Colmar
48°05′ N 7°21′ ETownPop. 66,970Alsace
Colmar suits couples and families who want a market town at a smaller scale than Strasbourg. Six markets fill its old squares, and the wine villages lie close by. Weekends bring heavy coach traffic, so stay over and walk the squares on a weekday evening. The 2026 markets run from 23 November to 29 December (confirmed).
Photo Jorge Franganillo from Barcelona, Spain · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Colmar puts six Christmas markets inside one walkable old town, and the wine villages of Eguisheim, Turckheim, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr sit close enough for day trips by shuttle or bus.
Take the train from Colmar
- Colmar to Kaysersberg · timetable
- Colmar to Mulhousefastest 19 min, published by SNCF TER Grand Est (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
- Colmar to Strasbourgfastest 26 min, published by SNCF TER Grand Est (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
Colmar spreads six markets across the old town, about 180 stalls in all, and the tourism office says most of the makers come from Alsace. The biggest is on Place des Dominicains, and families head for the children's market in Petite Venise. The gourmet market and the Ferris wheel on rue de la Montagne Verte keep going to 3 January 2027.
Colmar was the first town in France to light its heritage on this scale, the tourism office says, and the scheme won a special prize from the Académie des Arts de la Rue in 1997. Check the attendance forecast on noel-colmar.com before you choose your days.
Worth knowing
- Take the Friday to Sunday Christmas shuttle to the wine villages and leave the car in Colmar.
Quick answers about Colmar
When are the Colmar Christmas markets in 2026?
The Colmar Christmas markets run from Monday 23 November to Tuesday 29 December 2026 (confirmed). The gourmet market and the Ferris wheel stay open to 3 January 2027.
How do you get from Colmar to the Alsace Christmas villages?
Take the Christmas shuttle, which links Colmar with Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 27 November to 20 December 2026. It costs €17 per person per day, and children under 12 ride free.
Is Colmar a good place to stay?
Colmar puts six Christmas markets inside one walkable old town, and the wine villages of Eguisheim, Turckheim, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr sit close enough for day trips by shuttle or bus.
Within 12 km
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