The Christmas market in Colmar is a beautiful, authentically traditional Alsatian Christmas market that is not only an unusual market compared to other regions of France but because Colmar did not always belong to France, it also looks more like medieval Germany. You will find typical French traditions alongside German Christmassy things like Glühwein, a hot, mulled wine that warms you up in the cold as you wander the bright and festive outdoor markets. I love the German Christmas markets, so it was fun to get a little taste of them without going all the way to Germany.

The stalls and indoor markets offer lots of regional food specialties like Sprengerle, a type of cookie flavored with anis seed, Bredele, traditional Alsatian cookies, Manalas de Saint-Nicolas, which is a thin brioche shaped like a gingerbread man, Cristollen, a German fruitcake. You’ll also find handcrafted items made by artisans from the region.

Colmar’s market is actually many Christmas villages spread all over the old town, all of which are easy to get to in one day by walking. There’s one for children at the “Petite Venise” near the canals, and the others are located at Place Jeanne d’Arc, Place des Dominicains, Place de l’Ancienne Douane, and indoors at the Koifhus.

Lastly, a Christmas market is not complete without a patinoire, so grab your skates because there’s also an outdoor iceskating rink located at the Place Rapp, the biggest open square in Colmar.

For more information about Les marchés de Noël / Christmas markets in Colmar, click here.

More Marchés de Noël (Christmas Markets in France)

Strasbourg (Alsace) (the most famous and largest french christmas market), Dijon (Bourgogne), Besançon (Franche-Comté), Reims (Champagne), Chartres (Centre), Avignon (Provence), Lille (Nord), Rouen (Normandie), Amiens (Picardie)–make sure to see their color lightshow at the cathedral too, Noisy le Grand (one of the larger christmas markets in Paris, Ile de France), Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne)

Tags: christmas, france, french, christmas+markets+in+france, colmar, alsace, Marchés+de+Noël