Colmar Christmas markets 2026: Dates, map and guide

The Colmar Christmas market runs from 23 November to 29 December 2026, spread across six small markets in the old town. The Gourmet Market, on the edge of the old town, stays open until 3 January 2027.

Rather than one big square, Colmar splits its stalls among Place des Dominicains, Place de l’Ancienne Douane, Petite Venise, and three other sites, all within a 15-minute walk of one another.

Colmar is small and fills up fast in December, so plan ahead. This guide shows you which markets to prioritise, how to avoid the worst crowds, where to park and stay, and how to get online with Holafly.

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TL;DR: Colmar Christmas market at a glance

Looking for a quickfire overview of Colmar’s Christmas markets? Here its is!

Christmas markets in Colmar 2026: Dates and opening hours

The Colmar Christmas market dates for 2026 are confirmed on the official site. All six markets share the same dates and hours, apart from the Gourmet Market.

Here’s a breakdown of each market and what it offers:

Holiday hours: On Christmas Eve, the markets close at 5:00 PM. On 25 and 26 December, they’re open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. After 29 December, only the Gourmet Market, the Ferris wheel, and the Christmas fair on Place Rapp stay open. These will be open until 5:00 PM on 31 December.

Stallholders close exactly on time for security reasons, and the old town is closed to traffic during market hours.

Best Christmas markets in Colmar

If you only have time for one Colmar Christmas market, head to Place de l’Ancienne Douane. It has the broadest mix of food, decorations, and crafts, and the indoor Koïfhus market is next door when you need to warm up.

Place des Dominicains is the most famous of the six, and it deserves its reputation after dark. For a quieter, more local experience, Place Jeanne d’Arc is the better pick. If you’re short on time, prioritise Ancienne Douane, the Koïfhus, and Place des Dominicains at night.

Place des Dominicains: Best for evening atmosphere

The Colmar Christmas market at Place des Dominicains has around 60 wooden chalets beneath the Dominican church. It’s known for Christmas tree ornaments, and at night, the church’s 14th-century stained-glass windows are lit from inside.

It gets crowded quickly after 5:00 PM on weekends, so visit on a weekday evening if you can.

• Address: Place des Dominicains, 68000 Colmar
• Getting there: Théâtre Municipal shuttle stop, a short walk away
• Time needed: 45 minutes

Place de l’Ancienne Douane and the Koïfhus: Best for food and crafts

Around 50 chalets surround the Schwendi fountain and line the River Lauch up to the Koïfhus, Colmar’s Renaissance customs house. You’ll find traditional decorations alongside contemporary designs, plus Alsatian food and mulled wine.

Inside the Koïfhus, around 20 local craftspeople sell ceramics, glasswork, woodwork, hats, and jewellery. It’s the only covered market, so it’s useful on wet days, although it gets tight on weekend afternoons.

Petite Venise: Best for families

The Colmar Christmas market in Petite Venise is the best pick for families: it’s the children’s market, on Place des Six Montagnes Noires beside the canal. It has small animals, a mechanical nativity scene, horse rides, and Santa’s giant letterbox, and on some evenings, children’s choirs sing carols from boats on the canal.

The footbridges over the Lauch become bottlenecks on weekend afternoons, so if you’re using a pushchair, visit before lunch on a weekday. For older children, the Christmas fair on Place Rapp and the Ferris wheel stay open until 3 January 2027.

• Address: Place des Six Montagnes Noires, 68000 Colmar
• Getting there: Lacarre car park, a short walk away
• Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour with children

Place Jeanne d’Arc: Best for local producers and a quieter visit

This square recreates a traditional Alsatian village, with stalls selling foie gras, cured meats, Alsace wine, fruit brandy (schnaps), and bredele (Christmas biscuits). It’s smaller and calmer than the central squares, and some cheese stalls sell out by early afternoon, so it’s worth starting your day here.

• Address: Place Jeanne d’Arc, 68000 Colmar
• Getting there: Saint-Josse car park, a short walk away
• Time needed: 30 to 45 minutes

Gourmet Market: Best for a sit-down meal

Just outside the old town on Rue de la Montagne Verte, nine chefs and restaurateurs serve Alsatian dishes and seafood, including oysters, to eat in or take away. It’s the last market to close each day and the only one open until 3 January 2027.

• Dates: 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
• Hours: Daily, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM (holiday hours differ)
• Address: Rue de la Montagne Verte, 68000 Colmar
• Getting there: Rapp car park, a short walk away
• Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours for a meal

Place des Dominicains: The best Colmar Christmas market at night

An evening at the Colmar Christmas market is what most people remember. The illuminations switch on at nightfall, around 4:30 PM in December, and Colmar’s lighting scheme uses more than 1,000 computer-controlled light sources across the canals and half-timbered houses.

Start at Place des Dominicains just after dark, then walk south to Petite Venise to see the canal lit up. The illuminations stay on after the markets close, so the streets are much quieter for photos.

Top tips to make the most of Colmar’s Christmas markets

From suggested itineraries to unmissable purchases, here is all you need to know about Colmar’s Christmas market logistics and useful information.

Suggested route: A map of Colmar’s Christmas markets in one day

The six sites are close enough to cover in a day on foot, walking around 5 to 8 km in total.

1. 10:00 AM: Place Jeanne d’Arc. Start early for the best choice of local produce.
2. 11:00 AM: Petite Venise. See the children’s market before the bridges get busy.
3. 12:30 PM: Place de l’Ancienne Douane and the Koïfhus. Lunch from the stalls, or a seated meal at the Marché Couvert, the covered food hall by Petite Venise.
4. 3:00 PM: Petit Train. The little tourist train runs in winter from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, every 30 minutes from Rue Kléber.
5. 4:30 PM: Place des Dominicains. Arrive as the church lights come on.
6. 6:30 PM: Gourmet Market. Finish with dinner.

From Monday to Thursday, the markets open at 11:00 AM, so start an hour later.

Our Colmar Christmas market map shows this route, from Place Jeanne d’Arc to the Gourmet Market.

Where is the Colmar Christmas market? All six sites are in or next to the old town of Colmar, in Alsace, north-eastern France. Our Colmar Christmas market map follows the suggested route above, from Place Jeanne d’Arc in the south-east to the Gourmet Market on Rue de la Montagne Verte.

How to get to the Colmar Christmas market: Trains, parking, and shuttles

The train is the easiest way to arrive. Colmar station is a 10 to 15-minute walk from the old town.

• From Strasbourg: Around 30 minutes by regional train
• From Basel: Around 50 minutes to an hour (keep your passport with you, as you cross the border)
• From Paris: Around 2 hours and 20 minutes by direct TGV from Gare de l’Est

Driving is harder, as the old town is closed to cars during market hours. The Rapp, Gare, and Bleylé car parks are open 24 hours, and a free shuttle runs from Bleylé to the Théâtre Municipal on weekdays. On the busiest weekends, a Park and Ride at the Parc des Expositions costs €5 (£4.30) per car, including the bus into town.

What to eat and drink at the Colmar Christmas markets

Alsace has its own festive food culture, much of it closer to German traditions than to the rest of France. Colmar Christmas market food is a good introduction to France Christmas traditions, as long as you know that Alsace does things its own way.

Prices are approximate and based on recent seasons.

Deposits and reusable cups: Hot drinks come in a reusable cup with a deposit of around €2 (£1.70). Return it to any drinks stall for a refund, or keep it as a souvenir.

Budget-wise, a full day of eating and drinking at the markets comes to roughly €25-35 (around £22-30) per person, before gifts.

What to buy at the Colmar Christmas markets

The best buys are things made in Alsace, and each market leans in a different direction:

• Handmade gifts: Ceramics, glass, and jewellery from the craftspeople in the Koïfhus
• Christmas decorations: Tree ornaments at Place des Dominicains, and traditional and modern designs at Ancienne Douane
• Food gifts: Bredele, pain d’épices, Alsace wine, and fruit brandies at Place Jeanne d’Arc
• Pottery: Soufflenheim or Betschdorf pottery, two traditional Alsatian styles

To spot locally made goods, ask the stallholder where it’s produced and look for a maker’s name. Identical items across several markets are more likely to be imported.

Edible gifts like biscuits and wine are some of the easiest Europe souvenirs to pack. Check what you can take home before you buy. UK travellers can’t bring EU meat or dairy, including cheese and foie gras, into Great Britain, and US travellers must declare all food and can’t bring in most meat products. 

Card acceptance varies by stall. Larger chalets usually take contactless, but many smaller stalls are cash only, so carry euros in small notes and coins.

Is the Colmar Christmas market worth visiting? 

Yes, especially if you prefer a compact, walkable town to a big-city market. Colmar regularly appears on lists of the best Christmas markets in Europe, but the real draw is the setting: half-timbered houses, canals, and illuminations that cover the whole old town.

This said, Colmar is by no means the only Christmas market in France:

Colmar or Strasbourg: Which Christmas market should you visit?

Choose Strasbourg if you want scale. Its market dates back to 1570 and has around 300 stalls across a dozen sites. Choose Colmar if you prefer a smaller town you can cover on foot, with prettier streets and a more relaxed pace on weekdays.

You don’t have to pick one. Trains link Strasbourg and Colmar in around 30 minutes, so it’s easy to see the Strasbourg and Colmar Christmas markets on the same trip. If you’re comparing Europe winter destinations for a December break, the pair makes a strong two-centre trip.

Christmas markets near Colmar: Eguisheim, Riquewihr, and Kaysersberg

Colmar is a good base for other Christmas markets in Alsace. From 27 November to 20 December 2026, the Navettes de Noël (Christmas shuttles) run from Colmar station to Eguisheim (daily), and to Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, and Ribeauvillé (Friday to Sunday). Day tickets cost from €8 (£7), children under 12 travel free, and tickets go on sale online at 12:00 PM CET on 12 November 2026.

Navigate between Christmas markets and check live travel updates with Holafy

Between maps, train times, and shuttle tickets, you’ll use your phone more than you expect in Colmar. A France eSIM gives you unlimited data across France, with 5G speeds and 24/7 support, so you don’t need public WiFi or your carrier’s roaming. Install your Holafly eSIM before you leave home and you’re online as soon as you arrive.

Every eSIM also includes Holafly Always On: 1 GB of monthly backup data at no extra cost, for peace of mind between trips.

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Tom O'Leary

SEO Content Specialist

I am a Liverpool-based SEO content specialist with years of experience crafting content that connects. I combine my love for clear communication with a passion for travel and languages (currently diving into Japanese!). At Holafly, I'm here to help you understand everything about staying connected abroad, turning technical jargon into straightforward advice you can actually use.

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