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Tips For An Unforgettable Visit To Christmas Markets in Strasbourg, France

Writer's picture: AudrieZSAudrieZS
An arch of brightly lit gold stars with blue outlines and streaks runs over the beginning of a street near the main Christmas marketing in Strasbourg, Franks. The arch says "Strasbourg: Capitale de Noel" and through it a view down the street shows Christmas lights at night.

Europe is famous for its Christmas markets, featuring stalls that offer mulled wine, local cuisine, and crafts by regional artisans, typically from mid-November to the week of Christmas. Among the most notable are the numerous Christmas markets in Strasbourg, France. Although each town and country has its unique way of celebrating the season, in Strasbourg, it's an intensified "Christmas-on-steroids" experience. With both locals and tourists gathering here, we want to share our tips for an unforgettable visit to Strasbourg during this special season.


We kicked off our Christmas season with a family trip (my husband and me, plus our two adult children) to the Alsace region, basing out of Strasbourg for 9 nights and doing occasional day trips by train to other towns in the region, including in Switzerland and Germany. It was our first time in Alsace and while we are seasoned travelers, we might do things just a bit differently our next time here. Read on!


Before You Go


One of several entrances to the Petite France area, showing a curtain of white lights hanging over the street and the words "Petite France."

Acquaint yourself with the layout of the markets in Strasbourg and what else is in the Alsace region. It might affect your travel arrangements, your choice of destination for a base, or what day you go where. We opted to stay in Strasbourg just outside of Petite France in an AirBnb that accommodated our need for 3 separate sleeping areas, was walkable from the train station, and was close to many markets.


Good resources include:


  • https://noel.strasbourg.eu/en/ -- Their official website, where you'll find a downloadable map of the markets and a Christmas guide plus other tidbits.

  • While there are 13 official markets listed in 2024, some are so close as to be part of each other (example: around the Cathedral, there are two and in Petite France, there seemed to be several little markets scattered around).

  • Also, if planning day trips, see this site, which gives you days and times and map of Alsace. https://www.noel.alsace/marches-de-noel/

TIP -- There are some great Christmas markets in smaller towns in the Alsace region. Check to see which is open on weekdays versus just weekends and make your preferences guide your planning.

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Pack For The Weather


For many places in the region winter is the rainy season. While we only had one afternoon that was a steady rain, we anticipated at least a brief drizzle on most days. During our early December visit, temperatures ranged from a low of 29°F to a high of nearly 50°F, with daytime temperatures usually in the low 40s and nighttime temperatures dropping into the high 30s. While it's not extremely cold, with cloudy skies, a breeze, and being outdoors all day and night, layering is essential. We packed inner, lighter layers for warmth and an outer layer that was warm, windproof, and waterproof.

TIP -- Bring layers! I particularly loved my cuddle duds. You could even wear the bottoms as tights, but I use them under jeans.

As always, I managed to get everything into a carry-on by wearing my heaviest outfit on the plane and using these packing cubes that also have a mild compression.



We didn't miss a thing due to weather. In fact, this fabulous cheese experience happened during our most steady afternoon of rain. It was perfect for a chilly afternoon.


Location: Place du Temple Neuf (Carré d’Or,) a small market with some quality "chalets" which are what Americans might call "booths." It's a short walk from the Grand Sapin/Place Kleber market area.


Once in Strasbourg


  • Download the most recent map from their official website or grab a hardcopy version that you will find available throughout the markets.


  • Enjoy Daytime Versus Nighttime -- various markets and areas of the city can offer a truly different atmosphere depending on the time of day. We visited all the markets in both day and night times, but we were able to do that by staying many days in Strasbourg. Your time in Strasbourg may be shorter; all the more important to plan.

  • Certainly, the larger markets were less busy during the day, even on the weekend. Still, it was stunning to see the Cathedral at night, regardless of crowds.


  • Strategically plan when you will visit the larger markets. There's a reason they are so popular. The food is endless, and chalets offer both handcrafted merchandise by the artisans among chalets with more standard (but still fun) fare.

  • Dodge The Crowds (yes, it's possible) -- While we usually travel during shoulder season, there is no "off season" for the Christmas markets. Expect some crowds at these bigger markets: Au Pied du Grand Sapin (and the three chalet areas shown on the map), the Cathedral, and Christkindelsmarik. There three that can especially attract crowds on the weekend.

  • The first hour of opening and before closing had the smallest crowds.


  • The day of the week can matter. By Friday afternoon, we found the crowds starting to ratchet up, as people flooded in for the weekend from places like Paris and elsewhere. My photos below show an example of near the Cathedral on a Tuesday night. There was plenty of space to walk around and very few of the chalets had lines. One the other hand, it was wall-to-wall people on Saturday evening at both the Cathedral market and the Grand Sapin market. Yet, we were able to find plenty of space to stand almost next to the large Christmas tree for its 7 PM light show, and a simple walk around a few "aisles" away from the crowd revealed open space and great quality vendors.

TIP -- We had a great Saturday in Strasbourg, but in retrospect we probably should have stuck to our original plan, to day trip by train to a smaller city. But the weather was rainy and bit blustery all over the region and we wanted to be able to retreat to our AirBnb if the weather got the best of us (it didn't).

  • Also, be aware that that prime food rows in some of the larger markets can be quite crowded on a weekend night, but you might find one row over completely clear. That happened to us on the evening we took the photo of the crowds shown above. By walking a few rows over, we had plenty of room to peruse shops.


But who doesn't want to see the light show at the Le Grand Sapin at the top of each hour in the evening? You may find the crowds worth it.


A large real fir tree decorated in color lights of different shades of blue, white, and gold towers over spectators

  • Consider trying the smaller markets when it's prime time for the larger ones. Some of our best experiences both with shopping and food were at smaller markets. See this map below for reference. (Note: this is the 2024 map, but it will stay essentially the same. I will upload the 2025 map when it is released).



Place Du Temple Neuf -- This little market is a stone's throw from The Grand Sapin. You'll find a small group of quality merchandise vendors (there is a great loose tea vendor and another with the fab melted cheese I showed earlier).

TIP -- A nice grouping for a walk is Place Benjamin Zix, Petit France, Le Village D'Avent (and the nearby chalets of local Alsacian wineries and other food producers). You could also include Le Marché OFF, described later in this post.

Advent Village and the nearby Square Louise Weiss are smaller markets but they have a unique blend of offerings for both adults and children. For children, they have a craft area, a stage with performances, and a "build-it-yourself" area where kids can construct small houses with working doors and windows. For adults, regional vendors offer a range of locally-produced foods and drink including wine, chocolate, jam, pesto and Alsatian bredle. In fact, one of our favorite meals was a cup of vegetable soup from the pesto chalet. It also has a photo-worthy view of colorful half-timbered houses across the water.



Marché OFF stands out as a very unique market. Here you'll find shipping containers repurposed as booths, and vendors dedicated to environmentally-conscious practices like upcycling thrifted items. We especially loved the vintage denim jackets upcycled with a full needlepoint image on the back, and the jewelry make of repurposed glass and beads.


During the day, this market was fairly "zen" but at night (at least the night we were there), it was party time. Young people (and me, although not so young) danced to a live band, while many people lounged in groupings of chairs and tables, indulging in drinks from the vendor tent of wine and beer.


Place du Marché-aux-Poissons and nearby Terrasse Rohan were a great escape for us on Saturday evening, when the bigger markets were a bit tight with crowds. They are both a short walk from the Cathedral. It constantly amazed me that you could turn a corner or walk two blocks, and have a complete change in atmosphere!


It's worth walking there at night, indulging in the Quai des Délices (Wharf of Delights), where you'll find the Fédération des Boulangeries du Bas-Rhin's pop-up bakery, as well as numerous vendors with a wonderful variety of baked sweets and local wine.

TIP -- Take a brief walk across one of the bridges in the area to enjoy the reflections in the water and the view of the 400 stars that stretch from Pont du Corbeau to the Pont Saint Guillaume.


Plan Your Meals


Most markets are open from 11:30 AM to about 9 PM (although some close earlier on some days, especially from December 24 and beyond). Every market has some sort of food, with the larger markets (Le Grand Sapin, the Cathedral ones, and Christkindelsmarik) having large vendors of things like spaetzel with various toppings (many are similar but don't assume they all have the same).


Among our favorite foods at the markets were:


  • Waffles (Gaufres) from a stand at the Grand Sapin (we went back twice--no judgment, please--and were able to be quickly waited on despite crowds). My favorite was with Nutella and bananas.

  • Place Broglie for fantastic Lebanese food. Yes, Lebanese. A local resident had raved about the food at this chalet, called Levanthym, run by two women who have been featured in local media as exemplary female entrepreneurs. They also have a store front in Strasbourg.

  • Le Tigre, at the Place du Marché-aux-Poissons, had excellent Tarte Flambée (Flammekueche).

  • The cheese bread at Temple Neuf.

  • Potatoes with a cream sauce, available at most of the markets that serve spaetzel and sausage.



Not all markets have places to sit down, but Place Broglie seemed to have the most. We were able to sit just next to Le Tigre in Place du Marché-aux-Poissons as well. Otherwise, we generally ate while standing.


Get Yourself A Hot Drink and Maybe A Collectable Mug


Just about every market has Glühwein or Vin Chaud, both names for the same thing: hot mulled wine, spiced in different ways. Each stand generally has other non-alcoholic hot drinks, such as hot chocolate or mulled orange or apple drinks. The hot drinks are a welcome relief on cold days, and are not strongly alcoholic. Your wine or hot drink (or even soup) will come in a plastic cup. You pay a refundable 1€ on top of the cost of your drink. You can choose to keep your cup (many designs are available throughout the markets), return it to any vendor to receive your deposit back, or place it in specially-marked bins where the proceeds of the returns are given to charity.


If you REALLY want something to collect, you can join the madness of many who visit the markets in Europe and look for the ceramic mugs to collect. The cost of the drink is likely to be an additional 3€ or more. In 2024, the Strasbourg mug was either a red round mug or one shaped as a boot, both featuring the city in some sort of graphic. The ceramic mugs were only available at one vendor, in Le Grand Sapin. I came home with two mugs, one from Strasbourg and one from Colmar. I've seen some people online come home from two weeks in Europe with dozens of these mugs.



Make Reservations and Plans for Sit-Down Meals in Advance


The upside of Christmas markets is the never-ending availability of food, drinks, and snacks. The downside is getting tired or cold and wanting to rest. That was true for us, but we also wanted to experience Alsatian food beyond what the markets had.


What we discovered is that many restaurants or cafes which would normally take reservations any other time of the year do not take them during Christmas Market season. We hate waiting in line, so either ate at the markets or planned strategically to eat at "off" times, getting to restaurants as they opened for lunch, or (if they were open all afternoon) eating mid-afternoon.

TIP -- Many restaurants--but not all--close around 2 PM and open again at 6 or 7 PM for dinner. Plan accordingly.

Places to consider eating:


  • La Fignette -- a quaint bistro located at 5 Rue de la Vignette featuring Alsatian cuisine, a blend of German and French style food. We walked by this place many times and joked about there always being a line of people waiting outside to be seated. We ate there twice, walking right in, once when they opened at 11:30 AM and once at 3 PM on our day of arrival to Strasbourg. They are one of the restaurants open all day.

Cozy bistro facade, "LA FIGNETTE," with warm lights and festive decorations. Outdoor seating, wooden beams, and a street lamp lit scene.
The quaint bistro, La Fignette
  • Try La Corde à Linge and enjoy good food and a vibrant Christmas Market at Place Benjamin Zix. It was a bit of a breezy cold day. We had the option of standing in line to wait for an indoor table, or taking their offer of blankets and being immediately seated outside, right on the square. We chose outside, warm drinks (Café alsacien au Marc de Gewurz and a hot amber grog with honey), and great meals that included a German-style pork knuckle, baked munster cheese, and escargot with herbed butter. (They also have hamburgers and beer).



  • Try a tea salon, for a sweet break or a meal.


It took us until our last full day there until we realized some of the tea salons we saw were more than their window full of pastries. Drawn in by their luscious display, we stopped at Maison Suzanne at 25, rue du 22 novembre. After picking our sweet selections from the front display, we were seated in the back, ordering tea and enjoying our sweets. We discovered that they are not only a patisserie and tea salon, but a restaurant and cafe that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.


  • Really Spoil Yourself


A store window with sweets, most prominently featured are two rows of shiny boxes with ribbons containing truffles.

If you want sweets, consider take away or sit down at Patisserie Christian. They have two locations--one at 12 rue de l'Outre not far from Le Grand Sapin market and another at 10 rue Mercière near the Cathedral. We walked around the outside windows at their rue de l'Outre location , looking at the amazing artisanal offerings. If you could eat with your eyes, I gained ten pounds.


Once inside, you wait for a server who will get you what you want from the window to take away Alternatively, they have a tea salon.


They have nice little packages of truffles which make a great gift to take home.


Final Advice


There is much more to see in Strasbourg, from the inside of the Cathedral--once the tallest building in the world and still the 6th largest cathedral--to the Christmas windows of Gallerie LaFayette. What you can fit in will depend on your personal plans. I hope this article will help you to tailor your plans and make the most of your time.

Final Tip-- Plan ahead but don't plan everything. Part of the beauty of the Christmas season in Strasbourg is wandering the streets, stumbling upon the spectacle of each new street, and wondering at it all.








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