Quick Answer
Christmas markets in Europe 2026: the short version
The 2026 season is unusually long at both ends. Manchester opens on 6 November, Munich has moved its start forward to the Friday before Totensonntag, and Wrocław runs to 7 January 2027.
The catch is the middle of the calendar. Several of the most famous markets in Germany close on 23 or 24 December, so a trip built around the week after Christmas has to pick from a shorter list.
VoyageHacks last verified every market date on this page against the market’s own, city or tourist-board website on 2 October 2026.
The 2026 Christmas market dates table
Every date below comes from the organiser, the city or the official tourist board, read on 2 October 2026. Where a market has not published its 2026 dates, the row says so rather than guessing. Rows run in order of opening date.
| City | Market | 2026 dates | Closed or short days (as published) | Nearest airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | Manchester’s Christmas Markets, ten city-centre sites | 6 Nov to 22 Dec; Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens to 3 Jan 2027 | None published yet | MAN |
| Vienna | Viennese Christmas Market, Rathausplatz | 13 Nov to 26 Dec | 24 Dec closes 18:30 | VIE |
| Budapest | Vörösmarty Classic Xmas, Vörösmarty Square | From 13 Nov; closing date not published on 2 Oct 2026 | Not published | BUD |
| Budapest | Advent Basilica, St Stephen’s Square | 13 Nov to 1 Jan 2027 | None published | BUD |
| Copenhagen | Christmas in Tivoli | 13 Nov to 3 Jan 2027 | Not listed on Tivoli’s season page | CPH |
| Valkenburg | Gemeentegrot and Fluweelengrot cave markets | 13 Nov to 30 Dec | Gemeentegrot: closed 25 Dec, 24 and 30 Dec 11:00 to 18:00 | MST |
| Edinburgh | Edinburgh’s Christmas | 14 Nov to 3 Jan 2027 | Not listed | EDI |
| Cologne | Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral | 16 Nov to 23 Dec (marked provisional) | Closed Sun 22 Nov (Totensonntag) | CGN |
| Salzburg | Salzburger Christkindlmarkt, Domplatz and Residenzplatz | 19 Nov to 1 Jan 2027 | 24 Dec 09:00 to 15:00; 25 and 26 Dec 11:00 to 18:00 | SZG |
| Zurich | Polarzauber, Zurich main station | 19 Nov to 24 Dec | 24 Dec 11:00 to 16:00 | ZRH |
| Munich | Christkindlmarkt, Marienplatz | 20 Nov to 24 Dec | 24 Dec 10:00 to 14:00 (2025 hours, 2026 not yet listed) | MUC |
| Tallinn | Tallinn Christmas Market, Town Hall Square | 20 Nov to 6 Jan 2027 | None: open daily 10:00 to 20:00 | TLL |
| Wrocław | Wrocławski Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy | 20 Nov to 7 Jan 2027 | Closed 24 Dec, 25 Dec and 1 Jan; 26 Dec from 13:00 | WRO |
| Gdańsk | Gdański Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy | 20 Nov to 23 Dec | Not published | GDN |
| Bruges | Christmas markets (Winter Glow) | 20 Nov to 3 Jan 2027 | 24 Dec to 17:00; 25 Dec and 1 Jan limited | BRU or OST |
| Berlin | WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt | 23 Nov to 31 Dec | 24 Dec 11:00 to 18:00; 2 euros entry | BER |
| Colmar | Six markets in the old town | 23 Nov to 29 Dec | None listed | SXB or BSL |
| Dresden | Striezelmarkt, Altmarkt | 25 Nov to 24 Dec | Not listed | DRS |
| Basel | Basler Weihnachtsmarkt, Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz | 26 Nov to 23 Dec | 23 Dec: Münsterplatz closes 18:00, Barfüsserplatz 20:00 | BSL |
| Nuremberg | Christkindlesmarkt, Hauptmarkt | 27 Nov to 24 Dec | Opens 27 Nov at 17:30 | NUE |
| Brussels | Winter Wonders | 27 Nov to 3 Jan 2027 | Not listed | BRU |
| Kraków | Main Square Christmas market | 27 Nov to 3 or 6 Jan 2027 (organiser’s trader call; end date not final) | Not published | KRK |
| Prague | Old Town Square Christmas Market | 28 Nov to 6 Jan 2027 | None: open daily 10:00 to 22:00 | PRG |
| Strasbourg | Christkindelsmärik | 2026 dates not published on 2 Oct 2026; 2025 ran 26 Nov to 24 Dec | Not published | SXB |
Airport codes: MST is Maastricht Aachen, OST is Ostend-Bruges, BSL is EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg. Bruges has no airport of its own, so most visitors fly into Brussels and take the train.
Four things in that table change a booking.
Cologne is marked provisional. The organiser’s own site gives 16 November to 23 December and a closure on Sunday 22 November for Totensonntag, the German day of remembrance. Re-check before you book anything non-refundable.
Munich starts earlier than it used to. The City of Munich says that from 2026 the Christkindlmarkt opens on the Friday before Totensonntag, which puts the first day on 20 November.
Kraków’s end date is a range. The organiser, ARTIM, gives 27 November 2026 to 3 January or 6 January 2027 in its call for traders. Plan around 3 January.
Strasbourg is the big unknown. Its official site says the 2026 dates and programme are still being finalised. If Strasbourg is the anchor of your trip, book a refundable room or use Colmar, which has published.
Which markets close before Christmas
If you are travelling from 24 December onward, these are off the list:
- 22 December: Manchester’s main sites (Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open).
- 23 December: Cologne Cathedral, Basel, Gdańsk.
- 24 December: Munich, Dresden, Nuremberg, Zurich main station, and Strasbourg if it repeats 2025.
- 26 December: Vienna’s Rathausplatz.
Most of these close in the afternoon on their last day. Munich’s 2025 hours ended at 14:00 on 24 December and Zurich’s 2026 hours end at 16:00.
Which markets stay open after Christmas
These run past 26 December, which makes them the only options for a trip between Christmas and New Year:
| Market | Last day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Colmar | 29 Dec 2026 | Nearby Eguisheim and Turckheim run to 30 Dec |
| Valkenburg caves | 30 Dec 2026 | Gemeentegrot shuts on 25 Dec |
| Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt | 31 Dec 2026 | Open to midnight on 31 Dec |
| Salzburg | 1 Jan 2027 | Short hours 24 to 26 Dec |
| Budapest, Advent Basilica | 1 Jan 2027 | |
| Brussels, Bruges, Tivoli, Edinburgh | 3 Jan 2027 | Bruges limited on 25 Dec and 1 Jan |
| Kraków | 3 or 6 Jan 2027 | End date not final |
| Prague, Tallinn | 6 Jan 2027 | Both open daily |
| Wrocław | 7 Jan 2027 | Closed 24, 25 Dec and 1 Jan |
Vienna has one more: the Vienna Tourist Board lists the Schönbrunn Palace market from 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, open 10:00 to 19:00 from 25 December. It is the Vienna market to pick if you arrive after the Rathausplatz closes.
For a Central European loop after Christmas, Prague, Wrocław and Kraków all run into January and sit on the same rail corridor.
The best Christmas markets in Europe, by what you want
There is no single best market. These are the picks by trip type, using only the dates and facts above.
The longest season: Vienna
Vienna has the deepest bench. The Rathausplatz runs 13 November to 26 December, Schönbrunn 6 November to 6 January, and the Tourist Board lists Spittelberg (13 November to 23 December) and the Belvedere (20 November to 31 December) on top. Whatever week you land, something is open.
The latest finish: Prague, Tallinn and Wrocław
Prague’s Old Town Square is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 until 6 January 2027, by Prague City Tourism. Tallinn is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00 until the same date. Wrocław runs one day longer, to 7 January, but closes on 24 and 25 December and 1 January. See our Prague budget hotel guide for where to stay near the square.
Colmar and Strasbourg: the Alsace pair
Colmar runs six markets across the old town, around 180 stalls, from 23 November to 29 December 2026, by the Colmar Tourist Office. Strasbourg is around 26 to 35 minutes away by regional train, but its 2026 dates are not out. Both are in France, and the Colmar office also publishes 2026 dates for nearby Eguisheim and Turckheim (27 November to 30 December) and Riquewihr (27 November to 20 December).
Switzerland: Basel and Zurich
Switzerland has two very different markets. Basel’s, on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, has around 150 stalls and runs 26 November to 23 December, daily from 11:00 to 20:30, by Basel Tourism. Zurich’s Polarzauber is inside the main station, which makes it the one to pick on a wet day: 19 November to 24 December.
The unusual one: Valkenburg’s caves
The Gemeentegrot in Valkenburg, in the far south of the Netherlands, calls itself Europe’s largest underground Christmas market. It and the nearby Fluweelengrot both run 13 November to 30 December 2026. Being underground, it is the one market on this page where the weather does not matter.
Budapest: two markets, one open question
Advent Basilica, on the square in front of St Stephen’s Basilica, runs 13 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. Vörösmarty Square opens the same day but had not published a closing date on 2 October. Our Budapest budget hotel guide covers where to stay between the two.
How to avoid the Advent weekend crowds
The only market on this page that publishes a crowd forecast is Colmar, and it is worth reading for every market. The Colmar Tourist Office grades each two-hour slot of the season from light to very high, based on 2024 attendance.
What it shows for the Colmar market:
| Day and time | Forecast level |
|---|---|
| Every Saturday, 12:00 to 20:00 | Very high |
| Sundays, early afternoon | High to very high |
| Mon to Wed, 23 to 25 Nov, all day | Light |
| Mon to Thu, 14 to 17 Dec, mornings | Light |
| Mon 21 Dec, midday to evening | Very high |
| Any day, 10:00 slot | Usually light or moderate |
Three rules fall out of that forecast:
- Go Monday to Thursday. Every Saturday in Colmar’s forecast hits very high from midday.
- Go before noon. The 10:00 slot is the quietest of the day in almost every week.
- Avoid the last weekend before Christmas and the Monday after it. In 2026 that is 19 to 21 December.
The four Advent Sundays in 2026 are 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December, so the Advent weekends are the Saturdays and Sundays of 28 to 29 November, 5 to 6, 12 to 13 and 19 to 20 December.
One cost lever in Berlin: the Gendarmenmarkt waives its 2 euro entry from Monday to Friday between 11:00 and 14:00, except on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December. The quiet slot and the free slot are the same slot.
Opening nights are their own crowd. Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt opens with a ceremony on 27 November at 17:30. Come the next weekday morning if you want to see the stalls rather than the ceremony.
Getting between markets by train
The markets cluster close enough that the train beats flying between them. Our Christmas markets by train guide has the full journey times, fares and four tested itineraries: Rhine and Alsace, Bavaria and Austria, Prague to Vienna to Budapest, and Brussels to Bruges to Cologne.
The two tightest pairs on this page:
- Strasbourg to Colmar: around 26 to 35 minutes by regional train.
- Brussels to Bruges: around one hour.
Match the route to the closing dates above. A Bavaria and Austria loop after 26 December leaves you with Salzburg and Vienna’s Schönbrunn only, while the Central European route still has Prague and Budapest’s Advent Basilica open.
What to eat, and what to drink without alcohol
Food stalls are the reason most people stay longer than planned, and every market in the table has them. Colmar goes furthest: Rue de la Montagne Verte has its own gourmet market of nine cabins run by chefs, with plates to eat standing or take away.
For a hot drink, ask for Kinderpunsch in Germany and Austria, the non-alcoholic fruit punch made for children, or a hot chocolate. Colmar’s Petite Venise market, the one built for children, serves hot apple juice. You can do every market on this page and never need anything stronger.
What to pack for a Christmas market trip
A market is an evening of standing still in the cold, which is colder than walking in it. Our Christmas market packing list covers the layers, footwear and hand warmers, and the printable checklist fits on one page.
Book hotels early
The dates above fix the demand: the Advent weekends are when everyone wants the same rooms in the same few cities.
- Book refundable if your anchor market has not published (Strasbourg, Budapest’s Vörösmarty closing date, Kraków’s end date).
- Book midweek nights inside the season: they are both cheaper and quieter.
- Book the week of 23 November or 14 December if your dates are flexible. Colmar’s forecast marks both as the lightest weekday stretches of the season.
For the wider picture of the season, see where to go in November and where to go in December, and our winter and Christmas travel tips for closures beyond the markets.
Where a Christmas market trip goes wrong
You flew to Cologne on 24 December
The cathedral market closed on the 23rd. So did Basel and Gdańsk. Pick a market from the after-Christmas table instead.
You booked Cologne for Sunday 22 November
The cathedral market is closed that day for Totensonntag. Every other day from 16 November to 23 December is open.
You planned Wrocław for Christmas Day
Wrocław’s market is closed on 24 and 25 December and on 1 January, and opens at 13:00 on 26 December.
You booked Strasbourg non-refundable
The 2026 dates are not published yet. If the city follows 2025, the market closes on 24 December.
You went on a Saturday afternoon
That is the peak slot in every week of Colmar’s forecast. Come back on a weekday at 10:00.
Sources
VoyageHacks read every date on this page from the market organiser, the city or the official tourist board, on 2 October 2026. Where a page carried only 2025 information, the row says so.
- Vienna Tourist Board, Christmas markets in Vienna, https://www.wien.info/en/now-on/christmas/christmas-markets-342664, checked October 2026
- Prague City Tourism, Old Town Square Christmas Market, https://prague.eu/en/akce/old-town-square-christmas-market/, checked October 2026
- Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/en/, checked October 2026
- Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom, https://www.koelnerweihnachtsmarkt.com/, checked October 2026
- City of Dresden, Dresdner Striezelmarkt, https://striezelmarkt.dresden.de/en/, checked October 2026
- City of Munich, Münchner Christkindlmarkt am Marienplatz, https://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/muenchner-christkindlmarkt-marienplatz, and the official market site https://www.christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/home, checked October 2026
- WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt, https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-berlin.de/, checked October 2026
- City of Strasbourg, Strasbourg Capitale de Noël, https://noel.strasbourg.eu/en/, checked October 2026
- Colmar Tourist Office, La Magie de Noël à Colmar and the attendance forecasts, https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/, checked October 2026
- Basel Tourism, Basler Weihnachtsmarkt, https://www.basel.com/de/veranstaltungen/weihnachten/weihnachtsmarkt, checked October 2026
- Polarzauber, Zurich main station, https://www.polarzauber.ch, checked October 2026
- Salzburger Christkindlmarkt, Wichtige Termine 2026, https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine, checked October 2026
- Vörösmarty Classic Xmas, https://vorosmartyclassicxmas.hu/en/home/, checked October 2026
- Advent Basilica Budapest, https://adventbazilika.hu/en/, checked October 2026
- Tallinn Christmas Market, https://christmasmarket.ee/en/, checked October 2026
- Wrocławski Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy, https://www.jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy.com/jarmark, checked October 2026
- Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie, Gdański Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy, https://bozonarodzeniowy.pl/, checked October 2026
- ARTIM, Kraków Main Square Christmas market trader call 2026/2027, https://kiermasze.com.pl, checked October 2026
- Brussels Winter Wonders, https://www.plaisirsdhiver.be/en, checked October 2026
- Visit Bruges, Christmas Markets, https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/christmas-markets, checked October 2026
- Tivoli, Opening hours and seasons, https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons, checked October 2026
- Edinburgh’s Christmas, https://edwinterfest.com/edinburgh-christmas, checked October 2026
- Manchester City Council, Manchester’s Christmas Markets 2026, https://www.manchester.gov.uk/christmas-in-manchester-2026/christmas-markets, checked October 2026
- Kerstmarkt Gemeentegrot, https://www.kerstmarktgemeentegrot.nl, and Kerstmarkt Fluweelengrot, https://www.kerstmarktfluweelengrot.nl, checked October 2026
What changed
- 2026-10-02: first published. Strasbourg 2026 dates, the Vörösmarty Square closing date and Kraków’s final end date were not yet published; this page will be updated when they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Christmas markets in Europe open in 2026?
Between 6 and 28 November 2026 for the big ones. Manchester opens on 6 November, Vienna’s Rathausplatz, Advent Basilica in Budapest and Tivoli in Copenhagen on 13 November, Cologne’s cathedral market on 16 November, Munich, Tallinn and Wrocław on 20 November, Dresden on 25 November, Nuremberg and Brussels on 27 November and Prague’s Old Town Square on 28 November.
Which European Christmas markets are open after Christmas?
Prague’s Old Town Square runs to 6 January 2027, Tallinn to 6 January, Wrocław to 7 January, Salzburg and Advent Basilica in Budapest to 1 January, Brussels, Bruges, Tivoli and Edinburgh to 3 January, and Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt to 31 December. Cologne closes on 23 December, and Munich, Dresden and Nuremberg on 24 December.
When is the Strasbourg Christmas market in 2026?
The City of Strasbourg had not published its 2026 dates when we checked on 2 October 2026: its site says the dates are still being finalised. In 2025 the market ran from 26 November to 24 December. Nearby Colmar has published 2026 dates: 23 November to 29 December.
What is the best day to visit a Christmas market?
A Monday to Thursday, before midday. Colmar Tourist Office’s attendance forecast, built on 2024 visitor data, rates every Saturday afternoon of the season very high and most weekday mornings light. VoyageHacks’ advice is to put the market you care most about on a weekday and use the weekend for the train ride or a museum.
Are Christmas markets open on 24 and 25 December?
Some are, most on short hours. Vienna’s Rathausplatz closes at 18:30 on 24 December, Salzburg runs 09:00 to 15:00 that day and 11:00 to 18:00 on 25 and 26 December, and Zurich’s station market closes at 16:00 on 24 December. Wrocław closes completely on 24 and 25 December, and the Gemeentegrot cave market in Valkenburg on 25 December.
Do you have to pay to enter a Christmas market?
Rarely. Of the markets in our table, Berlin’s WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt is the one that publishes an entry fee: 2 euros, free from Monday to Friday between 11:00 and 14:00 except on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December, and always free for children under 12.
Ready to plan your market trip?
Pick by the closing date first, then by the city. From 28 November to 21 December, every market in the table with published dates is open. From 24 December, it is Prague, Tallinn, Wrocław, Kraków, Salzburg, Berlin, Brussels, Bruges and Vienna’s Schönbrunn.
Then pick the weekday. Midweek in the week of 23 November or 14 December gets you the markets without the Saturday crowd, and usually without the Saturday room rate.