Strasbourg, France Christmas Markets Crowds?

I too had been thinking of stopping in Strasbourg in early December as we will be in Paris then. We had enjoyed a previous visit to Strasbourg this past summer but for December I was noting very high hotel prices. Probably due to multiple events over the weekends - there is at least one Ligue One Football (Soccer) game, the Christmas Markets and another big event which escapes me at the moment. If we could work it out, a mid-week visit might be better as less events happening.

We spent 4 nights in Colmar in June 2023 and loved it so much that we decided to return for the Christmas markets. Prices for Colmar during the markets were 3 times what we paid in June, so we found cheaper lodging in Strasbourg. We stayed 4 nights in early December 2023, arriving around 1:30 on a Saturday. We went to our first market and were soon swallowed by the crowd. Literally shoulder-to-shoulder and you didn’t (couldn’t) move unless the crowd moved you. I had a little panic attack and really started to question how we would do this for our 8 night trip. We managed to visit 9 of the 10 markets in Strasbourg over the next 6-7 hours, but the crowds were intense. Think Disneyland or Times Square on New Years Eve.

Sunday we went to one of the small villages nearby via public bus (Ribeauville). We arrived 10 minutes before the opening time and people were STREAMING in. Within 20 minutes the crowds were shoulder-to-shoulder. We made our way to the end of town, then worked our way out of town - like fish swimming upstream against the waves of people still streaming into town. We went to another town Kaysersberg, where it was less crowded, thankfully. But on the way out of the first town, we saw at least 40 tour buses parked along the road, and cars parked for a mile outside of town. The markets are ultra-peak season for these towns.

Monday we visited Colmar and again arrived before the opening time. It was blissfully not crowded. Definitely lots of people, but not packed like on the weekends. So big tip: and the popular markets on the weekends. There will still be INTENSE crowds at night, as locals visit the markets after work. But during the day is fabulous, and it gets dark around 4 so you can see the beautiful lights before it gets crazy crowded. Meal times are the worst.

Based on everything I’ve seen and read (there’s a great fb group called Magical Christmas Markets of Europe), Colmar and Strasbourg are absolutely packed at night and on weekends. We chose to spend the evenings at smaller markets (Obernai & Gengenbach), or eating at restaurants. The crowds thinned out about 8pm (markets close at 9 in Strasbourg), so we’d wander through after dinner.

The Christmas atmosphere in Strasbourg, Colmar & surrounding villages is fabulous. We found the markets to be somewhat repetitive: same food, same items sold. We also visited Cologne and the markets there are far better. But the city doesn’t have the same charm.

We’ve also been in Paris during the markets. Quite by chance. They are fun, and the city is beautifully decorated.

This year we are going to the markets in Vienna, Budapest, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Munich. We will stick to our strategy: shop/view stalls during the day, lunch at the markets, nap or other sightseeing after lunch, back to the markets around 4, dinner around 5-7, one more market after dinner. Travel between cities on Saturdays. Be pickpocket proof.

Thank you, everyone, for the details you’re sharing! My adult daughter and I will be at the Strasbourg Christmas Market this year. We are just staying at that location one night (Thursday) because it was so expensive. I am expecting crowds, but that doesn’t sound fun - ugh!

Our itinerary for our first time to Christmas Markets is Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Stuttgart/ Esslingen, Strasbourg, Paris.

Strasbourg is magical at Xmas, and the most decorated city I've ever visited at the holidays. It's absolutely breathtaking at night with the elaborate lights. It also has several markets, ice rink, etc which take awhile all to see. I'd recommend spending the money and stay in town, as commuting in and out can be exhausting. There's so much to see, and it's nice to rest up and warm up midday. Like most markets, it gets more crowded around 5pm, when the locals get off work, and the lights come on. Any serious shopping is best done during the day.
The Stuttgart markets are great, and Esslingen, (a short train ride away) has charming Middle Ages markets, with vendors in period costumes and live entertainment. We had a great time here.
Hope this answers parts of your questions.
Wishing you a wonderful trip!

Hotel prices are a pretty good indicator. That holds true for any city, any time. When they are high, you should expect a crowd.

Strasbourg is the best French market I've seen, and I've spent the last three years wandering around the Alsace-Lorraine. I stayed over 4 days in the city December 2023, and have been back a couple time since then. in December it's a totally different city in the evenings once the lights are up and on. Every section of the town has a different light pattern. The market(s) are spread out around the old town, and it's hard to imagine "doing" all of them in one or two days. Usually the stalls start opening around 11am, but it's after 4pm that things really get going. Note that traffic into the old town by car is strictly limited at the time of the markets, even more than normal. I've been to a lot of Christmas markets and events and Nuremberg is the only other one that comes close to the crowds, but Nuremberg is much less spread out, or less segmented. Still, both will be wall to wall crowds.

Colmar is pretty good also, but not as big. The thing is, to me, Colmar is a city that's much more tourist dependent. Strasbourg is much more of a working city and has a better infrastructure that reaches outside the city center. Colmar is much more densely oriented to the city center, and in that way it's a lot like Nuremberg. Colmar, and a lot of the smaller towns around the Alsace, dresses up for the season. Strasbourg changes personality. It's a very different feel.

If you don't want to stay in Strasbourg, consider Haguenau. It's an overlooked city, attractive, a direct train ride to Strasbourg, and you can find rooms in December for around $100/night. They also have a Christmas market and you'll have to look to find American tourists there. My other suggestion would be to stay in Nancy and day trip to Strasbourg. The advantage to that is that Nancy also has really good holiday decorations, it's a beautiful city, and you'd also have the ability to visit Metz, Paris, etc. as well as the smaller towns within the region and across the border into Germany (Saarbrucken, Trier, etc).

Colmar won't be quieter than Strasbourg. Avoid weekends in Strasbourg, though!

Balso said the magic words. Avoid any of the Christmas markets on weekends. Just….awful crowds. I go again in a heartbeat…just on a weekday.

Jean, Kehl in Germany, about 20 minutes from Strasbourg’s Homme de Fer tram stop, is a great option for lodging. Usually much more affordable and easy access to the markets via tram.