Guides

Sort out the details of a trip to Europe's Christmas markets before you go.

These guides sort out the practical side of a trip to Europe's Christmas markets.

A lit Christmas tree stands before Aachen town hall as the Christmas market fills the square at night

guide · 9 min read

Are German Christmas markets open on Sunday?

Every Advent Sunday is a market day in Germany. The two Sundays before Advent are different, and on 22 November 2026 most markets that have already opened stay shut.

The Heumarkt Christmas market and ice rink glow around a bronze rider with Cologne Cathedral behind

Dates guide · 6 min read

Is the Cologne Christmas market cancelled in 2026?

The cathedral market has confirmed 16 November to 23 December 2026, and three more Cologne markets sit within walking distance if the square loses space.

Advent calendar numbers glow on the facades above the stalls of the Hall in Tirol market at blue hour.

guide · 12 min read

What's open in Europe on Christmas Eve?

Seventy-nine markets open on 24 December 2026, and most of them close by 18:30, so do your last shopping before dark.

Lit stalls of the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt fill the Domplatz at night below the cathedral facade

Dates guide · 7 min read

When are the Krampus runs in Austria in 2026?

The first runs start on 21 November 2026 and the last Perchten come out on 21 December, and most of them gather around St Nicholas's Eve on 5 December.

Chandelier lights and a row of small fir trees line a quiet pedestrian street in central Vienna at night.

Dates guide · 8 min read

When are Vienna's Christmas markets open in 2026?

Rathausplatz opens on 13 November 2026, and the market at Schönbrunn Palace keeps its huts lit until 6 January 2027.

A café stall strung with lights serves visitors at the Cologne harbour Christmas market at dusk

guide · 10 min read

When do Christmas markets open in Germany in 2026?

Totensonntag falls on 22 November in 2026. Most German markets open in the week after it, and the date of a city's market comes from a rule you can read ahead.

guide · 23 min read

When do Europe's Christmas markets open and close in 2026?

Vienna and Copenhagen open first, on 6 November 2026, and Cologne's Heumarkt keeps its stalls up until 10 January 2027. Every row below names who published the date.

Candles glow in the windows of a Lyon apartment building on the evening of 8 December.

Dates guide · 7 min read

When is Lyon's Festival of Lights in 2026?

The Fête des Lumières lights Lyon from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, and on the last night many Lyonnais set candles in their windows.

Blue lights wrap the plane trees on Place Broglie in Strasbourg in front of the lit town hall.

guide · 8 min read

When is the Strasbourg Christmas market in 2026?

The city has confirmed Friday 27 November for the opening. The last day is still unpublished, and past seasons ended on Christmas Eve.

Skaters circle a winter ice rink on the Museumplein in Amsterdam in front of the Rijksmuseum.

guide · 12 min read

Which Christmas markets are open after Christmas?

Prague, Salzburg, Dresden and Cologne keep their markets going through the week after Christmas, and Colmar runs to 29 December.

The lit entrance arch of the Wiener Christkindlmarkt frames Vienna City Hall at dusk on the Rathausplatz.

guide · 9 min read

Which Christmas markets in Europe are open on Christmas Day?

Vienna and Colmar give you the most choice on 25 December 2026, and Tivoli reopens for the day with fireworks at 20:45.

Wicker and straw nativity figures stand in the snow on Moravské náměstí during the Brno Christmas market.

guide · 12 min read

Which Christmas markets stay open until New Year and Epiphany?

Budapest stays up until 03:00 on New Year's Eve, and 15 markets with confirmed dates are still open on Epiphany, 6 January 2027.