Alsace Christmas Markets: Strasbourg, Colmar and Basel

Route Overview

Six days through the Alsace markets and across the Swiss border: three nights in Strasbourg, two in Colmar and one in Basel. Strasbourg calls itself the capital of Christmas and its Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie and around the cathedral has run since 1570. Colmar spreads six smaller markets through the old town and the Little Venice canals. Basel adds the largest Swiss market on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz. The three cities are 30 to 45 minutes apart by regional train, so this is a route with almost no travel days.

Weather Patterns

The Rhine plain is damp in December. Strasbourg averages highs of 7°C and lows of 1°C with 89mm of precipitation over 13 days, and December is its wettest month of the year. Colmar, sheltered a little by the Vosges, comes in at 7°C to 1°C with 80mm. Basel is 7°C to 1°C with 87mm over 14 days, after a November that is wetter still at 103mm. The sun sets before five.

Planning Considerations

In 2026 Colmar opens first, on 23 November, and runs latest, to 29 December. Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik runs from 25 November to 24 December, closing on Christmas Eve itself. Basel runs from 26 November to 23 December. The window when all three are open is therefore 26 November to 23 December. The weekends of Advent are the busiest days of the year in Strasbourg and Colmar, with accommodation booked out months ahead; a Tuesday to Thursday stay finds the same stalls at half the density. Strasbourg's cathedral square is the most photographed spot on the route and the most crowded after dark, so see it on a weekday afternoon. This year's dates for every market, including the smaller village markets along the Wine Route, are on the Christmas markets hub.

Why This Depends on YOUR Trip

• Which dates work for all three cities? – 26 November to 23 December in 2026. Arrive after that and only Colmar is still open; arrive before it and Strasbourg is not yet running.
• How wet will it be? – Rain or sleet on roughly two days in five, and December is Strasbourg's wettest month. Half-timbered streets look best in the rain, but plan the Musée Alsacien and the winstubs for the wettest afternoons.
• Should I visit Basel at all? – Yes if you want a bigger market with Swiss prices, no if you would rather add a night in the Alsace villages. Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Eguisheim all run their own weekend markets and are reachable from Colmar by bus.
• Weekday or weekend? – Weekday. The Advent weekends in Strasbourg draw coaches from across Europe; the markets are identical on a Wednesday, the queues are not.

Ready to Test This Route?

Put Strasbourg, Colmar and Basel into the trip planner with your dates and it shows which markets are open at each stop, flags the Christmas Eve closure in Strasbourg if your trip runs into it, and gives you the weather for every day so you can choose which afternoon goes to the canals and which to the museums.