16 Christmas Markets in France 2026-2027: Dates & Locations

Jump to a market: Strasbourg · Colmar · Paris · Lille · Metz · Reims · Montbéliard · Riquewihr · Kaysersberg · Eguisheim · Mulhouse · Amiens · Lyon · Nancy · Arras · Annecy

France’s Christmas markets run from mid-November to early January in 2026-2027, and this guide covers 16 of them, from Strasbourg, the oldest market in the country since 1570, to Colmar, Paris, Lille, Metz, Reims and the Alsace wine villages of Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim. Alsace in the north-east holds the densest cluster, while Lille, Amiens and Arras cover the north, and Lyon and Annecy cover the south-east. Every 2026 date below comes from the market’s organiser, its city, a regional tourism board or, for two Paris markets, the Paris press, checked at the end of October 2026. Where an official page still showed last year’s dates, we say so in that market’s section.

All 16 French Christmas markets at a glance

The table below answers the two questions most readers ask first: when does each market run in 2026, and where in France is it. Two of the smaller Paris markets had not published their 2026 dates when we checked, so the Paris row gives the confirmed dates of the largest one.

Of the 16 markets in this guide, 7 are in Alsace, 3 more are elsewhere in the Grand Est region (Metz, Reims and Nancy), 3 are in Hauts-de-France and 2 are in the Alps and Rhône valley, so most of them sit within a short train ride of the German, Belgian, Luxembourg or Swiss border. For more on the country beyond December, see our France travel guide.

Planning your France Christmas markets trip

Most French Christmas markets cluster in the north-east, so one trip can cover several of them from a single base. Strasbourg and Colmar are the natural bases for Alsace, Metz and Nancy pair up in Lorraine, and Lille, Arras and Amiens line up across the north. The fastest TGV trains from Paris Gare de l’Est reach Strasbourg in about 1 hour 45 minutes, according to SNCF Connect, and regional trains continue from Strasbourg to Colmar in about 30 minutes. Compare train and bus routes across France before you book, and compare flights into Paris, Strasbourg or Lyon when you are flying in from abroad.

The Alsace wine villages are the one part of the trip where public transport thins out. Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim are served by Colmar’s Christmas Shuttles (Navettes de Noël) from 27 November to 20 December 2026, and outside those dates renting a car in France is the simplest way to link the villages in one day. Hotels in Strasbourg and Colmar fill first on December weekends, so compare hotels across France as soon as your dates are fixed.

Timing matters more in France than in most countries, because a lot of French markets close on 24 December. Strasbourg, Montbéliard and Lyon all shut on Christmas Eve, while Colmar, Eguisheim, Nancy, Annecy and the bigger Paris markets keep going after Christmas. Plan the week between Christmas and New Year around those later closers.

Weekday afternoons are quieter than weekend evenings at every market in this guide. The first week after a market opens is usually calmer than the final run-up to Christmas, when local shoppers and coach groups add to the crowds.

1. Strasbourg Christmas Market

The Strasbourg Christmas Market runs from Friday, 27 November to Thursday, 24 December 2026, according to noel.strasbourg.eu, the city’s official Christmas site. It dates back to 1570, which makes it the oldest Christmas market in France, and the city has called itself Strasbourg Capitale de Noël (Capital of Christmas) since 1992. The 2026 edition is open every day from 11:00 to 21:00, opens at 14:00 on the first day and closes at 18:00 on 24 December.

The market is spread over 8 separate markets on the Grande Île, Strasbourg’s island old town, with more than 300 chalets in total according to the Strasbourg tourist office. The historic Christkindelsmärik stands on Place Broglie, the cathedral market runs up to the west front of Strasbourg Cathedral, and the giant Christmas tree (Grand Sapin) stands on Place Kléber. Every drink comes in a reusable cup with a €1 ($1.16, £0.86) deposit. Nothing opens after 24 December, so a visit planned between Christmas and New Year needs a different market. For all 8 markets, the opening hours and the food to try, see our Strasbourg Christmas Market guide.

2. Colmar Christmas Market

The Colmar Christmas Market runs from Monday, 23 November to Tuesday, 29 December 2026 across 6 themed markets in the old town, according to noel-colmar.com, the organisers’ official site. The Gourmet Market, the Ferris wheel and the Christmas fair on Place Rapp stay open longer, until Sunday, 3 January 2027. The 6 markets hold about 180 stalls in total, on squares such as Place des Dominicains, Place de l’Ancienne Douane, the Koïfhus, Place Jeanne d’Arc and Little Venice, where the children’s market sits by the canal.

Colmar is the smaller and more compact of the two big Alsace markets, so one day covers all 6. It is also the hub for the wine-village markets: the Christmas Shuttles run from Colmar station to Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Eguisheim, Turckheim, Munster and Neuf-Brisach from 27 November to 20 December 2026, with tickets on sale from Thursday, 12 November 2026. A day ticket on lines 1 and 2 (Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr) costs €17 (about $20, £15) from Friday to Sunday. For hours, the 6 markets and the shuttle details, see our Colmar Christmas Market guide.

3. Paris Christmas Markets

Paris has several Christmas markets rather than one, and the biggest, the Paris La Défense Christmas Market, runs from Thursday, 12 November to Thursday, 31 December 2026 with more than 350 chalets, according to its official site. Its Le Sommet area stays open until 3 January 2027. The Champs-Élysées Christmas market returns from 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, according to Le Parisien, and the Tuileries Garden market is listed from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 by Sortir à Paris.

The Alsatian Christmas Market on the forecourt of Gare de l’Est runs from 2 to 18 December 2026 for its 44th edition, selling Alsace wine, bredele biscuits and choucroute. The smaller markets at Notre-Dame and Saint-Germain-des-Prés had not confirmed their 2026 dates when we checked; both usually open in late November. Metro line 1 links La Défense, the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries, so one line covers three markets in an evening. For every Paris market and how to reach it, see our Paris Christmas Market guide.

4. Lille Christmas Market

The Lille Christmas Market, run as the Village de Noël de Lille, returns to Place Rihour from Wednesday, 18 November to Wednesday, 30 December 2026, according to its organiser’s site, noel-a-lille.com, which adds that the dates are subject to change. The organiser plans 90 chalets on Place Rihour, run by traders, craftspeople and producers for 6 weeks. In 2025 the market opened from 11:00 to 20:30 from Sunday to Thursday and until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, closed at 18:00 on 24 December and closed on Christmas Day, according to the Lille tourist office, and the 2026 announcements give the same daily hours.

Lille is the easiest French Christmas market to reach from London and Brussels, because it sits on the Eurostar line and the TGV network. Place Rihour is in the centre of the old town, a short walk from the Grand’Place and the belfry of the Chamber of Commerce. Lille’s Flemish-style old town, with its brick and carved-stone facades, gives the market a different look from the Alsace markets further east. For what to see in the city between market visits, see our things to do in Lille guide.

5. Metz Christmas Market

The Metz Christmas Market runs from Friday, 20 November to Wednesday, 30 December 2026, according to noelametz.fr and the City of Metz. The market fills 5 squares in the city centre: Place de la République, Place Saint-Louis, Place Saint-Jacques, Place d’Armes – J.F. Blondel and Place de la Comédie. The first 4 open from 11:00 to 21:00 from Sunday to Thursday and until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, close at 16:00 on 24 December and close on Christmas Day. Place de la Comédie opens in the evenings on weekdays, from 17:00 to 23:00.

Metz adds two events of its own to the chalets. The Sentier des Lanternes, a lantern trail created by the Moselle Département, runs in Square Boufflers from 21 November to 30 December 2026, and a separate arts-and-crafts Christmas market sets up on Place des Charrons from 20 November to 13 December 2026. The city’s LE MET’ bus network is free every Saturday and Sunday during the market, according to the City of Metz, and the park-and-ride car parks are free too.

6. Reims Christmas Market

The Reims Christmas Market runs from Wednesday, 25 November to Sunday, 27 December 2026, according to the City of Reims. The market stands on the Hautes Promenades Jean-Louis Schneiter and on the esplanade of the Porte de Mars, the Roman arch at the northern edge of the city centre, with about 150 chalets selling food, crafts and festive products. Until 20 December the market opens from 14:00 to 20:00 on Mondays, from 11:30 to 22:00 from Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 to 22:00 on Saturdays and from 10:00 to 20:00 on Sundays.

Reims is the capital of the Champagne region, so the market is easy to combine with a cellar visit at one of the Champagne houses in the city. The school-holiday week from 21 to 27 December 2026 has its own hours, with the market closing at 18:00 on 24 December and staying shut on Christmas Day. Father Christmas and a small train for children are on the Porte de Mars esplanade, in the market’s “village des oursons” (bear-cub village), until 24 December.

7. Montbéliard Christmas Market

The Montbéliard Christmas Market, called Les Lumières de Noël (the Christmas Lights), runs from Saturday, 21 November to Thursday, 24 December 2026, according to lumieres-de-noel.fr, the City of Montbéliard’s official site. The 2026 edition is the 40th, with Switzerland as the guest of honour, according to the Pays de Montbéliard tourist office. The craft market gathers 170 artisans in the historic centre, and the illuminations across the town are the event’s main draw.

The Pays de Montbéliard tourist office reports that the Lumières de Noël draw nearly 450,000 visitors a year, and the city says the market has been nominated again in 2026 in Europe’s annual online Christmas market vote. Montbéliard sits in Franche-Comté close to the Swiss border, and its castle, a residence of the dukes of Württemberg from the 15th century until the French Revolution, is now a listed historic monument that hosts exhibitions. Montbéliard is twinned with Ludwigsburg in Germany, and the tourist office marks the twinning’s 75th anniversary in 2026.

8. Riquewihr Christmas Market

The Riquewihr Christmas Market runs every day from Friday, 27 November to Sunday, 20 December 2026, according to the Colmar region’s official Christmas site, noel-colmar.com. It opens from 10:00 to 18:30 from Monday to Friday and from 10:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. The market spreads through the main streets of the walled village, among the illuminated facades of one of the most intact old villages on the Alsace Wine Route.

Riquewihr is small and gets crowded at weekends, so the organisers run a “Perles de Noël” park-and-ride at the Naturoparc in Hunawihr every Saturday and Sunday from 28 November to 20 December 2026. A single €10 ($12, £9) fee per car covers parking and the shuttle bus for everyone in the vehicle. Riquewihr is also on line 1 or 2 of the Colmar Christmas Shuttles, which avoids the car altogether.

9. Kaysersberg Christmas Market

The Kaysersberg Christmas Market opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, over 4 weekends from 27 November to 20 December 2026, according to the Kaysersberg valley tourist office. The 2026 weekends are 27-29 November, 4-6 December, 11-13 December and 18-20 December, with the market open from 10:00 to 20:00. The chalets stand in the courtyard of the Arsenal and behind the Sainte-Croix church.

Kaysersberg calls itself an authentic craft market: the exhibitors are selected against strict criteria, and the tourist office says you will find nothing made of porcelain on the stalls. The 2026 Christmas exhibition in the village has the theme “Memories of our childhood winters” and opens during the 4 market weekends. Colmar’s 6 markets are about 10 km (6.2 mi) away, and Riquewihr is a short drive across the vineyards, so Kaysersberg fits easily into a weekend day from Colmar.

10. Eguisheim Christmas Market

The Eguisheim Christmas Market runs from Friday, 27 November to Wednesday, 30 December 2026, according to the Eguisheim and Rouffach tourist office, with a break over Christmas: the official listing gives opening periods from 27 November to 23 December and from 27 to 30 December 2026. Eguisheim is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France), and its market holds the Villes et Villages de Noël label for its focus on Alsatian customs.

About 30 craftspeople and creators take part, according to the tourist office, and musicians wander the village centre and the ramparts every day. Entry is free, and paid parking is less than 200 m from the market. Eguisheim is one of the few Alsace markets still open in the days after Christmas, which makes it the natural stop for a trip planned between Christmas and New Year. The Colmar Christmas Shuttles run an Eguisheim line until 20 December.

11. Mulhouse Christmas Market

The Mulhouse Christmas Market runs from Friday, 20 November to Sunday, 27 December 2026, closed on Christmas Day, according to Mulhouse Tourisme. The market stands in the historic centre on Place de la Réunion, around the Temple Saint-Étienne, and on Place des Cordiers, with about 90 chalets selling crafts, decorations and local food.

Mulhouse’s market is the one in Alsace with its own fabric: each year a new Christmas textile, the Étoffe de Noël, is designed for the market and hung on the chalets and streets, a nod to the city’s textile history. The 2026 fabric is called “Jardin d’hiver” (Winter Garden), according to the newspaper L’Alsace. Food stalls serve tarte flambée, choucroute with knepfla dumplings and mulled wine. EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is the closest airport for both Mulhouse and Colmar.

12. Amiens Christmas Market

The Amiens Christmas Market runs from Friday, 20 November to Wednesday, 30 December 2026 in the town centre, according to Amiens Tourisme. The tourist office calls it the largest Christmas market in northern France, with more than 100 red chalets along 2 km (1.2 mi) of illuminated streets from Place René Goblet to Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. It opens from 11:00 to 19:30 from Sunday to Thursday and from 11:00 to 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, closes at 17:00 on 24 December and closes on Christmas Day.

The long, linear layout means the Amiens market suits a walk from one end to the other rather than a stop on one square. Amiens Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in France and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands a short walk from the market streets. The tourist office notes that the stalls are not wheelchair-accessible and that weekends are crowded to very crowded, so a weekday visit is the calmer option.

13. Lyon Christmas Market

The Lyon Christmas Market runs on Place Carnot from Friday, 20 November to Thursday, 24 December 2026, according to the City of Lyon. About 100 chalets fill the square in the 2nd arrondissement, next to Perrache station, with local producers, an artisans’ aisle and a chalet for the “Fabriqué à Lyon” (Made in Lyon) label. The stalls sell santons (Provençal crib figures), gingerbread, candied chestnuts, foie gras and toys.

Lyon’s bigger December event is the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights), which takes place from Saturday, 5 to Tuesday, 8 December 2026, according to the City of Lyon’s official festival site. The light installations across the city draw very large crowds on those 4 evenings, so book a hotel early if your dates overlap with the festival, or plan the market for another week.

14. Nancy Christmas Market

The Nancy Christmas markets run as part of the Fêtes de Saint-Nicolas (Saint Nicholas Festival) from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, according to Explore Grand Est, the regional tourism board. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Lorraine, so Nancy builds its season around him rather than around Christmas Day alone. The highlight is the weekend of 5 and 6 December 2026: on Saturday, 5 December, a parade of floats, brass bands and performers crosses the city and arrives on Place Stanislas.

The 2026 parade theme is “Légendes et chimères” (Legends and Chimeras). Place Stanislas, the 18th-century square listed by UNESCO, is lit up for the whole festival, and the markets sell gingerbread, the classic Saint Nicholas treat in Lorraine. Nancy is a short train ride from Metz, so the two Lorraine cities pair well on one trip, and the season runs into the first days of January, later than most markets in this guide.

15. Arras Christmas Market

The Arras Christmas Market, part of the city’s “Ville de Noël” (Christmas Town) season, runs from Friday, 27 November to Sunday, 27 December 2026, according to the City of Arras. The chalets stand on the Grand’Place, one of the two large squares lined with Flemish Baroque facades in the centre of Arras. The season opens with an inauguration evening on 27 November, and a separate market organised by the arts-quarter association sets up on Place du Théâtre.

Arras’s town hall belfry, overlooking the Place des Héros next to the Grand’Place, is part of the UNESCO-listed Belfries of Belgium and France. For 2026 the city has added a “Ligne Bleue”, a blue line through the streets that guides visitors around the Ville de Noël. Arras lies between Lille and Amiens, so the three northern markets fit into one trip by train.

16. Annecy Christmas Market

The Annecy Christmas Market runs as part of Noël des Alpes from Thursday, 26 November 2026 to Sunday, 3 January 2027, according to the City of Annecy. The chalets line the lakeside quarter, along the Quai de Vicenza, Quai de Bayreuth and Quai Napoléon III, and continue into the Jardins de l’Europe. The market adds an ice rink, a festive area and visits from Father Christmas.

Annecy is the only Alpine market in this guide, and its setting between the lake and the mountains is different from the old-town squares of Alsace. After dark, light shows play on the Notre-Dame-de-Liesse church, the Annecy Conservatoire and the clock tower of the Porte Sainte-Claire. New for 2026, the festivities also take over the Haras, the former stud farm, with an enchanted park and Christmas animated films. Annecy is one of the markets in this guide that stays open after Christmas.

What is the biggest Christmas market in France?

Strasbourg has the biggest Christmas market in France, with more than 300 chalets spread over 8 markets on the Grande Île, according to the Strasbourg tourist office. The Paris La Défense market is the largest single market in the Paris region, with more than 350 chalets on one esplanade, and Amiens calls its 2 km (1.2 mi) market the largest in northern France.

What is the oldest Christmas market in France?

The Strasbourg Christmas Market is the oldest Christmas market in France, founded in 1570 as the Christkindelsmärik, the market of the Christ Child. It moved to Place Broglie in 1870 and still stands there. Montbéliard’s Lumières de Noël reach their 40th edition in 2026, which makes them a much younger event.

Which city in France has the best Christmas market?

Strasbourg and Colmar are the two French cities most often named as France’s top Christmas markets, and they sit about 30 minutes apart by regional train. Strasbourg is the larger, older event, with 8 markets, and Colmar is the more compact one, with 6 themed markets in a walkable old town and the wine villages close by. Montbéliard’s Lumières de Noël is the other French market regularly nominated in Europe’s annual online Christmas market vote.

What are the best Christmas markets in Alsace?

The Alsace Christmas markets most visitors plan around are listed below, in order of size.

1. Strasbourg: Strasbourg runs 8 markets and more than 300 chalets, from 27 November to 24 December 2026.
2. Colmar: Colmar runs 6 themed markets in its old town, from 23 November to 29 December 2026.
3. Mulhouse: Mulhouse runs about 90 chalets dressed in its own Christmas fabric, from 20 November to 27 December 2026.
4. Riquewihr: Riquewihr runs a daily market inside its walled village, from 27 November to 20 December 2026.
5. Eguisheim: Eguisheim runs a craft market with about 30 makers, from 27 November to 30 December 2026.
6. Kaysersberg: Kaysersberg runs a weekend-only craft market, Fridays to Sundays from 27 November to 20 December 2026.

Are there Christmas markets in Paris?

Yes, Paris has several Christmas markets, and the largest is at La Défense, open from 12 November to 31 December 2026 with more than 350 chalets. The Tuileries Garden, the Champs-Élysées and Gare de l’Est also host markets in 2026, and smaller ones set up at Notre-Dame and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Our Paris Christmas Market guide gives the dates and metro stops for each.

When do Christmas markets start in France?

Most French Christmas markets start between mid-November and the last weekend of November. Among the 2026 dates in this guide, Paris La Défense opens first, on 12 November, then Lille on 18 November, and Metz, Mulhouse, Amiens, Lyon and Nancy on 20 November. Strasbourg, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim and Arras all open on Friday, 27 November 2026, two days before the first Sunday of Advent.

Which Christmas markets in France stay open after Christmas?

The French Christmas markets that stay open after 25 December 2026 are Colmar, Eguisheim, Reims, Mulhouse, Lille, Metz, Amiens, Arras, Nancy, Annecy and the larger Paris markets. Colmar’s Gourmet Market and Ferris wheel, Nancy’s Saint-Nicolas festival and Annecy’s Noël des Alpes run until 3 January 2027. Strasbourg, Montbéliard and Lyon close on 24 December, and Riquewihr and Kaysersberg close on 20 December.

Do you pay to enter the Christmas markets in France?

No, entry is free at every Christmas market in this guide, based on each organiser’s own information. You pay for food, drink, gifts and attractions such as ice rinks, Ferris wheels and rides, and some markets, such as Strasbourg, charge a small refundable deposit on the reusable mulled-wine cup.

What food should you try at a French Christmas market?

Vin chaud (mulled wine), made with red or white wine in Alsace, is the drink at every French Christmas market. The foods worth looking for are listed below.

1. Bredele: Bredele are small Alsatian Christmas biscuits, sold in Strasbourg, Colmar and at the Gare de l’Est market in Paris.
2. Gingerbread: Gingerbread (pain d’épices) is sold at almost every market, and it is the Saint Nicholas treat in Nancy and Lorraine.
3. Tarte flambée: Tarte flambée is a thin Alsatian flatbread with cream, onions and bacon, served hot in Mulhouse and across Alsace.
4. Choucroute: Choucroute is Alsatian sauerkraut with sausages and pork, a hot market meal in Alsace and Paris.
5. Foie gras: Foie gras is sold at the gourmet stalls in Strasbourg, Colmar and Lyon to take home.
6. Roasted chestnuts: Roasted chestnuts (marrons chauds) are sold hot in paper cones, especially in Paris.

Can you visit Strasbourg and Colmar on the same trip?

Yes, Strasbourg and Colmar are about 30 minutes apart by regional train, so most visitors base themselves in one and visit the other for a day. Colmar’s Christmas Shuttles then reach Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim, and Basel’s Christmas market across the Swiss border is a short train ride further south. See our Basel Christmas Market guide if you plan to add it.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 5 tips below come from checking all 16 markets against their organisers’ and cities’ own pages at the end of October 2026, and each one saves a wasted journey.

1. Plan the week after Christmas around the late closers. Strasbourg, Montbéliard and Lyon close on 24 December 2026, and Riquewihr and Kaysersberg close on 20 December. Colmar, Eguisheim, Nancy, Annecy and La Défense in Paris are the markets in this guide still open into the New Year week.
2. Go to Kaysersberg on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The Kaysersberg market opens only on its 4 Advent weekends in 2026, 27-29 November, 4-6 December, 11-13 December and 18-20 December, so a midweek visit finds no chalets.
3. Buy Colmar Christmas Shuttle tickets when sales open. Tickets for the shuttles to Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé and Eguisheim go on sale on Thursday, 12 November 2026 at 12:00 CET, and the weekend services fill first.
4. Book Lyon early if your dates overlap the Fête des Lumières. The Festival of Lights runs from Saturday, 5 to Tuesday, 8 December 2026, and the crowds it draws fill hotels across the city for those 4 nights, while the Place Carnot market runs until 24 December.
5. Use the Lille organiser’s page, not the tourist office’s. The Lille tourist office page still showed the 2025 dates (19 November to 30 December 2025) at the end of October 2026, while the organiser, noel-a-lille.com, gives 18 November to 30 December 2026.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the site’s France coverage includes her own day trip to Lille as well as guides to the Christmas markets of Strasbourg, Colmar and Paris. Each season the team checks every French market’s organiser or city page for its opening and closing dates, the squares it uses and any changes, covers how to get between the markets by train and car, and where to stay in Alsace, Lorraine and the north, and updates this page when cities publish new dates.