A Detailed Guide to Strasbourg’s Christmas Markets

When a town calls itself the “Capital of Christmas,” you hope that they’ll be able to deliver on that title. 

I’m here to tell you that if there’s any destination that deserves it, the Strasbourg Christmas market is most definitely at the top of the list.

It’s big, the first Christmas market in France, and one of the oldest markets in Europe. 

It can also feel a little overwhelming. That’s why I wanted to put together a guide following our own experience of Strasbourg at Christmas.

Are you ready for one of the most indulgent destinations you could treat yourself to during the winter holidays? I’ve got you.

Strasbourg’s Christmas markets are definitely worth visiting.

The Strasbourg Christmas market is worth visiting as the oldest in France and one of the largest holiday markets in Europe, dating back to 1570.

It’s also the perfect add-on to Alsace itineraries focused on Christmas markets during the winter season. This is one of the most whimsical regions of the world, and they do Christmastime right.

Expect to have your pick of 300 different wooden chalets of treats, mulled wine, and local wares to choose from on visits to celebrate Christmas in Strasbourg.

Strasbourg Christmas Market Start Dates

The Strasbourg Christmas markets usually start at the end of November and run through Christmas Eve.

In 2025, the Strasbourg Christmas market dates are Nov. 26-Dec. 24.

Strasbourg Christmas market hours are:

• Nov. 26: 2pm-9pm
• Nov. 27-Dec. 23: 11:30am-9pm
• Dec. 24: 11:30am-6pm

Strasbourg Christmas market hours are firm. You’ll need to find somewhere else to party once the markets close down for the night.

Pace yourself and make a plan to get yourself home safely after you’re done with those beautiful Christmas lights and hot drinks.

Where to Find the Strasbourg Christmas Markets

The Strasbourg Christmas markets are in Strasbourg, the capital and largest city of the Grand Est region, or historically Alsace, in France.

It’s right on the border of Germany, so you’ll get a mix of cultures here that result in charming architecture and delicious Alsatian food. 

READ MORE: Visiting Germany while you’re here? Frankfurt has an excellent Christmas market scene, too.

Once you’re in Strasbourg, you’ll have access to hundreds of chalets and at least a dozen different Christmas markets each year. I told you this city does it up.

A Guide to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets

As with markets in other enchanting towns, like Colmar, the Strasbourg Christmas experience is a collection of markets rather than one single market.

READ MORE: Colmar is enchanting. Check out my holiday guide to Colmar if you’re planning a trip!

In Strasbourg, the market on Place de la Cathédrale is a favorite for many thanks to its size and central location. Place Broglie, perfectly situated through the Chrìstkìndelsmärik arch, hosts the oldest market. 

Honestly, the best for you may be the one where you find that perfect bite, decorative item, or ambiance. Let’s get into your options.

Square Louise Weisse

This was our first stop at the Strasbourg Christmas markets, as it was closest to our parking garage. We passed through one of the covered bridges to get there and were almost immediately treated to special views of the Ponts Couverts de Strasbourg.

These are a set of covered bridges and towers that date back to the 13th century and set the stage for the magic to come, basically.

The market at the square is known as the Irréductibles Petits Producteurs d’Alsace. That mouthful means you’ll find a variety of hyper-local Alsatian goods here from small business owners and farmers.

It’s basically shopping local but with more whimsy.

You’ll also pass through the Advent Village while you’re here, but the two blend together. It’s another area for small producers of Alsatian treats, jams, and distilled products.

The highlight for me was a hipster smoking sausage, to be honest. It felt like home.

Place Grimmeissen

This market, known as the Marché OFF de Strasbourg, is decidedly more modern than any of the others. The focus here is on eco-friendly, fair-trade, and secondhand goods that aim to make you feel good about your consumption. 

Don’t expect the traditional wooden stalls here. You’ll know you’re there by the shipping containers.

That also means you’ll have a roof over your head if you want to stick around for any of their live music events or workshops.

Place Benjamin Zix

We got ourselves a grande pour of vin chaud here, so you can imagine this was one of my favorite stops of the day. You’re also in one of the loveliest parts of the city here.

This is La Petite France, the cutesy name for the neighborhood that runs along the city’s canals. 

It’s a tourist hub, but deservedly so. This is your best bet for shots of those colorful half-timbered homes you’ve probably seen on Instagram. 

Fun fact: The waterfront views you’ll get here are of the Ill, a tributary of the Rhine. That’s I-L-L, by the way, just like my alma mater. It’s not the Roman numeral for “three.”

Place Saint-Thomas

You’ll run into Place Saint-Thomas if you continue along the river. You’ll know you’re at a different market when you hit St. Thomas Church.

This is where we saw quite a long line for handmade ornaments at one of the stalls. It was too crowded for me to investigate, and I had a tall cup of mulled wine to protect.

Place du Marché aux Poissons

It’s time for some sustenance. Strasbourg doesn’t have a gourmet market like Colmar does, but you won’t go hungry here. This market is a great spot to get started with snacks of tarte flambée and bretzels.

Fun fact: Those are like pretzels, but bretzels. That’s just what they’re called in Alsace.

It started to drizzle here, so we obviously refilled our reusable cups with more mulled wine. It helped.

Terrase Rohan

Your options at this market just down the way from the Place du Marché aux Poissons are all the baked goods you can handle and standing wine tastings. Alsatian wines are delicious, but we were here for hot beverages…and cookies.

We grabbed a bag of bredele, or Alsatian Christmas cookies, and noshed on a few by the river here.

Place du Chateau 

This is one of the larger Christmas markets in Strasbourg, with great options for more noshing.

We grabbed a knack d’Alsace in a roll with fries and mayo — it was supposed to be ketchup, but the mayo was forced upon me — to build a base.

This is also a pickup spot for the Petit Train Touristique de Strasbourg, a little tourist train that takes you to the main sights around town.

We decided to get ambitious here and climb to the top of the church, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, for promised panoramas of the Christmas villages below. 

The line wasn’t too bad when we arrived. It was even moving at a decent clip until the guys up front decided the viewpoint was at capacity (or they wanted lunch). We were forced to wait a few tourists back for about 20 minutes.

Once inside, we started the climb of 332 steps to the platform at the top. 

If I had one tip for this activity, it’s to kick off your visit to the markets with this one.

I was two mulled wines in and likely dehydrated otherwise. Spinning around and around a narrow staircase did not sit well with me.

I had to take lots of breaks for some heavy breathing before reaching the top, which was as spectacular as promised.

I’m reasonably fit, by the way. This wasn’t my first tower.

Note: If you don’t want to climb up that tower but want something different by this point, the 5e Lieu cultural center on this place offers a free exhibit of Strasbourg history on its first floor.

Place de la Cathédrale

This market blends in with the place above, so you’ll likely pass through this one anyway.

There has been a market in this spot since the Middle Ages. While the wares may have changed a bit, the modern market stays classic with gingerbread, handicrafts, and even larger sausages than the ones we ate back there.

We picked up some very large chocolate-covered marshmallows at this one because eating your way through a knack sandwich deserves dessert. 

Place Broglie

This is the oldest area and where the Strasbourg Chrìstkìndelsmärik began. It’s also where I was introduced to rosé mulled wine, something I will never forget.

Seriously, it was the best thing we sipped on all day.

This is where you’ll see the historic Chrìstkìndelsmärik arch and pick up tartines for later.

At least, that’s what we did. I was drawn in by a salmon variety that I saw several folks walking with, and Brian decided we hadn’t had enough knack and got a sausage-heavy sandwich.

No matter what you’re after here, take it all in. This is where it all began back in 1570.

Place Kléber

We timed our visit to the market here for 4pm when the lights turned on to watch the Grand Sapin, or the giant Christmas tree, do its thing. It’s worth planning your visit here the same way. 

If you miss the first round, there are mini-illumination shows here on the hour from that point on until closing time.

It was lovely and impressive, and I’m not too adult to admit that I felt a little emotional looking up at it all, twinkling with that holiday music playing.

Unfortunately, the turning on of the Christmas lights also meant this was the part of town thickest with people. It’s hard to enjoy the spirit too much around you when you’re literally front to back with strangers. 

To make matters more challenging, I had cut myself off from mulled wine at this point.

If you want to linger a bit, this is where you’ll access the Village du Partage, a collective of local charities. On the other side, L’Aubette offers another opportunity for souvenir shopping.

Place du Temple Neuf

We ran out of steam to indulge in this one, the Carré Or Market, but did get to see the lights come on along the Rue des Orfèvres nearby.

The market itself is a hub for travelers seeking special items to add to their holiday decor. I’m talking candles, snowglobes, tree toppers, the works.

The streets surrounding this one are perhaps even more impressive. If you’re here at night, take some time strolling the little alleyways and cobblestoned streets to see where those illuminations take you.

Maybe it all sounds cheesy, but there’s really nothing like a good holiday light show.

What to Buy at the Strasbourg Christmas Markets

The vendors sell everything from mulled wine to Christmas cookies to dancing gingerbread men at the Strasbourg Christmas market.

If you have no idea how to prioritize, here are a few things you shouldn’t miss as you explore Strasbourg.

• Bretzels: This is what they call pretzels in Alsace. Go with it, especially if you’ve had some wine and need to soak a bit up before your next stop. 
• Christmas cookies: We enjoyed a few from our bag of bredele, or Alsatian holiday cookies, by the river. There were no regrets. 
• Hot drinks: You already know we tried three varieties of vin chaud on our own trip, but were also tempted by hot cider, warm orange juice (?!), and hot chocolate. 
• Knack d’Alsace: Knackity knack. Who’s there? Long, smoked sausages that will cure what ails you, especially on a chilly day. 
• Ornaments: People were standing in line at several ornament stalls here. If you’re a collector, this is a great place to grab a beautiful ornament for your tree.
• Pain d’épices: These are traditional gingerbread loaves that we didn’t buy because they seemed like too much. You can grab smaller gingerbread treats if you’d like.
• Tarte flambée: You’ll see these Alsatian flatbreads all over the market. Go for the “natural” variety if you want the classic experience. 
• Tartines: These open-faced sandwiches are great to take with you for later or to nosh on at the market if you need something more substantial.

Extra Tips for Visiting Strasbourg at Christmas

Some of the advice out there seems outdated at this point, so I wanted to share a few tips from our most recent experience.

• Come on a weekday. We were there on a Saturday, and we had to shuffle through some areas because of how crowded it was as the day wore on.
• Pack your patience. I’ve never been at a more crowded market. If you have to be here on a weekend, remind yourself that you’re all in this together.
• Wear layers. Winter boots, scarves, and gloves kept us warm in between our mugs of hot drinks. I didn’t need thermals in November, but you might in December.
• Keep track of your cup. Your first hot beverage will come with a surcharge to cover your reusable cup. You can get that deposit back at the end of the revelry.
• Return your cup. It does not need to be the same stall where you got your cup, but it does need to be a stall that serves hot drinks.
• Take a mug home. Some stalls also sell hot beverages in collectible mugs if you’d like to get a little fancy. Place Kléber is a good place to track one of those down.
• Bring a little cash. This market was a little more likely than the market in Colmar to be cash-only, but the majority of vendors took contactless payments.
• Shop around. There was some varied pricing from shop to shop. Expect to spend anywhere from $4-5 on beverages and around $10 on plates of food.
• Make reservations. You can just show up at the holiday markets, but if you want a sit-down meal in Strasbourg after, make reservations. 

How to Get to the Strasbourg Christmas Markets

The closest airport to the Strasbourg Christmas markets is Strasbourg Airport. That’s a regional airport. If you’re already in Europe, you may find connecting flights there. 

A more popular option is arriving by train or car. We drove to Strasbourg from our Alsace base outside of Colmar. It took us just under an hour to get there and a little over an hour to get back, thanks to Christmas market traffic.

If you’re planning any travel outside of Strasbourg while in the Alsace region, a car will open up your options. It’s the best way to see the region’s castles, wine country, and the rest.

For drivers to Strasbourg, several parking lots offer access to the markets, but expect to get your steps in.

It was about a 15-minute walk from the lot we chose, the Parking Centre Historique — Petite France.

Get there early for easy access to parking spots. Lots were full when we left on a weekend evening.

Another common mode of transportation to get to Strasbourg is the high-speed TGV train. The best routes get you there in just an hour and 45 minutes from Paris.

Book those tickets ahead of travel, though. They do sell out the closer you get to Christmas.

The Strasbourg train station, or Gare de Strasbourg, is just a 15-minute walk to the historic center. You’ll walk just as much if you drive.

If you’re already nearby, Strasbourg has a decent network of public buses that will take you around town if you don’t want to walk. Check out the city’s website to map out routes if you’d like to go that route, as they do change during the market season.

More Things to Do in Strasbourg

Exploring Marché de Noël à Strasbourg will keep you busy for a full day, but there is more to do in Strasbourg if you have more time.

Here are a few more things for you to check out once you’re done with the holiday fun:

• Get snap happy. The “teddy bear house” next to Le Gruber is a popular photo stop, but you won’t be the only one there. Honestly, it’s just fine. I’d suggest making your own magic as you find less populated photo stops along your holiday adventure.
• Check out the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. We loved the murals outside of this one, and it’s beautifully situated near the Barrage Vauban. The Strasbourg Museum of Fine Arts is another option for art lovers.
• Shop on the Rue des Grandes Arcades. This is also a great place to catch some impressive Christmas lights if you’re not in the mood to spend more money. We did a final look here after a round of toilet paper shopping at the Monoprix.
• Take a boat tour. It was fun to watch the tour boats navigate the narrow locks along the river Ill. It’d probably be even more fun to take a river tour. You can book trips online through Batorama, the city’s boat tour provider.
• Stroll the Parc de l’Orangerie. This is Strasbourg’s oldest city park. Locals visit to get fresh air, visit the mini-farm, or walk around the lake. You’ll find the city’s zoo here, too.
• Attend a holiday event. The Strasbourg Christmas market’s official website has an up-to-date list of events each year. That includes concerts in tribute to victims of the Strasbourg Christmas market attack in December 2018.

Note: I know this is a Christmas market guide, but it’s something that the local people choose to commemorate in some way each year. The terrorist attack resulted in five dead and another 11 wounded by an extremist who was eventually killed by police.

Safety in Strasbourg

Following the terrorist attack at the markets in 2018, the city increased its security presence in Strasbourg to ensure visitor safety. You may notice the police and military presence on trips there, or you may not. It really depends on where you’re coming from.

Expect bag checkpoints throughout the market. I didn’t think these were invasive. We also never felt unsafe during our trip to the market, and it’s very much a family affair.

Common sense rules always apply when you’re in a crowded space. Protect yourself against pickpockets by zipping up any bags and keeping valuables out of sight.

Hotels Near the Strasbourg Christmas Markets

We stayed in a small town called Widensolen outside of Colmar as our base for travel in Alsace. It was just under an hour away from Strasbourg.

If you’re here for a limited amount of time or just like the idea of walking to your hotel at the end of the night, I don’t blame you.

Check out the map below for where to stay in Strasbourg after you’re done with the markets:

Strasbourg is the true “Capital of Christmas.”

This city goes big on the holidays.

The number of activities you can experience to discover some Christmas cheer is almost overwhelming. This is especially true when you’re trying to sample snacks in every section of the market.

I tried it. It’s hard.

I’m sure we’ll be back in the Alsace region for holiday markets in the future. They’re just too good! Strasbourg, Colmar, and surrounding villages like Kaysersberg, Obernai, and Ribeauvillé all come alive at Christmas.

If you’re looking for the most whimsical Christmas markets France has to offer, you can’t go wrong with this region.

Exploring elsewhere in France? Read these guides:

• A Guide to Spring Travel in Giverny
• All the Best Things to Do in Antibes, France
• From Nice to Cannes: A Detailed Trip Planner
• How to Spend the Best Weekend in Nice, France
• A Guide to Visiting an Olympic Course Near Paris

Planning travel elsewhere nearby? Check out these guides:

• How to Spend Your Time at Versailles
• A Guide to the Best of Montpellier
• Things to Do on Trips to Brussels
• A Guide to Spring Travel in Giverny
• A Guide to a Weekend in the Loire Valley

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