Christmas in France
Christmas in France
Grand Est• Travel Inspiration

Colmar Christmas Market 2023 – Dates, Locations & Things to Do

03/11/2023

Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France
This article may contain compensated links. Please read disclaimer for more info.

Colmar at Christmas Time

If you are visiting Paris in December and have an extra day or two, why not jump on a train to explore the Christmas Market in Colmar? Sure, there are lovely Christmas Markets in all of France, but Colmar is the place to go for the quintessential fairytale Christmas market.

Colmar boasts one of the best Christmas Markets in Alsace, and it is a small and walkable city very easy to visit on a day trip or weekend getaway.

Imagine a medieval fairytale town with cobbled streets and half-timbered houses, Christmas lights and decorations, wooden chalets selling everything from handicrafts to local delicacies, and the smell of hot chocolate or mulled wine. It is no wonder why the Colmar Christmas Market is consistently named one of the best Christmas markets in Europe!

If you decide to visit Colmar at Christmas time this year, here’s a quick guide to the Colmar Christmas Market 2023 – dates, locations, things to do, plus insider tips.

Christmas Colmar

Strasbourg or Colmar Christmas Market? Both Christmas Markets are lovely, but Strasbourg is nicknamed the Christmas Capital for a reason! The Christmas Market in Strasbourg is more extensive, with more sites, chalets, and activities for all ages. Also, Strasbourg is better connected with other cities in Europe than Colmar. If you only have one day available, the Christmas Market Colmar is smaller and easier to visit on a day trip.

Table of Contents

  • Colmar Christmas Market Dates 2023 and Opening Hours
  • Christmas Market Colmar 2023 – Stay Overnight if You Can
  • How to Get to the Christmas Market in Colmar, France
  • Colmar Christmas Market 2023 – Map & Locations
  • Colmar France Christmas Market 2023 – Things to Do

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Mont Saint Odile - Alsace
Best Things to Do in Alsace

Colmar Christmas Market Dates 2023 and Opening Hours

The Colmar Christmas Market 2023 dates are from 24 November to 29 December 2023. If possible, try to visit in November, ideally during the week. There are always a lot of people during the weekends, especially in December!

TIP: A day trip to Colmar to see the Colmar Christmas Market is especially popular, so book your train tickets and accommodation well in advance!

Colmar Christmas Market Opening Hours 2023

Here are the Colmar Christmas Market hours for 2023:

  • From Monday to Thursday chalets and animations are open from 11 am to 7 pm
  • On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, chalets, and animations are open from 10 am to 8 pm
  • On 24 December, the market opens from 10 am to 5 pm
  • On 25 December, the market opens from 11 am to 8 pm
  • On 26 December, the market opens from 11 am to 7 pm

Christmas Market Colmar 2023 – Stay Overnight if You Can

A day trip from Paris, Lyon, or Dijon to Colmar to see the Christmas Market is feasible but tiring, especially if you get up early to take one of the first trains. If possible, stay one night on-site so you can visit everything at a slower pace and enjoy the rest of the city as well.

Colmar is an excellent destination for a 2-day trip or a weekend getaway. The advantage of staying overnight is enjoying the city when the day crowds are gone. Early in the morning or at dusk, you can almost have the Petite Venice to yourself! When it’s the blue hour, with soft street lighting and perfect reflections in the still waters of the canals, the fairytale is real.

Finding accommodation in Colmar will not be difficult as there’s a wide choice of places to stay for all travel styles. But if you want to visit for the Colmar Christmas Market, booking in advance is essential. Hotel Saint-Martin and Hotel Le Colombier are our favorite options to stay in Colmar.

We also recommend having a look at this article on where to stay in Colmar, with a description of the best neighborhoods to stay in Colmar for tourists and more hotel recommendations.

How to Get to the Christmas Market in Colmar

Colmar Christmas Market 2023 by Train

A trip to Colmar by train is very easy to plan. The central station is named Gare de Colmar. From the train station in Colmar, it’s a 10-15 minute walk to Old Colmar.

Trains to Colmar leave from Paris Gare de l’Est train station. The distance from Paris to Colmar is 500 km but thanks to the fast trains it only takes 2 hours and a half to reach Colmar! Most proposals include a change of trains in Strasbourg, except the very first train, which is direct – Click here to book your train from Paris to Colmar

There are five trains a day connecting Lyon Part Dieu train station to Colmar. Some train connections include a change of trains in Dijon. Count on it taking 3 hrs 15 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the train connection – Click here to book your train from Lyon to Colmar

If after visiting the Strasbourg Christmas Market you wish to continue to Colmar, you have hourly trains from Strasbourg to Colmar. Count on it taking 30 minutes – Click here to book your train from Strasbourg to Colmar.

Colmar France Christmas Market 2023 by Car

Do you want to visit the Christmas Market in Colmar as part of an Alsace road trip? Having a car in Colmar at Christmas time is always challenging! The city is particularly busy and the Christmas Markets are in pedestrian areas with no car access.

If you want to visit Colmar with a car, we recommend staying in the lesser central neighborhoods of Colmar or in hotels with private parking for its guests.

If you don’t have a car in the France, we recommend booking with DiscoverCars a leader in online car rental bookings; DiscoverCars compares car rental deals from many companies so that you can choose which is best for your trip. Check out our best tips for renting a car in France.

Colmar Christmas Market 2023 – Map & Locations

Map made with Google My Maps (c)

There are six different Christmas Markets in Colmar. They are all located in the Old Town and you can easily walk from one Christmas Market to another. Check out our Colmar Christmas Market 2023 Map where we have pinpointed the six locations.

  • Marché Gourmand Place de la Cathédrale (Gastronomic Market)
  • Marché de Noël – Place des Dominicains (Arts and Crafts)
  • Marché de Noël – Place de l’Ancienne Douanne (Arts and Crafts)
  • Marché de Noël – Inside the Koïfhus (Arts and Crafts from local artisans)
  • Marché de Noël – Place Jeanne d’Arc (reconstitution of a traditional Alsace village)
  • Little Venise Christmas Market (for kids)

In addition to these Colmar Christmas Markets in the Old Town, there’s the Marché aux Sapins at Parc du Champs de Mars, the place to buy your Christmas Tree.

CHRISTMAS MARKET COLMAR – WHAT WE LIKE:

Colmar, already superb all year round, is sublimated by the lights and decorations of the Christmas Markets.

Ideal size: not too big, but lots of things to see and do.

Lots of pretty objects to observe and buy and good, local specialties to taste.

CHRISTMAS MARKET COLMAR – WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:

It is too crowded on weekends!

The hotel prices escalate during this period, especially on the weekends.

Colmar France Christmas Market 2023 – Things to Do

Christmas in Colmar
photo courtesy: OT Colmar (C)

What to do at the Colmar Christmas Market 2023? Apart from strolling around the different locations and soaking up the city’s unique atmosphere at Christmas time, here are the things you don’t want to miss at the Colmar France Christmas Market 2023. Ask at the ColmarTourism Office (Place Unterlinden) for the full program and times.

TIP: This Colmar Christmas Market walking tour is an excellent introduction to your Colmar Christmas trip.

Adults

  • The Carousel Bar at Place Rapp, a quirky place to have a drink and some snacks
  • Cooking shows by reputed chefs in the Gastronomic Christmas Market
  • Christmas concerts (different locations, free entrance)
  • Unterlinden Museum (a must of Colmar all the year-round)
  • Admire the city’s special atmosphere and the Vosges Mountains from the Ferris Wheel at Place du Chasseur

Kids and Adults

  • The ice-skating rink at Place Rapp
  • A children’s choir sings Christmas songs on the famous flat-bottomed boats of Little Venice. It is Magical!
  • Toy Museum (a must of Colmar)
  • Choco Story Colmar (a must of Colmar)
  • Christmas concerts (different locations, free entrance)
  • Mechanical Christmas Crib at Sainte-Marie Church

Kids

  • The Little Venice Christmas Market, with its funfair, and Santa’s mailbox
  • Christmas Treasure Hunt. Get the booklet and treasure map for free at the Tourist Office
  • Several theatre shows (different locations)
  • Street performances at the ice-skating rink

Colmar Christmas Market Illuminations and Decorations

Expect a total of 25 km of light garlands, 90 projectors, 26,000 Christmas balls, and more than a thousand firs, birches, and various shrubs that will create the warm atmosphere of the end-of-year celebrations. There’s something to see everywhere, but don’t miss the Colmar Christmas illuminations in these places:

  • Musée Unterlinden, place Unterlinden and Quai de la Sinn 
  • Mairie (Colmar’s Town Hall)
  • Archives Municipales
  • Façades Rue des Têtes and Rue Kléber
  • Maison des Têtes
  • Théâtre Municipal
  • Cathédrale
  • Ancien Corps de garde
  • Champ de Mars and Place Rapp
  • Koïfhus
  • Médiathèque, Place du 2 février
  • Tribunal
  • Maison du Guetteur
  • Petite Venise
  • Musée d’Histoire Naturelle et d’Ethnographie
  • Fontaine Rapp
  • Colmar’s Train Station
  • Churches Saint-Joseph and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul

Visit Other Christmas Markets Near Colmar

During your stay in Colmar, you can also explore the other Christmas Markets in Alsace on day trips from Colmar.

Out of the train station in Colmar, Christmas bus shuttles are set up between several towns (Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Turkkeim, Munster, Neuf-Brisach, and Eguisheim). There are several bus stops in Colmar, but usually the bus fills up at the the train station’s bus stop.

There are five bus lines (click here for bus times), which cover the following towns:

  • line 1 : Colmar • Kaysersberg • Riquewihr • Ribeauvillé (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
  • line 2 : Colmar • Ribeauvillé • Riquewihr • Kaysersberg (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
  • line 3 : Colmar • Eguisheim (Monday to Sunday)
  • line 4 : Colmar • Turckheim • Munster (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
  • line 5 : Colmar • Neuf-Brisach (Friday 9/12 and Saturday 10/12)

Check out our quick guides to the best Christmas Markets in Alsace:

And of course, there’s the Strasbourg Christmas Market, easy to visit from Colmar by train!

So there you have it, our quick guide to the Colmar Christmas Market 2023 with everything you need to know for a fun trip to Colmar at Christmas time

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