France
2 regions
France at Christmas suits a trip built on Alsace, where Strasbourg and Colmar hold their markets in half-timbered old towns a short regional train ride apart. The trade-off is the crowd. December weekends in both cities are packed, so sleep in Strasbourg or Colmar and spend weekdays in the smaller villages such as Eguisheim or Turckheim. Add Lyon if your dates cover the Fête des Lumières from 5 to 8 December 2026.
How France keeps Christmas
- Père NoëlPère Noël comes on the night of 24 December. Children leave their shoes by the fireplace, and many families open their presents on Christmas Eve.
- ChristkindIn Alsace the Christ child brings presents too. Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik takes its name from it.
- Saint NicolasSaint Nicolas visits Alsace and Lorraine on 6 December with gingerbread and sweets for the children. Père Fouettard walks beside him in black and carries switches for anyone who has misbehaved.
Strasbourg has held its Christkindelsmärik since 1570 and calls itself the Capitale de Noël, and in 2026 the city opens its market on Friday 27 November across eight market sites that reach from the cathedral square to Petite France. Colmar's markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026 in the old town's squares. In Kaysersberg the stalls open only from Friday to Sunday over four weekends.
On 6 December the eastern provinces keep Saint Nicolas. Bakeries in Alsace and Lorraine sell gingerbread and the small bread men called mannala, and in some towns the saint arrives with a donkey carrying baskets of sweets.
Families in Lyon have set small candles called lumignons on their windowsills on the evening of 8 December since 1852, and the city's Fête des Lumières grew out of that custom. In 2026 the light festival runs from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December and draws very large crowds, so book a bed early. Lyon's Christmas market on Place Carnot runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026.
Christmas Eve centres on the réveillon, when the family sits down to a long dinner that often runs past midnight. Christmas Day is a public holiday across France and most shops and banks close. Alsace and Moselle also keep 26 December as a public holiday, so expect a second quiet day if you are staying in Strasbourg or Colmar.
France by region
- AlsaceStrasbourg spreads its markets over eight sites around the cathedral, and first-timers head for the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie. Colmar packs six smaller markets into its old town, and shuttles and buses run from there to the wine villages. Both cities fill up at weekends, so walk the squares early in the week and keep Kaysersberg for an Advent weekend, because its juried craft market opens only then.
- Lyon and the AlpsLyon builds its December around the Fête des Lumières, when the city lights up with free installations from 5 to 8 December 2026 and about 2 million visitors pour in, so book a bed early. The Christmas market on Place Carnot beside Perrache station fills an hour or two and closes early on festival nights. Outside those four nights you come to Lyon for the food.
Market in France
Town in France
Light festival in France
Event in France
Stay in France
Quick answers about France
When does the Strasbourg Christmas market open in 2026?
The city's official Christmas site says the market opens on Friday 27 November 2026. In 2025 it ran to 24 December, and the 2026 closing date has not been published yet.
Is 26 December a holiday in Alsace?
Yes. Saint Stephen's Day on 26 December is a public holiday in Alsace and Moselle only, so plan for shops in Strasbourg and Colmar to stay shut that day.
Which Alsace markets are quieter than Strasbourg and Colmar?
Try Eguisheim or Turckheim, which both run from 27 November to 30 December 2026 and sit a short hop from Colmar. Go on a weekday afternoon. Kaysersberg opens only from Friday to Sunday, so a Friday there is the calmest of its days.
Who brings the presents in France?
In France, Père Noël or Christkind or Saint Nicolas brings the presents. Père Noël comes on the night of 24 December. Children leave their shoes by the fireplace, and many families open their presents on Christmas Eve.
When do the Christmas markets run in France?
In France, the Alsace markets open between 23 and 27 November 2026, and the longest-running ones close on 29 or 30 December in Colmar and the villages around it. Lyon's market on Place Carnot runs from 20 November to 24 December.