Obernai Christmas Market: Alsace’s Charming Hidden Gem
Obernai is a delightfully charming village in Alsace, a region in France famous for its incredible Christmas markets and holiday traditions.
Located just a little south of Strasbourg, Obernai offers all the magic of colorful half-timbered houses decked out in garland and decorations, without the overwhelming Christmas crowds you’ll find in villages like Riquewihr or Eguisheim.
While the streets and houses may not be *quite* as heavily decorated as some of the other villages, Obernai is still incredibly festive and inviting, with a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere. It’s the perfect spot to soak in the holiday spirit without the heavy crowds of the larger markets.
This is everything you need to know about visiting the Obernai Christmas Market.
The Markets in Obernai
There are 5 markets in Obernai, which is honestly quite a large number for such a small village. Of these 5, Market 2 is considered the “main” market in Obernai, with the other 4 being smaller spots.
Market 2 – Place du Marché
Let’s start with the main and biggest market in Obernai, located at the stunning Place du Marché. The square is surrounded by picture-perfect, colorful half-timbered buildings, with the Obernai bell tower in the background.
This market has around 20 chalets selling a combination of food and gifts. There’s a large, decorated Christmas tree at the market entrance and a beautiful carousel in the middle of the square.
This Christmas market was honestly perfection. The already charming square, the perfectly placed tree and carousel, the bell tower in the background, and the garland-trimmed chalets all came together so beautifully.
Everything worked so well aesthetically—I seriously took a million pictures because every single angle was so photogenic.
Market 1 – Place Neher
The market at Place Neher is also very quaint and on a cute little square. This market is definitely smaller than the one at Place du Marché, with approximately ten different garland-trimmed stalls.
When we visited in 2024, one of the stands on this square was selling the most delicious fried apples – called Beignets de Pomme (or Apfelkiechle in German). This was the only time we saw this treat in Alsace so it was a delightful, and delicious, surprise.
Market 3 – Place du Beffroi
Just around the corner from Place du Marché is Market 3, tucked away in the Place du Beffroi. A “beffroi” is a belltower, and indeed, this market is right in the shadow of the belltower of Obernai.
There are about 10 stalls set up in the cozy square under the tower, with cute “pine forest” decorations set up in the center.
One of the timbered chalets was selling a few different soups – I got the French onion and it was the perfect market meal for a cold winter day.
Market 4 – Place de l’Etoile
This market was absolutely tiny and quite frankly, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it a market. All you can find here are a carousel and a kiddie train ride. This is a nice stop to make if you are visiting with children, if not, you can take a glance as you head to Market 5.
Market 5 – Cour Athic
This is easily the quietest of the markets in Obernai, with just 7 stalls in a tiny, tucked-away square.
This is also the least aesthetic of the markets, but the stalls, which exclusively sold gifts, were really nice. We picked up an adorable gingerbread candle here that seriously looked like an actual dessert.
Saints Pierre et Paul Church
While not a market, this is a great Christmas stop while visiting Obernai. The Saints Pierre and Paul Church is the main church in town, just 2 blocks from Place du Marché, and the church spires tower over the village.
In 2024, this church had a special nativity display during the Christmas season, with dozens of nativities from North and South America displayed all around the perimeter of the church.
There were so many interesting and unique nativities, but we might have liked this igloo one the best!
Admire the Street Decorations
In the intro, I mentioned that the decorations in Obernai seemed not quite as over-the-top as in villages like Riquewihr and Eguisheim, but there were still so many beautifully decorated buildings and scenes in Obernai!
(Indeed, that statement may underscore more just how over-the-top Riquewihr, especially is, instead of saying that Obernai is lacking).
Delightful and often fairly intricate decorations, heavy on the garland and lights, grace the facades. Teddy bears, stars, ornaments, and bows are heavily used, and adorable little scenes like a little Santa climbing up someone’s roof are just waiting to be discovered.
Even the window displays of regular stores go all out – with elaborate, holiday-themed set ups and scenes.
Make sure that you walk down Rue du Marché, a pedestrian-only lane that connects Place du Marché and Place Neher. This is one of the cutest and best-decorated streets in Obernai. Garlands and lights are strung across the streets, and almost every building has some charming decoration on it.
Food and Drinks at the Obernai Christmas Market
Markets 1, 2, and 3 are a good mix of food, drink, and gifts, and despite being a small village, there are actually quite a lot of great options in Obernai.
To start, let’s discuss drinks. Like all Christmas markets, Obernai had multiple stands selling hot mulled wine (vin chaud) and hot chocolate (chocolat chaud).
Like most of France, Obernai had their own, unique reusable plastic cup that drinks were handed out in.
However! They also had adorable Christmas mugs – one of the only spots in Alsace that had mugs.
Collecting the unique mugs of each Christmas market in cities around Europe is a popular pastime for visitors, but sadly, France just doesn’t really participate in the mugs tradition. So we were delighted to find a really cute option, complete with Obernai’s name and a scene of the village.
The mugs cost €8.
Some foods you could eat at the Obernai markets include:
- Bretzel (Pretzels)
- Fresh soups
- Beignets de pomme (apfelkiechle)
- Spaetzle
- Crepes
- Sausages
What to Buy in Obernai
While not an exhaustive list of everything for sale at the Obernai markets, this is a good idea of what is on offer at the different chalets:
- Candles made of beeswax
- Candied fruits
- Jams and spreads
- Wooden, glass, and ceramic ornaments
- Cookie cutters and cookie presses
- Paper stars
- Gingerbread
- Christmas decorations – a wide variety
- Alsacian village buildings
Practical Information
Answers to common questions people have about visiting the Christmas markets in Obernai.
How to Get to Obernai
By Rental Car: This is certainly the most convenient and flexible way to visit Obernai if you’re doing a large Alsace Christmas market tour and want to easily pop into a few different villages or cities every day.
Navigating the countryside of Alsace is straightforward, and there are parking lots on the edge of town. Coming from Strasbourg, the journey takes about 30 minutes.
By Train: If you’re coming from Strasbourg, there’s a TER train that runs about every 30-40 minutes that takes you right into Obernai, and just requires a 10 minute walk into the city center. You can buy tickets at the Strasbourg station for this train day of. The journey takes about 45 minutes.
By Bus: The 257 bus leaves from Strasbourg (location) approximately every 30 minutes throughout the day and goes directly to Obernai. The journey takes 1 hour. Alternatively, you can take the train from Strasbourg to Erstein and then take the 262 bus from Erstein to Obernai. This journey also takes an hour.
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 Obernai Christmas Market
In 2024, the Obernai Christmas Market opened on Friday, the 29th of November, and ran through Tuesday, the 31 of December. The markets are open from 10am-7pm.
How Much Time Do You Need in Obernai?
3-4 hours is plenty of time to take in the 5 different markets in Obernai. 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 in at the church to see the displays.
Map of Obernai Christmas Markets
Other Helpful Tips
- There are no entrance fees to visit the Christmas markets.
- People in Obernai 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 adequate cash on hand.
- Weekends get a lot busier, so if you can, visit on a weekday
- The Colmar Christmas Market is only about 40 minutes south of Obernai, and the Strasbourg Christmas Market is about 25 minutes north. Both are amazing cities with fantastic markets.
