The Colmar Christmas market 2026 is really six markets, scattered through an old town of canals, carved beams and painted shutters. It is smaller and gentler than Strasbourg, half an hour away by train, and the wine villages of Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Eguisheim hold their own markets close by. It suits couples, families and rail travellers who want a slow weekend rather than a crowded one.
Why go to the Colmar Christmas market in 2026
Colmar was built for this. The old town is compact, the houses look like the illustrations in a children’s book, and the markets are spread out enough that no single square takes all the crowds. Each has its own character: tree decorations under a Gothic church, local crafts indoors, a children’s market by the canal and a food market run by chefs.
Between market stops, the Unterlinden Museum shows one of Europe’s great altarpieces, and the canals of Little Venice are at their prettiest after dark. On the second day, a short bus or train ride takes you into the vineyards of the Alsace Wine Route, where village markets fill the lanes.
Colmar
Don’t miss
The places that make the trip, and why each one deserves your time.
– Wladyslaw [Disk.]. Taxiarchos228 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Unterlinden Museum
A former convent with a quiet cloister holds Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, one of the most powerful paintings of the late Middle Ages, its crucifixion still shocking five centuries on.
Closed on Tuesdays, 25 December and 1 January.
Gzen92 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Place des Dominicains market
Around sixty wooden chalets sell tree decorations beneath the Dominican church, whose 14th-century stained glass glows over the square after dark.
Come back after dark to see the church lit.
Kent Wang from Barcelona, Spain / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 St Martin's Church
Colmar's great Gothic church rises from a square of half-timbered houses, its patterned roof tiles and tall choir marking the centre of the old town.
Morio60 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Koïfhus and Place de l'Ancienne Douane
The old customs house, with its glazed tile roof, shelters a warm indoor craft market, while fifty chalets ring the Schwendi fountain outside on both banks of the Lauch.
The indoor craft market is the place to warm up.
Krzysztof Golik / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Little Venice
Pastel half-timbered houses lean over the Lauch, and in December the children's market brings sheep, rabbits, a mechanical nativity and Santa's giant letter box to the canal.
Walk it at dusk, when the lights reflect in the water.
– Wladyslaw [Disk.]. Taxiarchos228 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Kaysersberg
A ruined castle watches over a wine village where about thirty chalets fill the Cour de l'Arsenal and the lanes behind the Sainte-Croix church.
Its market opens Friday to Sunday only.
No machine-readable author provided. Mschlindwein assumed… / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Eguisheim
Lanes of timbered houses wind in rings around a central castle and fountain, and the village's market stays open until 30 December.
Closed 24 to 26 December; reopens on the 27th.
Colmar Christmas market 2026 dates and the six markets
Colmar’s markets run from Monday 23 November to Tuesday 29 December 2026. They open Monday to Thursday from 11am to 7pm and Friday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm. On Thursday 24 December they close at 5pm, and they open on Christmas Day from 10am to 8pm. The organisers note that stalls close exactly on time.
- Place des Dominicains: About sixty chalets selling Christmas decorations, below the Dominican church and its 14th-century stained glass.
- Place de l’Ancienne Douane: About fifty chalets around the Schwendi fountain, on both banks of the Lauch, mixing traditional ornaments with contemporary design.
- Place Jeanne d’Arc: An Alsatian village of local food and drink: foie gras, cured meats, wine, fruit brandies and bredele biscuits.
- Little Venice (Place des Six Montagnes Noires): The children’s market, with farm animals, horse rides, a mechanical nativity, Santa’s giant letter box and hot apple juice.
- Koïfhus: An indoor craft market in the old customs house, where around twenty local makers sell ceramics, glass, woodwork, hats and jewellery.
- Gourmet market, Rue de la Montagne Verte: Nine cabins run by nine chefs, with dishes to eat on the spot or take away, and cooking shows.
The gourmet market, the Ferris wheel and the Christmas fair on Place Rapp stay open after the other markets close, until 3 January 2027, daily from 11am to 10pm (5pm on 31 December).
The 48-hour route
Day 1
Morning: Walk from the station into the old town and start at the Unterlinden Museum, a former convent that opens from 9am to 6pm every day except Tuesday. Go straight to the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald, then take in the cloister and the modern wing across the square.
Afternoon: The markets open at 11am on weekdays. Begin at Place des Dominicains, then walk to St Martin’s Church and on to Place Jeanne d’Arc for a plate of local cheese and charcuterie. Continue to the Koïfhus and Place de l’Ancienne Douane, where the indoor craft market is the best place to buy something handmade and warm up at the same time.
Evening: Follow the Lauch south into Little Venice as the lights come on. Have dinner at Wistub Brenner on rue de Turenne, a traditional winstub serving onion tart and choucroute. Back at the Unterlinden Museum, the Once Upon a Night light show plays in the cloister from 5pm, between 25 November 2026 and 3 January 2027, except on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.
Tip: Downtown Colmar is closed to all vehicles during market hours from 23 November to 29 December. Arrive by train, or leave the car in a covered car park and walk in.
Day 2
Morning: Pick up kougelhopf or spiced bread from Pâtisserie Gilg on the Grand Rue, a family pastry shop since 1936. Then head out to the wine villages (see below). At weekends, Christmas shuttle buses run a loop from Colmar to Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé.
Afternoon: Spend it in one or two villages. Kaysersberg and Riquewihr are on the same shuttle loop, and Eguisheim is a short hop south of Colmar.
Evening: Return to Colmar for the gourmet market on Rue de la Montagne Verte and a last ride on the Ferris wheel, then a glass of Alsace white in the old town.
Nearby villages
- Kaysersberg: About thirty chalets in the Cour de l’Arsenal and behind the Sainte-Croix church, plus a farmers’ market on the town hall square. Weekends only, Friday to Sunday: 27–29 November and 4–6, 11–13 and 18–20 December 2026, from 10am to 8pm.
- Riquewihr: A walled wine village with its market from 27 November to 20 December 2026, open on weekdays from 10am to 6.30pm and at weekends from 10am to 7pm.
- Eguisheim: Its market runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026. It is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December and reopens from 27 to 30 December.
The Christmas shuttle to Kaysersberg and Riquewihr runs from 27 November to 20 December 2026, hourly on Fridays and every 30 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays. Timetables are on noel-colmar.com.
Where to stay
- Old town and Little Venice: Markets, canals and restaurants on the doorstep. Best for couples and first-timers.
- Around the station: A short walk from the old town, with easy trains to Strasbourg. Best for rail travellers and early departures.
- A wine village: Eguisheim, Kaysersberg or Riquewihr for quiet nights after the day visitors leave. Best for those with a car.
- Strasbourg: Make Colmar a day trip from a bigger base. See our Strasbourg Christmas market weekend for that plan.
What to eat and drink
Dishes and drinks to try
- Bredele: Small Alsatian Christmas biscuits, baked in dozens of shapes and flavours, from aniseed to cinnamon stars.
- Kougelhopf: A tall, ring-shaped brioche with raisins and almonds, eaten at breakfast or with coffee.
- Pain d’épices: Honey-sweet spiced bread, sold in slabs and decorated hearts.
- Tarte flambée and onion tart: Thin, crisp tarte flambée with cream, onion and bacon, or a deeper, richer onion tart.
- Choucroute: Sauerkraut with sausages and pork, the classic winstub dish.
- Alsace wine and mulled wine: Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris from the villages around town, and the mulled wine in every market cup. Children get hot apple juice.
Where to eat and buy
- Wistub Brenner (1 rue de Turenne): A winstub in Little Venice, listed in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide, serving lunch and dinner daily.
- Pâtisserie Gilg (60 Grand Rue): Kougelhopf, spiced bread and Alsatian pastries. Open Tuesday to Saturday and on Sunday mornings.
- Place Jeanne d’Arc market: The best of the six for local produce to take home.
- The gourmet market: Chef-run cabins for a sit-down dinner without a booking.
Tip: Buy bredele and spiced bread on your last morning. They keep well and travel easily in hand luggage.
Getting around
Colmar’s old town is small and flat, and every market is within about 15 minutes’ walk of the others. During the markets the centre is closed to traffic, so walking is easiest. Free shuttle buses run on weekdays between the Bleylé car park near the station and the Théâtre Municipal.
Getting there: TER trains link Strasbourg and Colmar in about 30 minutes, with frequent departures through the day. Direct TGVs run from Paris Gare de l’Est, and EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and Strasbourg-Entzheim airport are both about 70 km away. Pairing Colmar with Strasbourg is the classic Alsace plan, and the best Christmas markets in Europe hub has more ideas.
Good to know
- Dates: Colmar’s markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026. The gourmet market, Ferris wheel and Place Rapp fair continue until 3 January 2027.
- Christmas Day: Colmar’s markets open on 25 December, from 10am to 8pm, and on 26 December too.
- Crowds: Weekends, especially Saturdays, are the busiest. Visit Monday to Thursday, and see the Koïfhus and Place des Dominicains in the first hour.
- Village dates: Kaysersberg opens Friday to Sunday only, and both Kaysersberg and Riquewihr close after 20 December. Eguisheim runs to 30 December.
- Museum days: The Unterlinden Museum is closed on Tuesdays, 25 December and 1 January.
- More markets: Our Christmas markets 2026 dates roundup lists the big openings. For a market that runs into January, see our Luxembourg Christmas market weekend.
FAQ
When is the Colmar Christmas market 2026?
Colmar’s six Christmas markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026. They open Monday to Thursday from 11am to 7pm and Friday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm, closing at 5pm on 24 December.
Is the Colmar Christmas market open on Christmas Day?
Yes. On Friday 25 December 2026 the markets open from 10am to 8pm, and on 26 December too.
How do you get from Strasbourg to Colmar?
Take the regional TER train. The trip takes about 30 minutes and trains run frequently, so it works as a day trip.
How many Christmas markets are there in Colmar?
Six: Place des Dominicains, Place de l’Ancienne Douane, Place Jeanne d’Arc, the children’s market in Little Venice, the indoor craft market in the Koïfhus and the gourmet market on Rue de la Montagne Verte.
Which village Christmas markets are near Colmar?
Kaysersberg (weekends only, to 20 December), Riquewihr (to 20 December) and Eguisheim (to 30 December, closed 24 to 26 December). Christmas shuttle buses reach Kaysersberg and Riquewihr at weekends.
