Half-timbered houses, canals and little squares full of light. Explore Colmar through my daytime and evening walks, then use the current market information to plan a visit of your own.
What makes it special to me
What I love about Colmar is that the whole historic center feels like part of the Christmas market. Walking between the squares is just as much a reason to come as the stalls themselves.
You go from the beautiful Saint-Martin church to narrow lanes lined with half-timbered houses, then down to the canals in Petite Venise. Each area has its own feel, and there’s something beautiful around every corner. For me, that variety makes Colmar such a fun place to explore on foot.
Explore Colmar on foot
Preview all six markets through my clips, then follow my suggested walk when you get here.
Allow at least 3 hours · Best around sunset · Start at the Colmar sign
The season ahead
23 November – 29 December 2026
Main Christmas markets
Official Colmar dates & opening hours ↗Check the official opening hours before your visit. Last checked .
24 December: 11:00–17:00. 25 and 26 December: 10:00–20:00. All times are local to Colmar.
23 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
Daily 11:00–22:00; 31 December 11:00–17:00. At the Montagne Verte sports ground, Rue de la Montagne Verte.
Gourmet Market schedule ↗Plan the wider trip
If you’re visiting several market towns, use this map to see how they fit together. The transport options below can help you decide how to get around.
Colmar station is at 9 Place de la Gare. Regional trains connect it with Strasbourg, Sélestat, Mulhouse and Basel, among other destinations. Check a connection for your actual travel date, then continue towards the old town on foot or by local bus.
Colmar station & train connections ↗Use TRACE for local bus routes and current service information. Christmas road closures and diversions can affect the final part of your journey; check the operator before setting out.
TRACE local transport ↗I parked here during my December 2025 visit. Start with the Colmar sign and Place Rapp’s fairground, then continue to Place des Dominicains.
This pin helps you orient yourself on foot. Follow the car park’s signs for the vehicle entrance.
An alternative parking location marked on my visitor map, east of the old town.
Use walking directions from the car park to your chosen stop. A connection from this car park is not included in the drawn route.
Nearby markets without a car
The Christmas Shuttles connect Colmar with nearby market towns, so you can visit without driving between them. Most routes run only on weekends (Friday–Sunday). The Eguisheim shuttle (line 3) is the exception, with daily service during the shuttle season.
Under 12s travel free, but still need a booked ticket.
Online sales open 12 November 2026 at noon (CET). Tickets are not sold at bus stops.
Official information checked .
Kaysersberg, Riquewihr & Ribeauvillé
Friday–Sunday
Eguisheim
Daily
Turckheim & Munster
Friday–Sunday
Neuf-Brisach
12 & 13 December only
Check the timetable and your last return before setting out. Market opening days vary, and traffic can delay the buses.
Prowalk Tours
Walk with me in daylight or after dark. Put on your headphones for the sounds of the streets and markets.
Filmed in 2023 · 2:09:07
Filmed in 2023 · 1:48:39
A little more about the town
The elevated Koïfhus photo spot involves stairs; you can enjoy the view from street level too. The Monoprix shopping passage and indoor markets depend on opening hours. If a passage is closed, use the surrounding streets. This is a suggested sightseeing walk, and I have not assessed the full route for step-free access.
Rue des Clefs is mainly a shopping street. I enjoy walking it during the day and after dark for the shops and Christmas lights, but most of the market stalls are in the squares. It is part of the return through the old town on my suggested route.
Look for Alsatian specialties such as tarte flambée, choucroute, baeckeoffe and Munster cheese. For something sweet, there are kougelhopf cakes, pain d’épices (gingerbread) and bredele Christmas biscuits. Vin chaud is the warm spiced wine you will see at the markets. These are regional specialties; the selection varies between stalls and restaurants.
Alsatian food & Christmas specialties ↗If you want a break from walking outside, leave time for an indoor visit between the markets. The Toy Museum and Choco-Story are two options to consider, especially if you’re visiting with children. Check opening hours and tickets for your date before heading over.
An indoor stop focused on toys and games, with collections that span different generations.
Toy Museum visitor information ↗Explore the story of chocolate, with tastings included in the museum visit.
Choco-Story visitor information ↗Turckheim’s night-watchman walk is an option if you have another evening to spare. A costumed watchman leads the round through town, sharing its history and traditions. For Christmas 2026, departures are at 9pm from the Corps de Garde on Place Turenne, December 1–23 and December 26–30. Check the latest details and arrange your return journey before setting out, especially if you’re relying on public transport.
Turckheim’s official night-watchman dates & meeting point ↗Colmar is in Alsace, in northeastern France, near the German border. Use the regional map above to see how Colmar fits into a trip around the nearby Christmas market towns.
Colmar tourist office ↗Petite Venise, or Little Venice, is the area along the Lauch River. The tourist office traces the nickname to the rows of houses lining both sides of the water. The bridges and colorful half-timbered buildings are part of what makes this stretch so memorable.
About Petite Venise ↗The suggested walk passes several old-town sights between the markets. If you want to visit a museum as well, allow extra time and check its opening hours separately.
Colorful houses, bridges and views along the Lauch River.
Walk around the church, then look for Maison Pfister as you follow Rue des Marchands toward the Koïfhus.
The museum includes a former 13th-century convent and houses the Isenheim Altarpiece.
Unterlinden Museum ↗A Renaissance building from 1609, with 106 carved heads and masks decorating its facade.
About Maison des Têtes ↗The old customs house, completed in 1480, where Grand Rue meets Rue des Marchands.
About the Koïfhus ↗A museum in the birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty.
Bartholdi Museum ↗Keep exploring
Continue through the streets of another Alsace village.
Browse the walks →Explore a larger city’s Christmas squares and lights.
Browse the walks →See more of the villages from the filming route.
Browse the walks →On my December 2025 trip, I filmed Basel, several Alsace towns, Freiburg and Strasbourg. If you’re visiting Colmar, these walks can help you decide where else you’d like to go.
These towns are listed in the order I filmed them. I’m still adding where I stayed, how I traveled between stops and how much time to allow.
See my other Christmas trips →
