Eguisheim Christmas Market: Your Ultimate Guide

Eguisheim is one of Alsace’s most iconic and beautiful villages – with incredibly preserved Medieval half-timbered buildings splashed in a rainbow of colors and charming corners and squares all over the city.

And while Eguisheim shines in summertime (practically overflowing with flowers), it absolutely sparkles in winter, when the magic of Christmas descends on the village.

I loved visiting Eguisheim at Christmas – it’s a fairytale town that makes a perfect addition to your Alsace Christmas market itinerary. These are the spots to visit and things to see and do when visiting Eguisheim at Christmastime.

5 Things to Do When Visiting Eguisheim for the Christmas Markets

1. Walk Rue des Remparts

Eguisheim is such a unique village with a distinct layout – the town center is surrounded by a circular street that traces the path of the old city walls.

This street, appropriately called the Rue des Remparts, is unbelievably charming, with the most postcard-perfect buildings, colorful half-timbered facades, and fairytale-like vibes.

In December, garland, lights, and decorations fill the streets. You’ll also notice small nativities dotting the pathway, an extra little touch for the holiday season.

Since Rue des Remparts completely surrounds the town, you can hop in wherever you like and walk the entire circle until you end up back where you started.

2. Enjoy Other Beautifully Decorated Streets

The whole town really gets into the Christmas spirit, so anywhere you go you’re sure to find vibrant decorations. Truly, simply wandering the village is a delight and an activity you shouldn’t miss.

3. Place Saint-Léon

Saint-Léon Square is the main square in Eguisheim that sits almost perfectly in the center of town. It’s home to an adorable fountain with a statue of Saint-Leon in the center, and is strung with garland in winter.

You can see the Saint-Léon Chapel behind the fountain (definitely go inside- it’s quite pretty), and there’s quite a lot of Christmas decorations around the square. It’s a great place to take some pictures or sit, relax, and take in the views on one of the benches by the fountain.

This square is also sometimes referred to as Place du Chateau, a callback to the Medieval castle that today is no longer standing.

Both the square and chapel are dedicated to Pope Leon IX, who was born in Egueisheim in 1002 and reigned as pope from 1049-1054.

4. The Eguisheim Christmas Market

There are two small squares in Eguisheim that host a Christmas market. The first is just a couple of buildings past Place Saint-Léon, in the square that has the Memorial to the Victims of the two World Wars.

This market is absolutely adorable – to start, there’s a little garland arch that welcomes you to the market, with a cute little winter scene set up around the memorial.

Thirty cozy, garland-trimmed chalets are filled with beautiful displays of Christmas decorations, ornaments, candles, toys, wooden carvings, winter socks, santons (traditional French miniatures), and other gifts.

5. The 2nd Christmas Market in Eguisheim

A smaller, secondary market is set up just one block past the main market, at the Market Fountain on Grand-Rue. About 8 chalets fill this square, selling a combination of food, drinks, and gifts.

6. Food, Drink, and Gifts at the Eguisheim Markets

Speaking of which, sampling food and drinks is one of the best things to do at a Christmas market, and Eguisheim is no exception. Mulled vine (vin chaud) is the most common drink, but chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) is also very common.

Eguisheim doesn’t have their own, unique ceramic mug like many Christmas markets in Europe. Instead, they have a branded plastic cup. And while a plastic cup is not nearly as cozy as a mug, the cup is undeniably really cute!

And while this is not an exhaustive list, these are some of the types of goods for sale at the markets in Eguisheim:

• Candles, many varieties
• Candied fruits, cheese, dried meats
• Jams, spreads, and specialty food items
• Wooden, glass, and ceramic ornaments
• Gingerbread
• Christmas decorations – a wide variety
• Santons – traditional French miniature
• Jewelry

Practical Information

These are answers to common questions people have about visiting the markets in Eguisheim.

How to Get to Eguisheim at Christmastime

By Rental Car: This is certainly the most convenient and flexible way to visit Eguisheim if you’re doing a large Alsace Christmas market tour and want to easily pop into a few different villages or cities everyday.

Navigating the countryside of Alsace is straightforward, and there are parking lots on the edge of town. Coming from Colmar, the journey takes about 30 minutes.

By Shuttle: In 2024, Alsace started running a Christmas shuttle, mainly between Colmar and other villages in the region. This shuttle runs every hour (or half hour on weekends), costs €8-15 for a full day use, and is a really convenient way to get around if you don’t have a car.

Because the shuttle can fill up, it is highly recommended to get a ticket in advance. You can check out timetables and more information about the shuttle at the bottom of this article.

By Bus: The #30 bus runs between Colmar and Eguisheim several times throughout the day. This is an okay option – while the bus only costs €4 and you can get there in 15 minutes, the bus only runs about 8 times a day, and often with several hours between the next bus.

In practicality, it often doesn’t line up super well with how long you’d want to stay in Eguisheim, and you might end up either waiting around for the bus or cutting your visit short. You can check out the bus schedule here

By Uber: There is Uber in Alsace, and I’ve used it on a few occasions. I’ve had no problems getting picked up in bigger cities (to take me to smaller villages), but I have had difficulty with drivers accepting the ride request to pick me up from a village and bring me back to the city.

Dates and Hours for the Eguisheim Christmas Market

The 2024 Eguisheim Christmas Market opens on Friday, the 29th of November, and runs through Monday, the 30 of December (except the 24, 25, and 26 December).

From Nov 29 to Dec 15, the market is open from 12pm-7pm on weekdays and 10am-7pm on weekends. From Dec 16-Dec 30, the market is open 10am-7pm every day.

How Much Time Do You Need in Eguisheim?

2-4 hours is plenty of time to take in the Christmas markets and atmosphere in Eguisheim. With just a few hours, you can browse the stands and buy any gifts, get something to eat, walk up and down all the adorable streets in town, and stop at the Place and Chapelle Saint-Léon.

Other Helpful Tips

• The Colmar Christmas Market is only about 15 minutes north of Eguisheim, and the Strasbourg Christmas Market is about 1 hour north. Both are amazing cities with fantastic markets.
• There are no entrance fees to visit the Christmas markets.
• People in Eguisheim speak French, of course, but many also speak German. In addition, you will find that most people interacting with tourists speak at least some English.
• There are some stands that will accept card, but many places will just take cash, so make sure you have cash on hand.
• Weekends are very busy, so if you can, visit on a weekday.