Kaysersberg Keeps Christmas to Four Weekends
Thirty chalets, local craft and bredalas: the Alsace market for people who find Strasbourg too much.
Alsace takes Christmas seriously, and its biggest markets, in Strasbourg and Colmar, are crowded all December. Kaysersberg, a half-timbered wine village in the foothills of the Vosges a short drive from Colmar, goes the other way. Its market is small, it opens only at weekends, and the stallholders are chosen with some care.
When to go
In 2026 the Kaysersberg Christmas market opens on four Advent weekends, Friday to Sunday: 27–29 November, 4–6 December, 11–13 December and 18–20 December. Hours are 10:00 to 20:00. There are about 30 wooden chalets in the historic center, set in the Cour de l'Arsenal and behind the Sainte-Croix church. A separate farmers' market runs on the same days at Place de la Mairie, selling regional produce.
What to buy
The local Christmas association selects the artisans, and the stock reflects it: wooden toys, tree ornaments, blown glass, jewelry and lamps, with very little imported tinsel. To eat, there is gingerbread, bredalas (the small Alsatian Christmas biscuits) and mulled wine.
How to do it
Book a Friday night, before the Saturday crowds arrive, and walk the village after dark, when the timbered facades and the river carry the atmosphere better than any chalet can. Kaysersberg also makes a good base for working through the rest of the region. Riquewihr and Colmar are close by, and so are the Route des Vins cellars, which are pleasantly empty in December.
