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Eguisheim Christmas market: when to go and how
In brief
The Eguisheim Christmas market runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026, on Place du Chateau Saint-Léon, with around thirty local stallholders. It closes on 24, 25 and 26 December and reopens on the 28th. Opening hours change with the day, and become daily from 15 December. It is the only vineyard village served every day by the Christmas shuttle from Colmar station.
Eguisheim is the market to suggest to anyone who has already seen Colmar and Riquewihr and found them too dense. Smaller, running later, and the only one in the vineyard that stays reachable without a car every day of the season. This page covers the market; visiting the village itself is dealt with elsewhere.
Around thirty stallholders on Place du Chateau Saint-Léon
The market concentrates on Place du Chateau Saint-Léon, at the centre of a village built in concentric circles. Some thirty local craftspeople and designers hold stalls, which makes it one of the smallest vineyard markets by chalet count. That is precisely the argument: at this scale you talk to the stallholders instead of shuffling along in a queue. Allow an hour and a half on site, two with a break.
Opening hours that change three times
This is Eguisheim's quirk, and the source of most wasted journeys:
- Monday to Thursday, before 15 December: opening only at midday, closing at 7.
- Friday to Sunday: 10 to 7.
- From 15 December: every day, 10 to 7.
- Fully closed on 24, 25 and 26 December, reopening on the 28th until the 30th.
The only village served daily without a car
Line 3 of the Christmas shuttles links Colmar station to Eguisheim every day from 27 November to 20 December 2026, whereas the lines to Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé run only from Friday to Sunday. The ticket costs 8 euros Monday to Thursday and 17 euros Friday to Sunday, for the whole day. On a December Tuesday without a car, Eguisheim is therefore the only reachable vineyard village, but its market does not open until midday before 15 December: the two constraints compound.
Parking
Four car parks ring the village, a few minutes on foot from the centre. Those at the Mairie and Les Marronniers are charged, with a day rate of around four euros. La Tuilerie and Le Millenaire are free, and that is where the coaches park. Saturation comes later than at Riquewihr, visitor numbers being lower, but weekends in the second half of December still fill up around midday.
Concentric lanes, both asset and constraint
Eguisheim is built in rings around the former castle, which gives a spiral route with no main street and no dead ends. You keep turning, and the market reappears from another angle. The trade-off is the narrowness and the cobbles: in a wheelchair or with a pushchair the circuit is hard going once rain or frost sets in, and there is no flat way round. Nor is there a covered refuge comparable to the Koifhus in Colmar.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 2026 dates of the Eguisheim Christmas market?
From 27 November to 30 December 2026, closed on 24, 25 and 26 December and reopening on the 28th. It is one of the few Alsatian markets still open between Christmas and New Year.
What time does the Eguisheim Christmas market open?
Midday to 7 Monday to Thursday before 15 December, 10 to 7 Friday to Sunday, then every day from 10 to 7 from 15 December onwards.
Can you get to Eguisheim without a car?
Yes. Line 3 of the Christmas shuttles links Colmar station to Eguisheim every day from 27 November to 20 December 2026, at 8 euros Monday to Thursday and 17 euros Friday to Sunday.
Is there an entry fee for the Eguisheim Christmas market?
No, access is free. Only purchases and refreshments are paid for, mulled wine coming in a deposit cup.
Eguisheim or Riquewihr to avoid the crowds?
Eguisheim, clearly. The market is smaller, visitor numbers lower and parking less strained. Riquewihr, on the other hand, offers a market spread through a whole village and wider hours early in the week.
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