*Updated November 2026*

We visited both the Strasbourg and the Colmar Christmas markets in December 2025. This post compares Strasbourg’s and Colmar’s Christmas markets against one another so that you can decide which to visit with limited time.

Short answer: Colmar for atmosphere, food and drinks; Strasbourg for more markets, easier trains, bigger decorations, sightseeing, shopping and hotels.

Winner by category

• More Christmas markets: Strasbourg
• Easier to reach: Strasbourg
• Christmas vibes: Colmar
• Christmas decorations: Strasbourg
• Food: Colmar
• Drinks: Colmar
• Sightseeing beyond the markets: Strasbourg
• Christmas shopping: Strasbourg
• Where to stay: Strasbourg
• Crowds: Tie

Strasbourg wins more categories, but most of its wins are logistics and extras, while Colmar takes the vibes, food and drinks that make a Christmas market feel magical, so overall we call it a tie.

Which Is the Better Christmas Market Trip: Strasbourg or Colmar?

Winner: Tie. Strasbourg and Colmar both make great Christmassy vacations.

You can’t truly compare the two; both cities’ markets are wonderfully fun for different and similar reasons, and both are worth a visit. If you are all the way in Alsace, you should try to visit both towns, especially since they are only 30 minutes apart via train. If, however, you only have time for one or the other, keep reading.

Does Strasbourg or Colmar Have More Christmas Markets?

Winner: Strasbourg. If sheer number is your game, Strasbourg is the winner.

Strasbourg offers 8 Christmas markets spread across the city. Strasbourg’s markets, in 2026, are open November 27 to December 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with shorter hours on opening and closing day (2:00 p.m. opening on November 27, 6:00 p.m. close on December 24).

Colmar, in contrast, has 6 Christmas markets and one Christmas fair. Colmar’s markets are open slightly longer, November 23 to December 29, with the Gourmet Market and Place Rapp Christmas fair open through January 3.

Which Markets Are Easier to Reach?

Winner: Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is simply easier to reach than Colmar. This is because Strasbourg is on a main TGV line connecting it directly to Paris and CDG airport via fast train in around 2 hours (my train was 2 hours and 9 minutes). Strasbourg is also directly connected to Lyon, Marseille, Dijon, Avignon, Lille, and other French cities, in addition to Germany and Switzerland, among others.

Reaching Colmar often requires an additional 30-minute local train from Strasbourg to Colmar. This adds at least an extra 45 minutes to your trip, if you time it perfectly. That being said, Colmar does have direct connections to some French cities, including Mulhouse, Metzeral, Marseille, and even Paris (at a slightly longer train ride) and Basel, Switzerland. 

Which City Has the Best Christmas Vibes?

Winner: Colmar.

Colmar is smaller than Strasbourg, and its markets are located closer together, making the entire town feel like one big Christmas market. You can hardly turn your head without seeing Christmas decorations and market stalls. It is really magical and will immediately put you in the Christmas spirit.

Strasbourg’s markets, on the other hand, are more spread out and you can certainly find parts of town that are not decorated heavily for Christmas (which some may like!). For this reason, Colmar wins for best Christmas vibes.

Does Strasbourg or Colmar Have Better Christmas Decorations?

Winner: Strasbourg. 

While I prefer Colmar’s vibes, I do think Strasbourg has better decorations. I felt they were bigger, brighter, and more grandiose. Colmar felt small town; Strasbourg felt like a city. It also has some of the iconic decorations, such as the Strasbourg Capitale de Noël sign and the Grand Sapin in Place Kléber.

Do Strasbourg or Colmar’s Christmas Markets Serve Better Food?

Winner: Colmar.

Both markets serve similar Christmas market fare, including tarte flambée, crêpes, and spätzle. All delicious and easy to find.

I have to give the edge to Colmar though, as it has a Gourmet Market dedicated exclusively to upscale food at reasonable prices.

That being said, in Strasbourg, Place Kléber’s raclette dog is a real treat that deserves a mention.

Do Strasbourg or Colmar’s Christmas Markets Serve Better Drinks?

Winner: Colmar.

What puts Colmar over the top in this category is its Carousel Bar, serving mulled wine from a ceramic boot mug, in the Place Rapp Christmas fair. I love a bar made into a carousel, and this one was super fun and Christmasy. 

And on that front, bad news for mug collectors. Both Strasbourg and Colmar use plastic cups in lieu of ceramic mugs to serve vin chaud. If you want a ceramic mug, they are available for purchase at the Place Kléber market in Strasbourg and at the Place Rapp Carousel Bar in Colmar. 

Which City Has the Best Sightseeing Aside From the Christmas Markets?

Winner: Strasbourg.

Colmar is tiny, with few sights to see aside from the town itself (which is absolutely adorable). The one “sight” I recommend is a boat ride in La Petite Venise at 10 euro/person for a 25-minute ride. However, as these boats are open air, they may only run until the end of November, so you may very well miss them entirely if arriving in December. If you have extra time outside market season, Colmar is also a great base for wine tasting through the Alsace.

Strasbourg, on the other hand, has numerous sights aside from the Christmas markets, including its own La Petite France. The Strasbourg Cathedral is a must-see, as is climbing the 332 steps to its viewing platform. Strasbourg also offers its own boat rides through town, albeit on large vessels that are fully enclosed, making them a year-round activity, even in the winter. Strasbourg also has numerous museums and other tourist sights, as it is a large French city that is also the official seat of the European Parliament. Basically, it’s a more robust tourist destination than small Colmar.

Where Is the Best Christmas Shopping: Strasbourg or Colmar?

Winner: Strasbourg.

In terms of Christmas markets, both Colmar and Strasbourg offer similar goods. Lots of desserts and food products (jam, honey, etc.), Christmas ornaments and decorations, and ceramics. 

Strasbourg wins for Christmas shopping, however, because it has many, many real stores selling all sorts of wonderful things that you can buy for Christmas. For example, Strasbourg has a Galeries Lafayette (a Parisian department store), a Hermès store (as well as all the French luxury brands), a Longchamp, and a Monoprix, among many other French brand stores! Colmar has only one of these shops (a Monoprix) due to its size, pushing Christmas shopping strongly in favor of Strasbourg. And, to keep in the Christmas spirit, all of these stores are decorated to the nines.

One honorable mention: while Strasbourg wins for shopping, Colmar does have an indoor handcraft market, the “Koïfhus” market, which specializes in local, handmade products.

Where to Stay: Strasbourg or Colmar?

Winner: Strasbourg. 

Strasbourg is a city, and as a city, it has loads of lodging at all price points. For example, we stayed at both an IHG chain (the Voco) and a luxury hotel called Hôtel Les Haras. Colmar is simply much smaller and has fewer lodging options, especially of the Western chain and luxury variety.  Also, some of Colmar’s lodging is outside of the town center. By virtue of number and range of options, Strasbourg wins for the best place to stay.

Where Are the Crowds Worse: Strasbourg or Colmar?

Winner: Tie. Go during the week to avoid the worst crowds in both.

I went to both markets in December 2025, and even comparing the markets on the same day (Monday, December 8, when I visited both), Strasbourg was much, much busier than Colmar. That was my personal experience the second week of December 2025.  That being said, I have read a lot of information stating the opposite, so perhaps I was just lucky. 

My best tip is to go during the week, not the weekend, to avoid the largest crowds. Monday and Tuesday were much more manageable than Saturday and Sunday.

Which Should You Choose?

• One night only: Stay in Strasbourg and take the 30-minute train to Colmar for the day, like we did.
• First trip to Alsace: Do both. Base in Strasbourg for the hotels and train connections, and give Colmar a full day.
• Shoppers: Strasbourg, for Galeries Lafayette, Hermès and the other French brands, plus Colmar’s Koïfhus for handmade gifts.
• Families: Colmar, where the whole town feels like one Christmas market and the Place Rapp Christmas fair has rides.

Can You Visit Both the Colmar and Strasbourg Christmas Markets in One Day?

Answer: Yes.

Yes, I did exactly this and visited both Strasbourg and Colmar in one day. It is a long day and no, you won’t see everything, but you can certainly get a feel for both cities’ Christmas markets in one day. Specifically, on Monday, December 8, 2025, I took the 30-minute train from Strasbourg to Colmar around 10:30 a.m., explored Colmar’s Christmas markets until about 3:30 p.m., trained back to Strasbourg, took a break at my hotel, and then went to Strasbourg’s Christmas markets in the evening, staying right until they closed at 9:00 p.m. This is not the best way to experience the Christmas markets, but yes, you can see both towns in one day if that is all the time you have.

After Alsace, we finished in Paris, where we stayed at La Fantaisie and had dinner at Les Cocottes near the Eiffel Tower.