Alsace, France · Medieval Christmas market
Explore the games, courtyards and Christmas streets through my walks, then plan a day of your own.
What makes it special to me
I filmed Ribeauvillé for the first time in December 2025, and it became my favourite Christmas market of the trip. It feels like a medieval festival: people in costume, food cooking over fires, music, games and little courtyards full of things to discover. I kept wanting to put the camera down and join in.
What stayed with me most was how welcoming everyone was. At the apple and honey hall, I was offered a drink and apple crumble. In the squares, there was always something happening. If you’re in Alsace on one of its two market weekends, I’d make time for Ribeauvillé—and give it more than a quick stop between other towns.
Explore Ribeauvillé on foot
Explore 13 stops: 11 market areas, plus the chapel and wooden stocks. Choose a place on the map, play a highlight or look around in 360°, then use Next stop to continue.
Half-day to a full day · 5–6 & 12–13 December 2026 · Start at the Winegrower’s Fountain · Return walk extra
The stops describe what I found in 2025. Activities can change; check the current programme when you arrive. My daytime film starts at the upper end of town and runs in the opposite direction to this suggested walk.
Plan a journey of your own
2026 · Just two market weekends
The medieval market opens on four days. If Ribeauvillé is on your list, plan the rest of your Alsace trip around them.
My timing tip: Arrive before the 10am opening if you can. I got there around 8:45am and enjoyed walking through the quiet town as people prepared the stalls. By opening time, visitors were pouring in. Later in the day the narrow streets became very crowded, so leave extra time to get back to your bus or car.
Official 2026 dates & programme ↗Dates and hours checked 27 October 2026. The town’s detailed 2026 programme is still to come.
Plan the wider trip
Choose how you’ll arrive, then head to the Winegrower’s Fountain at the lower end of Grand’Rue. The walk follows the street uphill through the market, with courtyard stops along the way.
Compare the Christmas Shuttle with driving before you set off. Check your return departure as well.
Shuttles & parking ↓My suggested walk begins at the Fontaine du Vigneron (Winegrower’s Fountain). Use walking directions from wherever you arrive.
Directions to the start ↗Grand’Rue rises through town, and the narrow streets were very crowded later in my visit. Come early for more room. Check individual courtyard access if you need a step-free route.
For toilets and seasonal facilities, check the current market plan or ask at the tourist office when you arrive. The detailed 2026 programme is still to come.
Town’s market information ↗Use the regional map below to see where Ribeauvillé sits among the other Alsace market towns.
Getting to the market
Choose the Christmas Shuttle if you’re based in Colmar, or the Bergheim park-and-ride if you’re driving. They are separate services. Confirm the stop for your service on its timetable; event arrangements can change.
From Colmar
Line 2 travels from Colmar to Ribeauvillé first, then Riquewihr and Kaysersberg. Line 1 runs around the circuit in the other direction. Weekend departures are every 30 minutes.
€17 per person for the day. Children under 12 travel free.
The shuttles run on more dates than Ribeauvillé’s market. Choose 5, 6, 12 or 13 December for the medieval market, and check your return timetable before exploring.
Shuttle tickets & timetables ↗Arriving by car
Cordon-Schmidt, 22 Route de Colmar, Bergheim. Open on both market weekends, with shuttles every 20 minutes.
€10 per vehicle includes parking and the shuttle for everyone in the car.
Saturday: 9:30am–8:40pm.
Sunday: 9:30am–7:40pm.
I arrived by car before 9am in 2025 and found parking near town. I wouldn’t count on finding the same space later in the day. Follow the event signs and allow time for queues.
2026 transport information checked 27 October 2026.
Prowalk Tours
Walk with me through the medieval market, or choose the 360° tour to look around as you go. I filmed both on 13 December 2025. Put on your headphones for the music, games and conversations around the stalls.
Filmed in 2025 · 2:18:24
Filmed in 2025 · 1:29:35
A little more about the town
No. In 2026 it opens only on 5–6 and 12–13 December: Saturdays 10am–7pm and Sundays 10am–6pm. The town can be visited at other times, but the medieval market is a four-day event.
Official dates ↗I’d allow half a day, or a full day if you want to eat, watch performances and join in the games. I spent most of the day filming and still wanted longer in some of the courtyards. The route itself is only part of the visit.
The green route goes one way, from the Winegrower’s Fountain to Place de la République, including the courtyard detours. Afterwards, return down Grand’Rue. The distance shown on the map does not include that return walk.
There was plenty for children when I visited: wooden games, farm animals, a carousel and playful medieval activities. The streets become very crowded, especially later in the day. Arriving early gives you more room to explore; check the current programme for activities and times.
I saw soup served in bread bowls, food cooking over open fires, potato pancakes and plenty of Alsatian pastries. My most memorable food stop was the apple and honey hall, where the vendors offered me apple crumble. Leave room to try something as you go.
Yes. This route stays in the town and its market courtyards. The hilltop castles are a separate outing. Grand’Rue rises gradually through the town, and the old streets, busy passages and courtyard entrances can slow you down.
Keep exploring
Explore the Christmas squares and the streets between them.
Explore Colmar →Walk through the old town, around the market and along the Weiss.
Explore Kaysersberg →Look around another Alsace village through my Christmas walks.
Explore Riquewihr →I visited on Saturday, 13 December 2025, the day after filming Kaysersberg. It was a foggy day, around 9°C / 49°F. I filmed the 360° walk in the morning and began the daytime walk at Place de la République in the afternoon. I returned to the lower part of town as the lights came on, but the crowds were too heavy for the full evening walk I had planned. I’d love to come back.
