out shortly before opening.

03Alsace and the Christmas tree

The town of Sélestat, 20 minutes south by train, keeps a record from 1521 that many treat as the earliest written reference to a Christmas tree. Strasbourg honors the claim on Place Kléber with the Great Tree, about 100 feet (30 m) tall and lit at a ceremony the evening before the markets open. The tree and its light shows.

The moment to look out for is not a stall. It is standing on the roof of the Barrage Vauban at dusk, with the towers of Petite France lighting up below you one by one.

04Bredele and the manala

Every Alsatian family bakes bredele in Advent and swaps them by the tin. These small biscuits are flavored with butter and spices such as anise or cinnamon. On 6 December, Saint Nicholas Day, the bakery windows fill with manala, sweet bread men with raisin eyes. Buy both; neither lasts long in a hotel room. What else to eat.

05A cathedral of pink stone

The cathedral is pink Vosges sandstone, and its lone spire, 466 feet (142 m) high, kept it the world's tallest building for more than two centuries. Inside, the astronomical clock sets its apostles moving at 12:30 pm, and a nativity scene goes up for Christmas. The cathedral quarter.

06Wine in the mug

The vin chaud in Strasbourg is mulled wine made with local wine, and Alsace is a white-wine region, so alongside the usual red you will find a white version spiced with cinnamon and orange. For children and drivers, the stalls sell hot apple juice. The mug is part of the deal. You pay a deposit on it, which comes back when you return the mug, unless you keep it.

1570The first Christkindelsmärik

1521Sélestat's Christmas tree record

142 mThe cathedral spire

6 DecSaint Nicholas and the manala

Want a market in a smaller town with vineyards around it? Christmas markets in Alsace near Strasbourg lists the ones worth the trip.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about the Strasbourg Christmas markets

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

When are the Strasbourg Christmas markets open?

From the last Friday of November until 24 December. The Great Tree on Place Kléber is lit the evening before, and on the first day the chalets open at 2 pm. The city publishes the exact dates and program shortly before the season. Dates and hours for every square.

What are the opening hours of the Christmas markets?

Most chalets open daily from about 11:30 am to 9 pm. On the opening Friday they start at 2 pm, and on 24 December they shut around 6 pm. On Place Kléber, the tree plays a light show with music every hour from 4 pm to 9 pm. Two silent ones follow at 10 pm and 11 pm.

Which square is the real Christkindelsmärik?

Place Broglie. The Christkindelsmärik has been held since 1570 and settled there, and it is still the largest of the squares. The other sites, from Place Kléber to Petite France, are separate markets with their own themes. The market on Place Broglie.

Are the Strasbourg Christmas markets free?

Yes. Every square is free to walk into, and so is the cathedral. You pay only for what you eat and drink, plus anything you buy. Drinks come in reusable mugs with a deposit, which you get back when you return the mug.

Are the markets open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

On 24 December the chalets open as usual but close at about 6 pm. On 25 December everything is closed. In Alsace, 26 December is also a public holiday. A few sites carry on after Christmas, in some years the Petite France Advent village among them, and Colmar's markets run to about 29 December.

When is the best time to visit the Christmas markets?

A weekday in late November or early December. Every square is open, the village markets are starting, and the lanes are far calmer than on mid-December weekends. Monday and Tuesday evenings are usually the quietest. Best days, square by square.

How crowded do the markets get?

Very, at peak times. Around three million visitors come each season, and coach groups arrive from across Europe on December Saturdays. The lanes around the cathedral and Place Broglie fill first. Go on a weekday, come early in the evening, and use the smaller squares such as Place Saint-Étienne as a breather.

Are there security checks?

Yes. For the whole market period, every way onto the Grande-Île, the old town's river island, has a checkpoint. Bring a small bag and leave luggage at your hotel. Some bus stops on the island are not served during the markets. Getting to the markets.

What should I eat and drink at the markets?

Vin chaud (red, or the local white made with Alsace wine) or hot apple juice. Then bredele biscuits and pain d'épices. Try a bretzel or a bretzel gratiné as well as kougelhopf and tarte flambée. For a sit-down dinner, choucroute in a winstub. Two food walks on this page, from ~$62, take you through it with a guide. Alsatian Christmas food.

Should I book a guided Christmas market tour?

It helps on a first evening. The squares are close together and easy to walk alone, but a local guide shows you the order to see them in, along with the dam view and the stalls worth your money. The walk we list costs ~$39 with a mulled wine and keeps groups to ten.

Which Christmas markets near Strasbourg are worth a day trip?

Colmar is about 30 minutes by train. It has several markets and runs past Christmas. Along the wine route lie the villages of Riquewihr and Eguisheim, plus Kaysersberg, which opens on Advent weekends only. Obernai and Sélestat are close by train. Christmas markets in Alsace.

Will it snow in Strasbourg at Christmas?

Perhaps, but do not count on it. December days are around 41 °F (5 °C), often gray and damp, and snow in the city rarely lasts. The Black Forest across the Rhine is higher and white more often. The weather and what to wear.

Is Strasbourg at Christmas good for kids?

Yes, with good timing. There is a children's market and an Advent village in Petite France, the light show on the Great Tree, facades covered in teddy bears and the moving figures of the astronomical clock at 12:30 pm. Go early on a weekday evening, before the crowds. Strasbourg at Christmas with kids.

Can I cancel the tours for free?

On GetYourGuide, all seven tours on this page show free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later. On Viator, check the terms on each listing. Late cancellations and no-shows are usually charged in full.

Read before you travel

Guides to Christmas in Strasbourg

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.