Colmar Christmas Market 2026-2027: Dates & 6 Markets

The Colmar Christmas Market runs from Monday 23 November to Tuesday 29 December 2026 across six themed markets in Colmar’s 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.

This guide covers the confirmed 2026 dates and hours, each of the six markets, the food and gifts to look for, and how to reach Colmar and the wine villages around it.

When does the Colmar Christmas Market open in 2026?

The Colmar Christmas Market opens on Monday 23 November 2026 and closes on Tuesday 29 December 2026, according to the practical page of noel-colmar.com. The opening hours of the six markets are listed below.

The markets close exactly at the scheduled time, and the organisers ask visitors to respect that for security reasons. Entry to all six markets is free.

The Gourmet Market and the Ferris wheel keep different hours. Both open every day from 11:00 to 22:00, run until Sunday 3 January 2027, and close at 17:00 on 31 December. The Christmas fair on Place Rapp follows the same dates and hours as the Gourmet Market.

Where is the Colmar Christmas Market?

The Colmar Christmas Market is spread across the pedestrian old town of Colmar, in Alsace in north-eastern France, rather than on a single square. The organisers describe 180 stalls split between six markets, each set in its own square or building. The town centre is closed to vehicles from 23 November to 29 December during market hours, so you walk between the markets.

Place des Dominicains

The Place des Dominicains market has around 60 wooden chalets beside the Église des Dominicains, a church known for its 14th-century stained glass windows. The church is lit up at night, and the stalls here lean towards Christmas tree decorations.

Place de l’Ancienne Douane

The Place de l’Ancienne Douane market has around 50 chalets arranged around the Schwendi fountain, in the old business heart of Colmar. Its stalls run along both banks of the Lauch river up to the porch of the Koïfhus, the old customs house, and mix contemporary design with traditional Christmas decorations.

The Koïfhus indoor craft market

The Koïfhus indoor craft market sits inside the Renaissance customs house itself, so it is the one market you can browse in the warm. Around 20 local craftspeople sell their work here, including ceramicists, potters, glass-makers, cabinetmakers, wood sculptors, hat-makers and jewellery makers.

Place Jeanne d’Arc

The Place Jeanne d’Arc market recreates a traditional Alsace village and is given over to local food products. Its stalls sell foie gras, cold meats, wine, schnapps and bredele biscuits, among half-timbered houses and classical French buildings.

Place des Six Montagnes Noires (Little Venice)

The Place des Six Montagnes Noires market in Little Venice is the children’s market. It has a mechanical nativity scene, small animals such as rabbits and sheep, horse rides, mulled apple juice and Father Christmas’s giant letterbox for children’s letters.

The Gourmet Market

The Gourmet Market sits on the Montagne Verte sports ground off Rue de la Montagne Verte, next to the Ferris wheel. It has 9 cabins run by 9 chefs and master restaurateurs, serving plates such as oysters and Alsatian dishes to eat at a standing bar or take away, with cooking shows in the middle of the market.

What else is there to do at the Colmar Christmas Market?

Colmar’s Christmas programme has 3 main extras beyond the stalls, listed below.

1. Ride the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel on the Montagne Verte site runs from 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with views over the town to the Vosges mountains. Tickets cost €10 (about $12, £9) for adults and €8 (about $9, £7) for children under 1.20 m.
2. Hear children sing carols on the boats. Children’s choirs sing Christmas carols from boats on the Lauch river in Little Venice, on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 28 November and 19 December 2026 in the organisers’ calendar.
3. Walk the illuminated old town. Colmar lights its historic buildings for the season, including the Maison Pfister, the Koïfhus, the Unterlinden museum, the House of the Heads and Saint Martin’s Collegiate Church.

What food can you eat at the Colmar Christmas Market?

The Colmar Christmas Market sells Alsatian specialities rather than generic market food, and the organisers name local foie gras, cheese, cold meats, honey and gingerbread as the core of its stalls. The foods to look for are listed below.

• Pain d’épices. Alsatian gingerbread, sold as iced “tongues” decorated with a Christmas image, as soft honey gingerbread or filled with chocolate or almond cream.
• Bredele. Small Christmas biscuits baked across Alsace during Advent, sold at the Place Jeanne d’Arc market among others.
• Springerle. Anise-flavoured biscuits pressed in carved wooden moulds, round, square or heart-shaped.
• Kougelhopf. A tall, bun-like cake made with raisins soaked in kirsch.
• Foie gras. A regional speciality that the organisers note was created in Strasbourg in 1780.
• Munster cheese. A strong washed-rind cheese from the valley just west of Colmar.

For a full meal, the Gourmet Market’s chefs cook Alsatian dishes on site, and Colmar’s restaurants serve classics such as choucroute (sauerkraut with meats), baeckeoffe (three marinated meats baked with potatoes in white wine) and coq au Riesling.

What can you drink at the Colmar Christmas Market?

Vin chaud, Alsatian mulled wine, is the standard drink at the Colmar Christmas Market. It is made with white wine or Pinot Noir, warmed without boiling, spiced with clove, cinnamon and star anise, and finished with citrus and a spoonful of honey. The markets also sell non-alcoholic versions made with apple, orange or strawberry juice, and the organisers also list Christmas beer and brandy among the season’s local products.

What can you buy at the Colmar Christmas Market?

Colmar’s exhibitors are mostly from Alsace and are selected for the quality and originality of their products, according to the organisers. The typical gifts are listed below.

• Christmas decorations. Tree ornaments and seasonal decorations, especially at the Place des Dominicains and Ancienne Douane markets.
• Crafts. Ceramics, pottery, glass, woodwork, hats and jewellery from the makers inside the Koïfhus.
• Food gifts. Gingerbread, bredele, foie gras, honey, Alsace wine and schnapps from the Place Jeanne d’Arc market.

How do you get to the Colmar Christmas Market?

You can reach the Colmar Christmas Market by train, car or plane, and the train is the easiest option because the old town is closed to traffic during market hours.

First, take the train to Colmar station. Colmar is 2 hours 20 minutes from Paris and 3 hours 30 minutes from Lyon by train, according to Alsace Destination Tourisme, and regional trains link it with Strasbourg in about half an hour. Before you travel, check train times to Colmar.

Second, drive in on the A35 motorway and park outside the centre. On the weekends of 28-29 November and 5-6, 12-13 and 19-20 December 2026, the park and ride at the Parc des Expositions (Avenue de la Foire aux Vins) costs €5 (about $6, £4) a day including a return shuttle bus to Rue Saint-Eloi, close to the markets. Covered paid car parks near the markets include Mairie, Rapp, St Josse, Lacarre and Gare/Bleylé. For a road trip along the wine route, compare rental cars before you go.

Third, fly into Strasbourg Airport or EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, both about 45 minutes from Colmar. To plan the flight, compare flights to the region.

Can you visit the Christmas markets around Colmar?

You can visit the Christmas markets in the villages around Colmar on the Christmas Shuttles (Navettes de Noël), which run from 27 November to 20 December 2026 and connect with Colmar station. The shuttles serve Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Eguisheim, Turckheim, Munster and Neuf-Brisach. A day ticket on lines 1 and 2 (Kaysersberg, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr) costs €17 (about $20, £15) from Friday to Sunday, the Eguisheim line costs €8 (about $9, £7) from Monday to Thursday, and children under 12 ride free with a booked ticket. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 12:00 CET.

Strasbourg is the other big market in Alsace, and many visitors combine the two. Our Strasbourg Christmas market guide covers its dates and squares.

Where to stay near the Colmar Christmas Market?

The most convenient base is Colmar’s old town or the streets between the old town and the station, because the six markets are all within walking distance of each other. Weekends in December fill early, so compare hotels in Colmar and Alsace as soon as your dates are fixed. Staying in Strasbourg and taking the train in for the day also works if Colmar is full.

Frequently asked questions

How many Christmas markets does Colmar have?

Colmar has six Christmas markets: Place des Dominicains, Place de l’Ancienne Douane, the Koïfhus indoor craft market, Place Jeanne d’Arc, the children’s market on Place des Six Montagnes Noires and the Gourmet Market. Together they have 180 stalls, according to the organisers.

How many days do you need for the Colmar Christmas Market?

One full day is enough to see all six Colmar markets, because they sit within a short walk of each other in the old town. Plan a second day if you want to ride the Christmas Shuttles out to Riquewihr, Kaysersberg or Eguisheim.

Is the Colmar Christmas Market open on Christmas Day?

The Colmar Christmas Market is open on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, from 10:00 to 20:00. It closes early on Christmas Eve, at 17:00.

Which is better, Colmar or Strasbourg for Christmas?

Colmar is the smaller, more compact choice, with six themed markets inside one walkable old town, while Strasbourg is a larger city with more markets spread over a wider centre. The two are about half an hour apart by regional train, so you do not have to choose.

Is the Colmar Christmas Market worth visiting?

The Colmar Christmas Market is worth visiting for its illuminated half-timbered old town, its Alsatian food stalls and its mostly regional makers. Visit on a weekday in daylight if you can, because the narrow streets fill quickly at weekends.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 4 tips below come from the organisers’ 2026 timetable and practical pages.

1. Go on a weekday afternoon. The narrow streets fill quickly at weekends, and Alsace’s own tourism board recommends weekdays in daylight. Remember that the markets close at 19:00 from Monday to Thursday, an hour earlier than at weekends.
2. Save the Gourmet Market for the evening. It stays open until 22:00 every day, two or three hours after the other five markets close, and so does the Ferris wheel next to it.
3. Come after Christmas for the Gourmet Market only. The six markets end on 29 December, but the Gourmet Market, the Ferris wheel and the Place Rapp fair run until 3 January 2027, except for an early 17:00 close on New Year’s Eve.
4. Book the Christmas Shuttles early. Tickets for the village shuttles go on sale on 12 November 2026, and children under 12 need a free booked ticket too.

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 team covers France for independent travellers, including the Christmas markets, hotels, tours and transport worth booking in Alsace, and updates this page when prices, dates and rules change.