Christmas in Alsace, two vineyard villages with their market.

The Alsace wine route has a winter of half-timbered villages and lights. Strasbourg and Colmar, which have no listing on Geocalia, host the most famous markets; Riquewihr and Eguisheim are the alternative with vineyards and fewer people.

Riquewihr

The Riquewihr market is in the historic centre, on Place Fernand Zeyer, from Friday 27 November to Sunday 20 December 2026. It opens Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 18:30, Friday 10:00 to 20:00 and at weekends 10:00 to 19:00. Entry is free; the evening guided tour "Wihnacht !" is paid, at €16.50 for adults and €10 for children aged 7 and over. Combine it with the walk around Riquewihr.

Eguisheim

The Eguisheim one runs from 27 November to 30 December, closed on 24, 25 and 26, and reopens on 27 December. It opens every day 10:00 to 19:00, and Monday to Thursday until 10 December, from 12:00. Entry is free. The rings of Eguisheim are the best walk, and the market blends into the concentric streets.

Getting there

From Colmar station, a Christmas shuttle (line 3) takes you to Eguisheim in about 20 minutes from 27 November to 20 December: €8 Monday to Thursday and €17 Friday to Sunday, with tickets online only from 12 November. The regular 830 bus does not run on Sundays. By car, the Mairie and Marronniers car parks cost €5 a day, and the Millénaire one is free according to the tourist office.

What you see and what you taste

Both are villages of narrow streets and half-timbered houses with Christmas decorations on the façades, and the stalls offer crafts, Christmas sweets, mulled wine and Alsace wines, which you can buy directly at the cellars along the streets. Riquewihr, surrounded by vines, is the more intimate; Eguisheim, with its concentric streets, is walked in circles and lets you see both markets in a single day if you organise yourself well.