The Best Christmas Markets in France: 8 Cities and Their 2026 Dates
Strasbourg, Colmar, Kaysersberg, Mulhouse, Montbéliard, Reims, Lille and Amiens: the 2026 dates, how big each market is and how to get there by train from Paris.
- 8 separate markets in Strasbourg
- 1570, the year Strasbourg traces its tradition to
- 45 min by TGV from Paris to Reims
- 1.2 miles of stalls in Amiens
If you are flying into Paris for the holidays, most of France’s big Christmas markets are a train ride away. In 2026, Colmar opens first among the cities below, on November 23, followed by Reims on November 25 and Strasbourg on November 27. A few cities had not posted their 2026 calendar by early November; for those, we give last season’s details and tell you where to check.
France has no official ranking of its Christmas markets, so we do not invent one. We picked these eight on checkable criteria: a market run every year by the city, a published size (number of markets or stalls), a long history or a tradition of its own, and a station close enough to skip the rental car.
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- 2026 dates at a glance
- Day trips from Paris
- Strasbourg
- Colmar and the wine villages
- Mulhouse
- Montbéliard
- Reims
- Lille
- Amiens
- FAQ
- Sources
When do the French Christmas markets open in 2026?
Most open between November 20 and November 27. The Alsace wine villages wrap up on December 20, while Colmar and Amiens run past Christmas.
| City | 2026 dates | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Strasbourg | Nov 27 to Dec 24 | 8 markets |
| Colmar | Nov 23 to Dec 29 | 6 markets |
| Kaysersberg | 4 weekends, Nov 27 to Dec 20 | 30 stalls |
| Mulhouse | not yet posted | 91 stalls (2024) |
| Montbéliard | not yet posted | not published |
| Reims | Nov 25 to Dec 27 | 150 stalls |
| Lille | not yet posted | 90+ stalls (2025) |
| Amiens | from Nov 20, ends Dec 27 or 30 | 100+ stalls |
Where sources disagree: the Somme tourism board says the Amiens market closes December 30, 2026, while the city of Amiens’s August 2026 contractor notice says December 27. Confirm before booking a night between Christmas and New Year’s.
Which Christmas markets can you visit as a day trip from Paris?
Reims and Lille are the easy ones. SNCF Connect, the French rail booking site, gave 45 minutes by TGV from Paris-Est to Reims in a 2023 article, and the Reims market starts a one-minute walk from Reims Centre station. Lille’s tourism agency puts the city one hour from Paris by high-speed train; the Place Rihour market is five minutes on foot from Lille-Flandres station.
Alsace (Strasbourg, Colmar and the villages) is better as an overnight trip, with a base in Strasbourg or Colmar.
Strasbourg: eight markets, November 27 to December 24
The city of Strasbourg announces its 2026 edition from November 27 to December 24 and traces its Christmas market tradition back to 1570. The Christkindelsmärik fills Place Broglie; seven more markets spread across other squares:
- Around the Cathedral: Place de la Cathédrale and Place du Château.
- At the Great Christmas Tree: Place Kléber.
- La Petite France: Place Benjamin Zix and Place Saint-Thomas.
- Le Quai des Délices: Terrasse Rohan and Place du Marché-aux-Poissons.
- Alsace small producers: Square Louise Weiss.
- Carré d’Or: Place du Temple-Neuf.
- The OFF market: Place Grimmeissen.
Opening hours are in the FAQ section of the official site, not on its homepage. For the rest of the city, see our Strasbourg guide.
Find a hotel in Strasbourg for market season
Colmar, Kaysersberg and the Alsace wine villages
Colmar runs six Christmas markets from November 23 to December 29, 2026, according to “La Magie de Noël à Colmar,” the site of the area’s tourist offices. Our Colmar guide covers the town itself.
Kaysersberg keeps it small: four weekends only, Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with 30 wooden stalls in the Cour de l’Arsenal and behind Sainte-Croix church, plus a farmers’ market on Place de la Mairie on the same dates.
- Kaysersberg: Nov 27 to 29, Dec 4 to 6, Dec 11 to 13 and Dec 18 to 20, 2026.
- Riquewihr: Nov 27 to Dec 20, 2026; 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, to 7 p.m. on weekends; free entry.
- Eguisheim and Turckheim: Nov 27 to Dec 30, 2026.
- Munster: Fridays to Sundays from Nov 20 to Dec 20, then daily Dec 21 to 31, 2026.
- Bergheim, Ribeauvillé, Neuf-Brisach: a few weekends between late November and mid-December, listed on the same site.
Good to know: the Colmar tourist offices’ site has a section on Christmas shuttles between Colmar and the villages. The 2026 timetable was not detailed yet when we checked.
Mulhouse and its Christmas fabric
Mulhouse, a former textile town, has its own twist: since 1998 the city has commissioned a new Christmas fabric every year, prints about 10,000 meters (roughly 6 miles) of it to dress the streets, and sells it by the meter at the Boutique aux Étoffes in City Hall.
The city’s 2024 press kit described the 34th edition: 91 stalls around Place de la Réunion, from November 22 to December 27. The 2025 market opened on November 21. Check the city’s site for 2026 dates. See also our Mulhouse guide.
Montbéliard: the Lumières de Noël
Montbéliard belonged to the Duchy of Württemberg for more than four centuries, and its market follows the Alemannic, German-style tradition, with a local character called Tante Airie, according to Montagnes du Jura, the regional tourism brand. Expect a sweets alley and a food alley next to the main market.
We found no 2026 dates for the market itself from the city or its tourist office. Check with the Pays de Montbéliard tourist office before you book.
Reims: 150 stalls next to the train station
The Grand Est regional tourism agency calls Reims France’s third-largest Christmas market. In 2026, its 150 wooden stalls fill the Promenades Jean-Louis Schneiter from November 25 to December 27, closed on Christmas Day.
- 2026 hours: Monday 2 to 8 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Ferris wheel: Place Drouet d’Erlon, November 14, 2026, to January 10, 2027, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., paid ride.
Make a day of it with our Reims guide.
Lille: Place Rihour and a 50-meter Ferris wheel
In 2025, Lille’s market brought more than 90 stalls to Place Rihour from November 19 to December 30, with a 50-meter (164-foot) Ferris wheel on the Grand-Place. Hours last season were 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closing at 6 p.m. on December 24 and closed December 25.
Hello Lille, the metro area’s tourism agency, had not posted 2026 dates when we checked. More on the city in our Lille guide.
Amiens: 100+ stalls along 1.2 miles
The Somme tourism board bills Amiens as the largest Christmas market in northern France: more than a hundred red stalls along 2 km (1.2 miles) of lit-up streets, from Place René Goblet to Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. It opens Friday, November 20, 2026.
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closes at 5 p.m. on December 24, closed December 25.
- Crowds: the tourism board warns of heavy to very heavy weekend crowds.
- New for 2026: the city’s contractor notice plans a light show on Place Gambetta, a synthetic ice rink and a Santa’s village.
For the rest of your stay, see our Amiens guide.
Before you book: rooms near the markets go fast for December weekends. Pick a free-cancellation rate until your city has posted its final schedule.
Compare hotels for a Christmas market weekend
Christmas markets in France: FAQ
What is the best Christmas market in France?
There is no official ranking. Strasbourg is the biggest in our list, with eight markets and a tradition it traces to 1570. Reims calls itself the third largest in France, and Amiens the largest in northern France.
When do Christmas markets start in France in 2026?
Amiens opens November 20, Colmar November 23, Reims November 25 and Strasbourg November 27, 2026. Kaysersberg and Riquewihr also start November 27.
Are any French Christmas markets open after Christmas?
Yes: Colmar through December 29, Eguisheim and Turckheim through December 30, Reims through December 27, and Amiens through December 27 or 30 depending on the source. Strasbourg closes December 24.
Can I visit a Christmas market as a day trip from Paris?
Yes. Reims is about 45 minutes by TGV from Paris-Est, with the market a minute from the station, and Lille is about an hour away by high-speed train.
Do French Christmas markets charge admission?
Riquewihr advertises free entry, and none of the other official sources we read mentions a ticket. You pay for what you buy and for some rides, like the Reims Ferris wheel.
Sources
All checked on November 3, 2026. Most pages are in French.
- City of Strasbourg, Strasbourg Capitale de Noël: 2026 dates, eight markets and their squares.
- Colmar area tourist offices, La Magie de Noël à Colmar: 2026 dates for Colmar and the villages.
- Kaysersberg tourist office, Christmas markets Kaysersberg: weekends, hours, stalls.
- Riquewihr festival committee, via La Magie de Noël à Colmar: 2026 dates and hours.
- City of Mulhouse, 2024 Christmas press kit and press release of November 28, 2025.
- Montagnes du Jura (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Tourisme), Les Lumières de Noël.
- Grand Est regional tourism agency, Visit Reims and its Christmas market (updated October 27, 2026): dates, hours, stalls, Ferris wheel.
- SNCF Connect, Le marché de Noël de Reims (2023) and Marché de Noël à Lille (2024): train access.
- Hello Lille, Un Noël à Lille en 2025: 2025 edition, stalls, hours, Ferris wheel, train times.
- Somme Tourisme, Le Marché de Noël d’Amiens (updated October 2, 2026): dates, hours, stalls.
- City of Amiens, “Christmas Market 2026” contractor notice (August 28, 2026).
Written by The Advised Traveler Team from city and tourism board sources; we have not visited these markets. Cities sometimes post or change their schedules late, so the official site has the final word. Spotted a changed date? Let us know.