Christmas Markets: Alsace Region of France
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. The magic in the lights, the aroma, and the overall vibe is the best. It’s such a warm feeling in a cold month and enjoying Europe’s Christmas Market or Christkindelmärik. Celebrations are still new and very fun for us. One of the most famous regions in Europe for Christmas Markets is the Alsatian region of France. This region has an exciting history of annexations as it was settled by the Celts around 1500 BC, under Roman rule around 50 BC, by France for a several hundred years, the German kingdom for around 80 years, Roman rule again until 1618 and has since swapped control from Germany and France. The language is primarily French here, and the traditional language is Alsatian.
Two of the largest and most prominent Christmas markets in the Alsace are in Colmar and Strasbourg. As we visit more of the smaller markets, I will update the post for future reference!
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Colmar
I visited Colmar’s Christmas Market yesterday with a few of my friends. The crowd increases massively on the weekend so going on a weekday in the morning was a winning combination. The crowd slowly rises through the day, and there are always enough people to make it feel quite festive. While most sources tout Strasbourg as one of the top 10 in Europe, Colmar is a must visit and extremely close in proximity. It’s smaller, more intimate, and is also spread throughout the village, so you get to see all of the Old City while browsing through all of the craft and food booths. In my opinion, it’s one of the more romantic feels in comparison with many others. There’s just something special about this place.
As with most Christmas Market’s, there is no shortage of food and beverages. I love to see the crafts, but I gravitate to the yummy creations. Hot skewers of Beef or Chicken, Wurst, Crepes, Pain d’ épices (Gingerbread), Manalas de Saint-Nicolas (adorable brioche baked in the shape of a little man), Sprengerle (heart-shaped, square, or round anise-flavored biscuits made from wooden molds), Christmas Brioche, and more are available. Glühwein (hot mulled wine) is aplenty and tastes like Christmas in a cup. If mulled wine is not your thing, there are also delicious hot ciders, coffees, and hot chocolate readily available!
I would recommend spending a day in Colmar to take it all in. You can technically conquer both Colmar and Strasbourg in a day, but you could be a bit rushed depending on your mode of transportation. Trains are relatively regular and can get you to each but these markets have different vibes in the day as well as evening and enjoying them at a slower pace is best!
You can explore the market and see the primary points of interest in Colmar all in one day. Sites such as La Petite Venise, the Unterlinden Museum, Place de la Cathedrale, Place des Dominicains, the Covered Market, as well as local Christmas wine cellars are available and along the route. Maps are available in multiple languages to aid in your exploration.
If you want to sit down and have a classic Alsatian meal such as Choucroute Garnie (Cabbage with Sausages and other meats), Baeckeoffe (mix of potatoes, onions, mutton, beef, and pork), or Taste Flambée (thin dough baked with crème fraîche, onion, lardons, forage frais), there are plenty of great restaurants.
2018 Stall Opening Hours
From Friday 23rd November to Sunday 30th December
Monday to Thursday : 10 am to 7 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday : 10 am to 8 pm
24th December : 10 am to 5 pm
25th December : 2 pm to 7 pm
Strasbourg
One of the most recommended and visited Christmas markets in all of Europe is just 45 minutes north of Colmar in Strasbourg, the capital city of the Grand Est region in northeastern France. The town is much larger and is the official seat of the European Parliament. It, like Colmar, is very close to the German border and has been historically occupied by Germany, so the architecture has the beautiful gothic style. Unlike Colmar and some other villages in the region, Strasbourg has a large amount of modern architecture and is full of sites to visit such as the Strasbourg Cathedral, Palais Rohan, the Grand Île, the Strasbourg Museum of Modern Contemporary Art, and more! As you stroll into Kléber Square, you’ll know it’s Christmas. This is the central square and everything branches off of it. There is a massive, and beautiful, tree in the middle that you should photograph! It’s beautiful!
As with my Colmar recommendation, I would advise dedicating a day to explore and properly take in the city. Anything less is just too quick to take it all in and is doing yourself an injustice. Give yourself the time to learn, sightsee, enjoy all the city has to offer and make memories! There are more significant shopping opportunities and a much higher amount of excellent restaurants and bars in Strasbourg. If you can, arrive in the morning and slowly make your way through the city, grab a spiked hot chocolate, and then stroll through the Christmas Market stalls. It’s much larger, and a bit tighter than smaller villages but offers a massive amount of crafts, foods, and anything/everything Christmas!
I think snacking through the market is best and if your traveling mates share, you can experience a variety of what the market has to offer. Plan ahead and make reservations for lunch. Sit down, relax, and rest before tackling the rest of the market. Strasbourg is beautiful, and there are so many superb restaurants, but they get crowded at lunch as not everyone is dining in the marketplace.
After lunch, go where your heart leads you! There will be plenty to see, plenty of souvenirs to buy, and plenty of Glühwein to consume!
If you can visit on a weekday as the weekends are crazy! It’s a good crazy though if you don’t mind crowds because everyone is there for the same celebration and it’s a happy festive time. If you want to experience it a bit less crowded go midweek. This will also aid you in reservations and restaurant availability.
2018 Stall Opening Hours
23 November : 2 pm to 9 pm
24 November to 30 December:
11 am to 8 pm every day
9 pm on Fridays and 10 pm on Saturdays
24 December : 11 am to 6 pm
25 December : Closed
26-30 December : The stalls in Place de la Cathédrale, place du Marché-aux-Poissons and the Terrasse du Palais Rohan will be open.
I'm a US expat, blogging photographer and world-traveler who may or may not like tequila a bit too much.