Christmas Markets in Strasbourg, France

December 2023

Christmas Markets in Strasbourg, France

Most of our international travel has taken us to Europe and while we still have so much to explore, one major event that we have been looking forward to was experiencing the Christmas Markets. Countries throughout Europe participate in their own traditions and hundreds of towns sparkle for several weeks a year in celebration of the holiday season. Picking our first destination as the introduction to European Christmas Markets was a tough decision – Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy and more  there are so many trips that you can build by stringing together cities to explore. 

We selected Strasbourg, France for our Christmas Market adventure where these markets date back to 1570 making it the oldest in France and one of the oldest in Europe. Lovingly known as the “Capital of Christmas”, Strasbourg welcomes over 3 million people over the holiday season where the markets are open from Thanksgiving to Christmas. There are 12 market sites throughout the city that host over 300 stalls filled with food, crafts, decorations, treats, and more. Strasbourg is perfectly located to extend the trip to other popular Christmas Market destinations as well – it is right next to Germany and the Black Forest and is the start of the Alsace region of France. 

Travel Day

Due to all the craziness between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we ended up leaving on a Sunday red eye – certainly not ideal for maximizing PTO leaving on a Friday but this is the only way we could get it in. If we had more time, we would have added another stop – perhaps in Germany since it is so close to Strasbourg. One benefit to our Sunday flight is the plane was fairly empty – we haven’t been on a plane this empty since traveling during COVID. It was a comfortable and easy trip over the pond to France. 

Our favorite thing about European travel is how easy it is to get around once you are there. We were able to hop on a train directly at CDG airport to Strasbourg for a two hour journey. Note that since traveling to these Christmas Markets is so popular, booking your trains as soon as the tickets become available is important, especially since the price of tickets increases as seats sell out. To give you an idea, we booked our tickets on October 4 for this mid-December trip. In just two hours we were transported to the Alsace region of France. Known for beautiful dry Rieslings and cabbages to make sauerkraut, Alsace has a dense history and strong sense of identity – this small part of France was owned by France, then Germany, then France, then Germany, then back to France – so while there is influence from both, the Alsace people are Alsatian above all else. 

From the Strasbourg train station, it is a twenty minute walk to the city center and as we continued our journey, the streets began to display their holiday spirit. Our excitement increased with each passing street and glimpses of the Christmas Market stalls. We still had some time before check in so we took the opportunity to explore. (One option we learned about was Nannybag which while we did not use on this trip, we will keep in mind for future needs.)

We could not ignore the 25 meter / 82 foot real Christmas Tree that stood at the Au Pied Du Grand Sapin Market. We were immediately drawn in as our eyes widened to take everything in. The stalls next to the tree were bustling with activity as they prepared ready for the lunch crowd. The smells were unbelievable – mulled wine, potatoes in cheese, smoked sausages, raclette and munster cheeses, beignets and crepes – the options were endless and our wish list of foods was already beginning. 

Our first market items were a cup of mulled wine and a flambee baguette with raclette and lardons. The baguette was the perfect vehicle for the cheese and meat spread – oh how we missed fresh french bread! Simple yet perfectly delicious. Each mulled wine stall is a bit different but the concept is wine seeped with spices and while we thought this was exclusive to red wine, there were also wine white options as well. 

We knew we would do a proper exploration of all the markets after our backpacks were dropped off so we made our way towards an activity that would get them off our backs for a little. We passed the cathedral and the markets in that area as well as many streets completely decorated – we could not wait to see this in the evening when the lights were on. 

One thing we like to do in a city that offers it is a boat tour to get a lay of the land. Since many major cities in Europe were established based on their proximity to water, this is often a great activity. Batorama is the company in Strasbourg that offers these tours. Since we did not know what time we would be completing this journey, I did not book ahead of time but there is definitely some time saved if you are able to do so. There are a few options and we went with the 45 minute European Strasbourg tour. I was surprised the boats were enclosed but the viewing glasses were both massive and clean. The boat ride provided headphones and a narration in multiple languages to accommodate all guests. It was a relaxing, scenic, and informational boat journey that was a great way to start the trip.

Our check in time arrived so we made our way to the Airbnb and freshened up after a long travel journey. This Airbnb was located right in the middle of all the action and only took a few minutes to reach all the attractions. And since it was located on the fourth and top floor, there was no noise from the street level which is typically a concern when staying so central. This was a great find during a popular time of year. 

Free of our bags and refreshed, we were ready to properly explore Strasbourg. Our first stop was the cathedral and the markets there – Autour de la Cathédrale. Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg is enormous and towers over the rest of the city. This market is full of activity and stalls – from Christmas decorations, to sweet and savory foods, to market merchandise and so much more. Our plan was to go into the cathedral tomorrow so we continued around the bend to the next set of markets.

We definitely needed something sweet and the first thing that caught my eye were Boules Mousses – beautiful domes filled with a marshmallow mousse covered in different flavors of chocolate. We purchased a set of three- noir (dark chocolate), lait (milk chocolate), and zebre (mix of white and milk chocolate). They were fantastic and enjoyed them tremendously, more than Kevin did but this was right up my alley. I felt much more alive and rejuvenated thanks to these sugar balls. Before leaving the cathedral area, one particular stall caught our attention – a foie gras sandwich. We happen to love this delicacy and appreciate how readily available it is in France. This stall served a slice of foie gras in a pretzel/bretzel and it was very tasty! The pretzel gave a lovely saltiness that complimented the savory, creaminess of the foie gras. And this stand also had the best outfits – very formal! 

As dusk started to settle in, the lights came on and the city transformed into its evening attire. We rounded the small market set aside of St Thomas Church and grabbed a hot chocolate to continue our alternative savory-sweet items before making our way back to the giant Christmas tree. 

The tree is illuminated with lights and puts on a show at the top of every hour. We grabbed some mulled wine and found a spot to settle in for the 5PM show time and enjoyed every moment of the display. The lights danced in coordination with the music that lasted for several minutes before ending with a dramatic relighting of the entire tree. 

We spent the rest of the time at this market examining our food choices that we wanted for the rest of the week and wandered the streets taking in all the beautiful lights and decorations. This is a wonderful time to get lost and just let yourself be delighted by what you find. We also found our way to Petite France and the markets at Les Irréductibles Petits Producteurs d’Alsace. It was not as decorated as the rest of the city which actually made it difficult to see everything so we made a note to come back before it gets dark tomorrow. We swung back over the water and walked through several markets admiring the offerings before making our way to dinner.

Dinner tonight was at Restaurant Gurtlerhoft for a traditional Alsatian meal.

Read the full dining review for Restaurant Gurtlerhoft here!

Our walk back to the Airbnb was magical – lights illuminated every street welcoming discovery. With a taste of what is to come, we were excited for our full day exploring Strasbourg tomorrow. 

Day 1

We were able to have a very full first day after a red eye flight so we treated ourselves to no alarm clock this morning to allow ourselves to fully rest – and that took us to about 10AM, unheard of for a DESKRIB vacation! But it was essential for us to have a successful day and we had very few plans today other than exploring the markets in their entirety. 

Our stop for breakfast was around the corner at Pâtisserie Jaune Citron which was definitely an elevated patisserie and we were all for it. I wish we visited here more than once on this trip because the pastry we shared was incredible. Highly recommend stopping here when in Strasbourg.

We walked over to St Thomas Church markets for an item that caught our attention late last night so while the markets were getting ready to open, we ventured into the church. St Thomas church features Gothic architecture and an organ on display that Mozart played on – quite a piece of fame. 

The Christmas Market stalls opened for business and we approached Les Foies Gras du Ried for a simple foie gras sandwich but unlike the one we had yesterday, this one was on a fresh baguette. For a similar price, we also got way more foie gras than the one we had yesterday so I would say if you are into foie gras, go here for your fix. It was excellent and a great value, especially when restaurants charge twice the amount for it. 

Our next stop is the icon of Strasbourg – the Notre Dame of Strasbourg Cathedral. There is quite a bit to do here so make sure to allocate some time to explore.

Read the post on Visiting the Notre Dame of Strasbourg Cathedral here!

After working up an appetite again post climbing all those steps to the top of the cathedral, we walked to the tree Christmas Market with a specific item in mind – a smoked sausage raclette sandwich. When we saw this last night we knew immediately it would be a purchase. There was only one place that had them in the whole of Strasbourg so we knew not to sleep on it. The line for these sandwiches was the longest we saw in our entire time in Strasbourg so it was clearly a market favorite. Funny though while there are duplicates of many stands throughout the city Christmas markets, this was not one of them despite the popularity. Sandwich after sandwich was freshly prepared with each order, scraping the melted raclette cheese from the exposed top of the wheel onto the smoked sausage and baguette. When our order was placed, the staff moved onto a fresh wheel of raclette and the landslide of cheese onto our sandwich was overwhelming. When the staff handed us the sandwich, he parted with “good luck” and a single napkin. We made our way to a table in a hurry – as if we had an urgently melting ice cream cone we had to manage the cheese as it drooped alongside the sandwich. And it really was everything we hoped it would be – funky, stinky, smokey, and incredibly delicious. We also could not get over the portion sizes – even sharing this sandwich filled us immediately. This was definitely one of our favorite items we had at the market so I would definitely add to your list. 

Before we left this market, we grabbed a sweet item – a chocolate covered soft pretzel/bretzel  which was not good, so we got a chocolate covered pretzel shaped beignet (donut) which was also not good – do not waste the money or calories on these, this is a look don’t touch item. We also got mediocre hot chocolate from here as well so I would steer clear of this stand. 

We then made our way to Petite France to get a better look at the area. This beautifully manicured area of Strasbourg is picture perfect like it is out of a fairy tale. Dating back to the Middle Ages, in the 15th century this area was settled by those that needed the river for commerce such as tanners, millers and fishermen. The canal hugs this area of Strasbourg creating a unique and picture perfect section of town. The name did not have the origins I expected – apparently the name comes from the 15th century where soldiers that were being treated for syphilis at the hospital in Petite France named the disease “French Disease” and somehow the nickname “Petite France” stuck. 

We did a quick gap analysis of the Christmas Market map to make sure we did not miss anything and there was one set of markets we did not see just north of the Cathedral. Christkindelsmarik featured many new things particularly in merchandise and decorations that we had not seen at the other markets. We also got a glimpse of the small electric train that offers a tour around Strasbourg as well as transport between the markets for a small fee. Alsace Christmas cookies, figurines to complete any miniature display you could possibly want, lights of all colors and ornaments of different shapes and sizes, there is a lot going on here. Other than a mulled wine, we browsed this market before moving on. On the opposite side of the main entrance to this market, there is a building with windows displayed as an advent calendar with each day a new window opening displaying a decoration. 

It is more fun to take the long way at night as the lights just pull you in. We walked by the Christmas Tree again and luckily timed it with another light show that we enjoyed. We also purchased a small souvenir Alsatian house with a Santa to add to our holiday decorations at home. We swung by the Cathedral before quickly dropping our things off at the Airbnb before heading to our dinner at La Cullier a Pot for the evening. 

Read the full dining review of La Cullier a Pot here!

The lights never get old on these evening walks so every night becomes another photo shoot – it is impossible to resist taking more pictures!

Day 2

We planned a day trip for our second full day to explore more of the Alsace region. We grabbed coffee and a pastry at one of the many 1924 Un Monde de Cafés before making our way to the train station. With Strasbourg fully explored, it was time to see how another town celebrates the holidays. Colmar is nearby and also in the Alsace region. Only 30 minutes by train, this is a great day trip from Strasbourg.

Read all the details of our day trip to Colmar here!

Our evening was ending in an interesting way – a pilgrimage of sorts to UTOPIE, a restaurant in a small town in the countryside. And for the work it took to get here, I was keeping my fingers crossed it would be worth it. 

Read the full dining review for UTOPIE here!

After an incredible and memorable meal, we made our journey back to Strasbourg on the last train of the night.

Day 3

Our final day in Strasbourg and we had a full day ahead. We grabbed coffee and pastries at Au Pain de Mon Grand-Pere – highly recommend this bakery was amazing.

One way we enjoy selecting destinations we travel to is where we want to learn more about the wine region and/or we enjoy the wine and want to immerse ourselves in it. Alsace is one of those regions so we schedule a day wine tasting around the region.

Read about our tour with Ophorus discovering the Alsace wine region here!

What a lovely day! We were able to fit so much in and taste some wonderful wine. This region of white wine is very refined and elegant, definitely something to look for in your local wine shop. 

Dinner tonight at Chez Yvonne for our final round of Alsatian food.

Read the full dining review for Chez Yvonne here!

Our final evening stroll through the Christmas decorations in Strasbourg.

A trip several years in the making, what a joy to kick off the Christmas season by visiting the markets of Alsace. It was the perfect introduction to European Christmas Markets and so accessible for a tourist. If visiting European Christmas Markets is on your wish list, Strasbourg is an excellent choice! There is so much to do in the town and nearby as well that it makes for a great long weekend trip. Or you can expand the trip by stopping in neighboring towns in France or Germany – the possibilities are endless.

The Perfect 3 Day Itinerary for Strasbourg – here!

Read What to Expect at Strasbourg Christmas Markets – here!

To see our full itinerary – here!

See all blog posts for Strasbourg – here!

Complete packing list – here!