Us on a bench beside old wine barrels in Alsace, France

France · Alsace at Christmas

Strasbourg & Alsace

Strasbourg, Colmar & Riquewihr · A Christmas wonderland

The trip

A real-life Christmas wonderland.

If you can visit Alsace during the holidays, do it — it is an absolute must. We went in December 2025 and the whole region turns into a festive, fairy-tale wonderland: twinkling Christmas markets, half-timbered houses buried under decorations, and hot mulled wine to keep your hands warm. We based ourselves in Strasbourg and took the train and bus out to Colmar and Riquewihr — two of the most storybook towns we've ever set foot in. A quick honest tip: Colmar and Riquewihr aren't the easiest to reach on your own, so we'd genuinely recommend a day tour from Strasbourg to see the wonders of Alsace stress-free. And it's cold — dress warmly!

The base

Strasbourg

The capital of Alsace and our home base — a grand, canal-laced city that claims the oldest Christmas market in France. Gothic spires, cobbled lanes and facades dripping in lights and greenery. It's also the easiest launchpad for the smaller villages.

Us in front of the giant Christmas tree with a red door installation at Place Kléber, Strasbourg Us in front of a huge autumn-into-winter flower and pumpkin display among Strasbourg's half-timbered houses
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The Christmas markets & the great tree

📍 Place Kléber & the old town

Strasbourg calls itself the Capitale de Noël, and it earns it. Wooden chalets fill square after square, and the centrepiece is the giant Christmas tree at Place Kléber — one of the tallest in Europe. Wander the stalls, follow the lights through the old town, and let yourself get pleasantly lost. A guided walking tour with a local is the easiest way to string together the cathedral, the squares and the market history in one go.

Oldest market in FranceEndless lights
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Strasbourg: Walking Tour with a Local Guide

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Us outside Le Gruber restaurant in Strasbourg, its facade covered in an advent-calendar of decorations Us on a bench in front of a giant wine barrel framed by towering flower columns in Strasbourg Melody smiling beside a festive florist stall packed with red Christmas decorations in Strasbourg
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La Petite France & the winstubs

📍 La Petite France & the canal quarter

Away from the main squares, the lanes of La Petite France are all leaning timber houses, little bridges and glowing shopfronts — every corner looks staged for a postcard. Duck into a cosy winstub (Alsatian tavern) to warm up, and keep an eye out for the wildly over-decorated facades like Le Gruber. It's the part of Strasbourg you'll want to wander slowly, camera out.

Storybook lanesCosy winstubs
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Getting to Colmar & Riquewihr

We reached the villages by train and bus, and while it's doable, it isn't the smoothest — connections are limited and the little towns are spread out. If we did it again we'd take a day tour from Strasbourg (or Colmar): you skip the logistics and see several of Alsace's best villages in one relaxed day. Two we'd point you to:

GetYourGuide From Strasbourg

From Strasbourg: Highlights of Alsace Sightseeing Day Trip

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GetYourGuide From Colmar

From Colmar: 4 Wonders of Alsace Day Tour

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The fairy tale

Colmar

If a single place looked like a Christmas card come to life, it was Colmar. Pastel timber houses, flower-draped canals and decorations on a scale that has to be seen. This was the highlight of the trip — and where we spent the most time.

Us on a decorated bridge over the canal in Colmar's Little Venice, colourful timber houses behind A close-up of us on the Colmar canal bridge with the pastel Little Venice houses behind
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Little Venice

📍 La Petite Venise, Colmar

Colmar's Little Venice is the shot you've seen — a canal lined with candy-coloured half-timbered houses, their reflections doubling everything in the water. In December it's all wreaths, garlands and fairy lights. Cross the little bridges, then come back at dusk when the windows glow. Easily one of the prettiest streets we've ever walked.

The iconic canalMagic at dusk
Melody in a cobbled Colmar square in front of the snowflake-covered Au Vieux Pignon house Us standing in the cobbled street beneath the snowflake-decorated Au Vieux Pignon facade in Colmar Us in front of a Colmar house decorated with giant wreath letters, gifts and a lit nutcracker A night selfie of us in front of a Colmar house lit up as a giant advent calendar
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The old town & its decorated houses

📍 Colmar old town

The whole centre is a walkable open-air display. Facades compete to outdo each other — the famous snowflake-clad "Au Vieux Pignon", houses turned into giant advent calendars, teddy bears and nutcrackers spilling from every window. Just pick a lane and follow it; there's a new photo around every corner. Come back after dark to see it all lit up.

Every corner decoratedBetter after dark
Andrew holding a purple Colmar mulled-wine cup at a Christmas market lined with wooden chalets Melody beside a vintage carousel strung with lights and giant teddy bears in Colmar Melody seated in a festive Colmar courtyard photo spot with frosted white trees and a decorated Christmas tree
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Mulled wine, markets & the carousel

📍 Colmar's Christmas markets

This is where you slow down and just enjoy it. Grab a vin chaud (hot mulled wine) in a collectible Colmar cup, browse the market chalets, and ride — or just admire — the beautiful vintage carousel. The town also sets up dreamy little photo spots with frosted trees and gnomes. Warm drink in hand, lights everywhere: peak Christmas.

Try the vin chaudKeep the market cup

The village

Riquewihr

A tiny walled wine village on the Alsace Wine Route that feels frozen in time — and at Christmas, frozen in a snow globe. Cobbled streets, medieval towers and shop windows crammed with festive charm.

The crowded festive main street of Riquewihr, decorated timber houses leading up to the Dolder tower Melody in a quiet cobbled Riquewihr lane with a big red star decoration and colourful houses
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The fairy-tale main street

📍 Rue du Général de Gaulle & the back lanes

Riquewihr's main street climbs toward the Dolder tower past a solid wall of decorated houses, elf-filled windows and market stalls — it gets busy for good reason. Step into the quieter side lanes and you'll find the same magic with none of the crowds, glowing red stars and all. It's small enough to see in an afternoon, and it's pure Alsace fairy tale.

Medieval & tinyDuck down the side lanes

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The most Instagram-worthy shots

If you only chase a handful of frames, chase these. Tap through to see them on our feed.

The great Christmas tree at Place Kléber Colmar's Little Venice canal Advent-calendar house at night in Colmar Mulled wine at the Colmar market A quiet decorated lane in Riquewihr The vintage carousel in Colmar

The full roll

More from Alsace

Us by a huge flower and pumpkin display in Strasbourg Us beneath the snowflake-covered Au Vieux Pignon house in Colmar Us outside the decorated Le Gruber restaurant in Strasbourg Melody in a festive Colmar courtyard photo spot Us on a bench by a giant wine barrel and flower columns in Strasbourg Us in front of a wreath-and-nutcracker decorated house in Colmar The festive main street of Riquewihr toward the Dolder tower A close-up of us on the Colmar canal bridge