Christmas markets in Alsace near Strasbourg
Strasbourg's squares can fill two or three evenings, and after that the small towns of Alsace start to pull. Colmar and Obernai each take about 30 minutes on the regional train, and Sélestat is closer still. The walled wine villages lie a short bus ride beyond Colmar. Each town keeps its own market calendar, so this guide puts the days first and the transport second.
A calendar for each town
The Strasbourg markets follow one pattern across the city, but the towns around it set their own. Some open a week before Strasbourg and carry on toward the new year. Others trade only at weekends or pack up a few days before Christmas Eve. So pick the date first, then a town that is open on it. The table shows the usual pattern; each town publishes its final program and hours shortly before the season, and those are the ones to check before you set off.
| Town | Usual market days | From Strasbourg |
|---|---|---|
| Colmar | About 23 November to about 29 December; the food market runs into early January | TER train, 25–30 min |
| Obernai | Last Friday of November to 31 December, closed 25 December | TER train, about 28 min |
| Sélestat | About 20 November to 27 December | TER train, 18–23 min |
| Riquewihr | Daily from the last Friday of November to about 20–22 December | Train to Colmar, then bus 816 (about 28 min) |
| Kaysersberg | Advent weekends only, Friday to Sunday, until about 20 December | Train to Colmar, then by road (bus or shuttle; no station) |
| Eguisheim | Last Friday of November to 30 December, closed 24–26 December | Train to Colmar, then the daily shuttle |
| Ribeauvillé | A medieval Christmas market on two December weekends | Via Colmar, on the days a shuttle runs |
Colmar, the hub
If you go to only one town, make it Colmar. It holds five or six separate markets inside its old town. Opening around 23 November, before Strasbourg's, they keep going until about 29 December. Its food market on Place de la Cathédrale stays open into early January, which makes Colmar the natural pick for the days between Christmas and New Year, when most of Strasbourg's chalets have gone.
Each Colmar market has a setting of its own. One is held at the Koïfhus, the old customs house. Others fill Place des Dominicains and Place Jeanne d'Arc, while Petite Venise, the canal quarter, has a market for children.
Colmar is also where you change for the wine villages. TER trains from Strasbourg take 25–30 minutes. From Colmar the villages are served by buses and shuttles, some of them only on certain days. On some December weekends the town's local buses are free. Travelers without a car do best to base the day in Colmar and add one village. Our guide to getting there by train and tram covers the Strasbourg end of the trip.
The walled wine villages
Riquewihr, a walled town among the vineyards, runs its market every day from the last Friday of November until about 20–22 December. Bus 816 from Colmar gets there in about 28 minutes. Leave it until the last days before Christmas and the chalets are gone.
Kaysersberg is the village to plan around. Its market of about 30 chalets opens only on the four Advent weekends, Friday to Sunday, finishing around 20 December. The town has no station, so you reach it by bus or shuttle from Colmar. Come on a Tuesday and you find the old streets without the market.
Eguisheim, a winner of the "Favorite Village of the French" title, keeps its market from the last Friday of November to 30 December, with a pause from 24 to 26 December, and a shuttle from Colmar runs daily. Ribeauvillé stages a medieval Christmas market on two December weekends only, so confirm its dates before you build a day on it. Turckheim and Bergheim have markets as well, and Bergheim's ends in early December.
Snow on the village roofs is never guaranteed in Alsace, and the cobbles are often wet, so wear boots with grip; our December weather guide has the rest of the packing list.
Obernai and Sélestat on direct trains
Two market towns sit right on rail lines out of Strasbourg, which makes them the easiest half days of all. Obernai is about 28 minutes away by TER and keeps its market open from the last Friday of November to 31 December, closing only on Christmas Day. On Place du Beffroi the winegrowers serve mulled wine ladled from a cauldron, a fine reason to arrive in the late afternoon.
Sélestat, 18–23 minutes by TER, keeps its market from around 20 November to 27 December. Its place in Christmas history is kept in the Humanist Library, which displays a record from 1521 that mentions a Christmas tree, often cited as the first written mention of one. Either fits into a morning, leaving the evening for the lights back in Strasbourg.
Farther south, Mulhouse puts up a big wheel beside its market, which runs from about 20 November to 27 December. Haguenau and Munster hold markets too, as does Barr, though our notes on them are thin.
Colmar and a second village with a guide
To skip the shuttles, Ophorus's Alsace Christmas markets day, from ~$168, fits Colmar and one more village into seven hours by minivan. It leaves at 9 am from 17 Place de la Cathédrale in Strasbourg, in front of the tourist office, and the drive to Colmar takes about 50 minutes. An English-speaking driver-guide leads a walk through Colmar's old town, then gives you free time at the markets. The second stop depends on the date and can be Riquewihr or Obernai. Bergheim is another option, as is Ribeauvillé on its medieval-market weekends.
What you give up is control. You do not choose the second village, meals are not included, the tour needs at least two adults, and children under 4 cannot join. It scores 4.6 from 48+ reviews on Viator, where it costs about $171, and 4.4 from 29 on GetYourGuide.
Colmar's markets plus one village
A minivan of eight at most leaves the cathedral square at 9 am for a guided walk and free time in Colmar, then a second village picked to match the date, from ~$168. Book for two adults or more, and bring money for lunch.
Wine tastings and a castle
Tour.Alsace's medieval villages and wine tasting day, from ~$143, suits travelers more interested in the villages than in the stalls. Its minibus leaves Place de l'Étoile bus station at 9 am on a loop of six villages that runs from Bergheim and Ribeauvillé via Hunawihr and Riquewihr to Kaysersberg and Eguisheim. The day includes a tasting at a winemaker's, with a lunch break in Riquewihr. Riquewihr and Eguisheim run their markets for most of December, but the route is planned around wine and old streets, not chalets. The day lasts about 10.5 hours. Your driver speaks French, and an audio guide in 12 languages handles the commentary. Lunch is at your own cost, and nobody under 4 can come.
The same company sells a Best of Alsace day with Haut-Koenigsbourg, from ~$143. It adds the hilltop castle (ticket included) to Riquewihr and Kaysersberg before finishing in Colmar, traveling by convertible minibus with an audio guide. Here too the driver speaks only French, so everything you learn comes through the headphones. It is a sightseeing day rather than a market day, which keeps every stop short. Winter day trips from Strasbourg sets it beside the Black Forest.
Choosing your town
- One town, no car. Colmar by TER. Its five or six markets lie in walking distance;
- A weekend in Alsace. Kaysersberg, or Ribeauvillé if your weekend matches its medieval market;
- A short outing. Obernai or Sélestat, both on direct trains;
- After Christmas. Colmar until about 29 December (its food market into January) and Obernai until 31 December. Eguisheim reopens on 27 December for a few more days.
Strasbourg's own dates and opening hours help you slot a village day between evenings on the squares back in the city. Our food guide explains what to order once the cauldron of mulled wine is in front of you, and the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie is the market every village gets measured against.