Adventurous Kate contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n If you want to experience the best Christmas markets in France, there should be one destination at the top of your itinerary: Alsace. <\/strong>This German-flavored region in northeast France is home to the best Christmas markets in the country.<\/p>\n And boy, does Alsace go all out at Christmas! You\u2019re going to love it here. If you can handle the crowds.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been covering Christmas markets in Europe as a travel blogger since 2016, and in that near-decade, I\u2019ve seen Europe\u2019s Christmas market tourism grow enormously.<\/strong> And as is always the case with tourism, that is both a good and a bad thing.<\/p>\n On top of that, river cruises have really taken off during the same time period, and one of the most popular river cruise stops along the Rhine is the Alsatian city of Strasbourg. It\u2019s easier than ever to visit Alsace at Christmas \u2014 and the streets have never been more crowded.<\/p>\n While I first visited Alsace on a September trip some years ago<\/a>, last year my husband Charlie and I road tripped from Prague to enjoy Christmas in Alsace. We visited five different Alsatian cities \u2014 Strasbourg, Colmar, Ribeauvill\u00e9, Riquewihr, and Kayserberg-Vignoble.<\/p>\n And while we enjoyed our trip, there is one BIG thing we need to talk about: overtourism.<\/strong> Alsace\u2019s Christmas markets are flooded with tourists from all over France, as well as the entire world.<\/p>\n And if you don\u2019t plan appropriately, you might hate your trip here. Read on for how to plan it well!<\/p>\n This post was published in November 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n Alsace is German-flavored in nature, which makes it an interesting place to visit, especially if you\u2019ve been to different parts of France before.<\/strong> This region has been volleyed back and forth between French and German control over the centuries.<\/p>\n Here, sausages and pretzels are as common as pains au chocolat and escargots, and many locals speak Alsatian as their first language.<\/p>\n (Interestingly, while the Alsatian language has been in decline, I found out that new Alsatian language immersion programs began in schools in 2023! Let\u2019s hope that Alsatian goes the way of Welsh and becomes a thriving language once again!)<\/p>\n And while the cities of Alsace are a lot of fun, the small towns seriously are stunning, colorful, and forgive the clich\u00e9, but straight out of a fairy tale. <\/strong>The Alsatian towns of Ribeauvill\u00e9 and Riquewihr reportedly inspired the setting for Belle\u2019s village in Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast<\/em>.<\/p>\n And because of this German influence, Alsace has an incredible array of Christmas markets. Strasbourg even calls itself La Captitale de No\u00ebl<\/em> (Capital of Christmas).<\/p>\n Yet even though Alsace is German-influenced, this is still very much France.<\/strong> France is a very aesthetics-driven country, and it doesn\u2019t surprise me that Alsace has the prettiest Christmas decorations of anywhere I\u2019ve been in Europe.<\/p>\n And people tend to be a bit more dressed up at the markets in France than in Germany, for example. You tend to see more nice scarves, hats and boots on locals, and fewer athletic outfits.<\/p>\n The food here? Instead of German gluhwein<\/em>, you\u2019ll be drinking vin chaud<\/em>, or hot wine. And while I prefer mulled red wine overall, Alsace has some lovely white wines that make a terrific base for vin chaud blanc.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s the food. Tarte flamb\u00e9, choucroute garnie, and plenty of hearty yet refined French dishes that will fill you with warmth on a chilly winter day. I find the food in Alsace much more delicious and varied than German Christmas market fare.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s the cheese. SO much cheese. If you want to eat cheese at Christmas markets, believe me, you\u2019ll want to come to Alsace.<\/p>\n However, you can\u2019t talk about the Christmas markets in Alsace without talking about the overtourism.<\/strong> It is severe<\/em>. <\/p>\n Imagine heading to what you think will be a delightful Christmas market experience, and instead you are packed to the gills with other tourists.<\/p>\n Looking to get some food from a stall? You\u2019ll be waiting in a wraparound line. Got your wine and want to grab a table? Get ready to stand in place, because they\u2019re all taken. Feel like taking a stroll? You\u2019ll be shuffling along at a snail\u2019s pace as you move with the horde.<\/p>\n And in the case of Strasbourg, you\u2019ll be herded through fences as men and women with big guns patrol the city.<\/p>\n I know some Christmas Markets are packed, but I found Alsace Christmas Markets to be grotesquely<\/em> crowded during the weekend.<\/strong><\/p>\n Unfortunately, this is a fairly recent development, owing to both the takeoffs of Christmas market tourism and river cruise tourism. Last night I was talking to a friend who used to live in Freiburg who couldn\u2019t believe what I was telling her about what it\u2019s like today.<\/p>\n Eight years ago, she was able to walk up and buy a Navettes de No\u00ebl shuttle bus ticket on a whim in Colmar. Nowadays, these tickets sell out within hours of the onsale!<\/p>\n So what makes Alsace\u2019s Christmas markets worse than Christmas markets in other countries?<\/strong><\/p>\n First off: TONS and TONS of French people.<\/p>\n On my most recent trip, I noticed that there were lots of tourists from other parts of France. (Including a group of older ladies shocked that they could not validate their Strasbourg tram tickets \u201c\u00e0 l\u2019interieur\u201d and were effectively stealing a ride.)<\/p>\n That\u2019s when it hit me \u2014 France funnels all of their Christmas tourists into one region.<\/strong> While, sure, plenty of French tourists go to Paris and Lyon and other places in December, if French people are traveling in their country for Christmas markets, they are almost certainly visiting Alsace.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at the map of France with Alsace highlighted:<\/p>\n Alsace is a tiny region, geographically speaking. It\u2019s a small sliver of northeast France.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s even more significant when you look at how little of Alsace is developed:<\/p>\n As you can see, there\u2019s basically one main road that runs from north to south, and most of the towns in Alsace are located off that one road.<\/p>\n There is a mountain range running along Western Alsace, which is a reason why this region kept being passed back and forth between the French and the Germans over the years. Overall, most of Alsace is quite rural, with a small corridor of towns running from north to south.<\/p>\n Not only are tons and tons of French travelers descending upon a small region, they are descending upon the minuscule developed portion of said region.<\/p>\n So French people flock to Alsace each year. But doesn\u2019t this happen in Germany, the country with the biggest draw for Christmas markets?<\/strong> Absolutely not! Why? All of Germany goes all out for Christmas.<\/em> <\/p>\n Every German city and most German small towns have their own Christmas markets; unless you\u2019re very rural, you won\u2019t need to go far to find one.<\/p>\n And Germans tend not to travel for any Christmas market in particular. Maybe, occasionally, German tourists will travel to Dresden\u2019s or Nuremberg\u2019s legendary Christmas markets, and sometimes they\u2019ll visit friends and family in other cities or do a city break during December, but most of the time, Germans stick to their own region.<\/p>\n So domestic tourism in Germany is pretty evenly dispersed during the month of December \u2014 but France has a massive funnel emptying people from all over France directly into Alsace.<\/p>\n River cruising has become an incredibly popular way to explore Europe over the last decade, especially for retirees and older folks.<\/strong> (Perhaps all those Viking ads during Dancing with the Stars<\/em> had an impact.)<\/p>\n And among those cruises, Christmas cruises have tremendously grown in popularity and are now dominating the scene in December.<\/p>\n The two most popular river cruise routes to travel during Christmas are along the Rhine and the Danube. The Rhine is the border between Alsace and Germany. Most Rhine cruises have their itinerary run from Amsterdam to Basel, stopping in Strasbourg along the way.<\/p>\n As a result, Strasbourg is filled to the brim with river cruisers in December. I\u2019m looking at the schedule for December 2025, and most days have four to seven cruise ships docked in town. <\/p>\n Even though these are considered \u201csmall cruise ships,\u201d they are collectively dumping hundreds of additional tourists into the already crowded town.<\/p>\n And Strasbourg is not the only destination in Alsace that faces this. Most of the river cruise companies include excursions to Colmar; some offer excursions to other towns like Riquewihr. That adds to the crowds in those destinations.<\/p>\n This is my most important piece of advice: visit the most popular Alsace Christmas markets on weekdays as opposed to weekends. <\/strong>And by weekdays, I mean Monday through Thursday.<\/p>\n Weekends are packed to the point of being intolerable, and weekdays, though still busy, are far less crowded and far more enjoyable. <\/p>\n I visited Colmar last year on a Saturday night and a Sunday night \u2014 and you would not BELIEVE the difference of the Colmar Christmas Market. Just by eyeballing, it looked like Sunday night had about one third of the crowds of Saturday night.<\/p>\n Another example: on Saturday we had to squish our car into the last available spot in our hotel\u2019s parking lot. On Sunday, we were one of only three cars in the parking lot.<\/p>\n On Saturday, we waited in line for 30 minutes to get potato galettes at Colmar\u2019s gourmet market. On Sunday, there were never more than two people in line in front of us at any food vendor.<\/p>\n I would not recommend visiting the Christmas markets of Alsace on the weekend if you can help it \u2014 with one exception, the Ribeauvill\u00e9 Christmas Market.<\/p>\n Ribeauvill\u00e9\u2019s Christmas market is exceptional<\/em> and only takes place on two Saturdays and two Sundays each December. Brave the crowds for this one, because it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n Avoid river cruises if you don\u2019t want crowds. <\/strong>Are river cruises fun? I\u2019m sure they\u2019re lots of fun! But if a destination accommodates river cruises, it means it\u2019s going to be incredibly crowded.<\/p>\n That also goes for the popular shore excursions from river cruise ports, like Colmar and Riquewihr.<\/p>\n Visit less-popular markets during the weekends.<\/strong> Within Alsace, I would suggest visiting Mulhouse, the largest city in the Haut-Rhin (the southern part of Alsace), which is a little bit off the main tourist trail.<\/p>\n Another good option is the Obernai Christmas Market. Obernai is a small city southwest of Strasbourg that has much of the beauty of the more popular cities, but a fraction of the tourists.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re willing to travel a bit, consider Metz. This city is in the Grand Est region of France, it\u2019s about a 48-minute train ride from Strasbourg, and has some great Christmas markets away from the Alsace crowds.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s not all. This guide<\/a> has lists of all the Christmas markets in Alsace, including plenty I guarantee you\u2019ve never heard of.<\/p>\n Know that \u201csmaller town\u201d does not mean \u201csmaller crowds.\u201d<\/strong> Ooh, that is not true in the least! Some of the most popular Christmas markets in Alsace are in the smaller towns: Kayserberg (population: 4,400), Eguisheim (population: 1,700) and Riquewihr (population: 1,000).<\/p>\n So don\u2019t think that you\u2019ll be escaping the crowds by choosing a smaller town \u2014 you probably won\u2019t be.<\/p>\n Consider visiting wineries on weekends. <\/strong>The Alsace Wine Route is a popular activity in Alsace, and there are many tours that will take you to different wineries for tastings. I love these tours because they have a built-in designated driver, and wineries are often located out of town, far from the market crowds.<\/p>\n You can take this half-day wine tour from Strasbourg<\/a>, or this half-day wine tour from Colmar<\/a>. Both tours include multiple wine tastings and will show you the glorious Alsatian countryside.<\/p>\n Plan your parking in advance \u2014 or stay far away.<\/strong> If you\u2019re traveling around Alsace by public transportation, that\u2019s terrific! I highly encourage that! <\/p>\n If you\u2019re driving, be sure to plan your parking ahead of time, or you\u2019ll be spending a lot of time looking for hard-to-find parking spaces.<\/p>\n Double-check the dates. <\/strong>Most Alsace Christmas Markets start in late November and finish in late December, but the dates can vary from town to town. Always double-check before booking your trip.<\/p>\n Consider your base carefully. <\/strong>Strasbourg and Colmar are the two more popular places to base in Alsace, and they have the best selections of accommodation.<\/p>\n So which one is better? Strasbourg is a bit cheaper overall than Colmar, with more variety, and because Strasbourg has a robust public transportation system, you can stay further away and still get around easily.<\/p>\n Strasbourg has more train and bus connections, and you can easily day trip to other towns on both the French and German sides of the Rhine.<\/p>\n Colmar, by contrast, is a smaller town. Though the center is walkable, you should use Google Maps to make sure you\u2019re actually within walking distance of the center (think La Petite Venise region). And the closer you are, the more expensive it gets.<\/p>\n But Colmar is also closer to the most famous small villages in the region, and the Navettes de No\u00ebl shuttle buses<\/a> run from Colmar.<\/p>\n Overall, Strasbourg and Colmar are about an hour\u2019s drive apart, but just 30 minutes apart by train. Hooray for effective public transit! You can easily stay in one town and visit the other, as long as you keep track of the train schedule (and they do get busy during the festive season).<\/p>\n We chose to stay at the Ibis Budget Centre Ville<\/a> in Colmar, which was a basic hotel for a decent price, had its own parking lot, and was within a 15-minute walk of most Christmas Markets in Colmar.<\/p>\n Book your accommodation EARLY.<\/strong> I can\u2019t emphasize this enough. The most popular spots with the best deals tend to book up months in advance, and I don\u2019t think you\u2019re overreacting if you book your stay as early as January!<\/p>\n Find deals on places to stay in Strasbourg here<\/a> and find deals on places to stay in Colmar here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Book the Navettes de No\u00ebl<\/a> from Colmar.<\/strong> This is the Christmas shuttle, and it runs several routes around the Colmar region in Alsace. A single weekend ticket costs 17 EUR ($19.50 USD).<\/p>\n I took the route that takes you from Colmar to Ribeauvill\u00e9, Riquewihr, and Kayserberg, and it runs in both directions. They also have a route from Colmar to the pretty wine town of Eguisheim; from Colmar to the towns of Turckheim and Munster; and on select weekends, from Colmar to the town of Neuf-Brisach.<\/p>\n I found the Navettes de No\u00ebl to be well-organized, running frequently, with friendly staff. And when I saw all the cars that parked haphazardly for miles surrounding the towns, BOY was I glad we chose to take the shuttle!<\/p>\n You should know that tickets tend to sell out VERY quickly, especially on the weekend, and especially<\/em> especially on the two weekends of the Ribeauvill\u00e9 Christmas Market. Check the onsale date on the website and book the moment they go on sale.<\/p>\n If not, you can book a multi-market tour from Strasbourg or Colmar.<\/strong> Tours are more expensive than the Navettes de No\u00ebl, but they\u2019re a good option if they\u2019re sold out.<\/p>\n This tour from Strasbourg<\/a> visits several towns in Alsace \u2014 Colmar, and possibly Riquewihr, Ribeauvill\u00e9, Egusheim, or Berghaim, depending on the day.<\/p>\n This other tour from Strasbourg<\/a> visits Colmar, Eguisheim, and Riquewihr, as well as making a visit to Haut-Koenigsbourg castle.<\/p>\n This tour from Colmar<\/a> visits Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kayserberg, and possibly Ribeauvill\u00e9 depending on the day.<\/p>\n This international tour from Colmar<\/a> visits Christmas Markets in three countries in a day: Basel, Switzerland; Freiburg, Germany; and Neuf-Brisach, France!<\/p>\n Eat all the Alsatian specialties.<\/strong> Of course, Alsace has so many delicious foods that you can rarely find outside the region! So what should you be eating?<\/p>\n Tarte flamb\u00e9e.<\/em> Also called flammekueche<\/em> in Alsatian and flammkuchen<\/em> in German, this is THE dish of Alsace, and perhaps the most popular food to buy at Alsatian Christmas markets. It\u2019s a thin flatbread topped with creme fraiche, bacon lardons, and onions, cooked in a wood-fired oven.<\/p>\n While most people stick with the classic, you can also find varieties with gratinated Gruyere cheese, Muenster cheese or mushrooms. Whatever you choose, eat it quickly. It\u2019s such a thin piece of bread that it gets cold fast!<\/p>\n Choucroute garnie.<\/em> Another popular Alsatian dish that will stick to your ribs, this is a mix of sauerkraut and meats \u2014 often knack sausages and ham \u2014 with potatoes and sometimes other vegetables.<\/p>\n Bouch\u00e9e \u00e0 la Reine.<\/em> Also known as the vol-au-vent<\/em>, these little bowls of pastry are often filled with chicken and\/or veal in Alsace.<\/p>\n Coq au riesling<\/em>. You may have heard of coq au vin, a popular French stew made with chicken, red wine, mushrooms, and lardons. In Alsace, it\u2019s usually made with white wine, and either listed as coq au vin blanc<\/em> or coq au riesling<\/em> if made with riesling!<\/p>\n Kougelhopf.<\/em> You\u2019ll see mini bundt-shaped cakes everywhere. These are yeasted cakes, often flavored with vanilla and lemon zest, or chocolate, or a marbled mixture of the two. They are tiny and adorable!<\/p>\n Manalas<\/em>. Forget gingerbread men \u2014 these are brioche shaped like men that are an Alsatian specialty for St. Nicholas Day on December 6, but you can find throughout the Christmas season. And don\u2019t forget pain d\u2019\u00e9pices<\/em> (gingerbread!).<\/p>\n Bretzels. <\/em>Well, pretzels. They are everywhere. I\u2019m personally not a big pretzel-eater in my regular life, but the cheese-covered pretzels of Alsace were absolutely stupendous! Don\u2019t knock them until you try them!<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget to try the Alsatian wines! The wines here are predominantly whites; if you want a red, it\u2019s Pinot Noir or nothing. They make excellent Rieslings (including dry Rieslings) and Pinot Blancs. But my absolute favorite is the Cr\u00e9mant d\u2019Alsace, a sparkling wine that I think can go toe to toe with champagne any day!<\/p>\n Consider making advance reservations at restaurants. <\/strong>Between you and me, Christmas market food gets old fast, especially when you\u2019re eating it daily. Making a reservation at an Asian restaurant is a great palate-cleanser!<\/p>\n Say bonjour<\/em> when you walk up to a vendor.<\/strong> I know, this sounds very basic, but believe me, in France you are considered extremely impolite if you don\u2019t say bonjour when you walk into a store, bakery, or even a market stand. Just say it. Or say bonsoir<\/em> if it\u2019s after dark.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re visiting Alsace, you\u2019ll probably begin in Strasbourg.<\/strong> This major city has a small airport with limited flights, but is connected well internationally by train and bus. (There\u2019s even a bus from my home city of Prague, which takes about seven hours!)<\/p>\n Strasbourg calls itself La Capitale de No\u00ebl<\/em>, or Capital of Christmas, as well as La Magie de No\u00ebl<\/em> (the Magic of Christmas). The Strasbourg Christmas Market is set on La Grande-\u00cele de Strasbourg, the geographic center of the city that happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n (A quick note: there was a terror attack at the Strasbourg Christmas Markets in 2018. Since then, the markets have had heightened security. You will see security officers patrolling the markets with big guns, which probably won\u2019t faze you if you\u2019re from the US, but can be jarring to others. Just be aware that this is a thing here.)<\/em><\/p>\n You\u2019ll find plenty of classic markets in front of the Cathedral de Notre-Dame and around Place Kl\u00e9ber, as well as a giant Christmas tree. I honestly wasn\u2019t the biggest fan of these markets; they were very crowded and didn\u2019t seem to be featuring original works, only the mass-produced tchotchkes that you can find at any Christmas market.<\/p>\n BUT there were two Christmas markets in Strasbourg that I especially loved.<\/p>\n First, the food market on Place du March\u00e9 aux Poissons was such a good place to eat! I loved that it was only food stalls. We had an excellent tarte flamb\u00e9e here, as well as a d\u00e9gustacion<\/em> plate of tasty charcuterie. The vin chaud<\/em> with Alsatian white wine was so good. And if you want some foie gras\u2026well, you\u2019ve got plenty of options.<\/p>\n The other good market was the OFF market, a nontraditional Christmas market at Place Grimmeissen. This square was covered with shipping containers, each featuring works by local artists \u2014 cute works of art, like art prints, Christmas decorations, and all kinds of home decor and local products. It felt very homey and SO much better than the mass-produced junk that the central markets were selling.<\/p>\n Getting to Strasbourg: <\/strong>If coming by public transportation, Strasbourg has direct trains from Paris, and is accessible by bus from several cities in Germany and Switzerland (Frankfurt and Basel are the two closest airports).<\/p>\n Because of the security situation and crowds, if you\u2019re driving, I recommend parking away from the city center. In Strasbourg, we originally planned to park at a P&R (Park & Ride) for our Friday visit. These are parking lots that have easy access to public transportation taking you into the city. In this case, Strasbourg\u2019s excellent tram system.<\/p>\n Well. We arrived just before noon and the car in front of us was the last car allowed into the lot!! After waiting a bit for someone to leave and realizing it wasn\u2019t going to happen, we looked up nearby parking lots and actually found a free lot.<\/p>\n It\u2019s called Parking P7 Stade de la Meinau and this is its location on Google Maps<\/a>. It was a five-minute walk from the Krimmeri Stade de la Meinau station, which is just a nine-minute, four-stop ride on the A tram to Homme de Fer, right in the city center. I can\u2019t promise that it will still be free when you visit, but just throwing it out there\u2026<\/p>\n You can always find a parking lot near a tram stop and head into the city that way.<\/p>\n Colmar is a small, strikingly beautiful city.<\/strong> No matter what time of year you visit, you\u2019ll be delighted by its beauty \u2014 but the holiday season brings some of the most wonderful lights and decorations I saw in Alsace.<\/p>\n This city is extremely popular for Christmas Markets, and you\u2019ll have to navigate significant crowds. For this weekend, I urge you to visit Colmar midweek rather than during the weekend.<\/p>\n We stayed at the Ibis Budget Centre Ville<\/a>, which was basic but had parking and wasn\u2019t too far a walk from the markets.<\/p>\n Colmar is also the home base for the Navettes de No\u00ebl<\/a>, the shuttle buses taking you to various towns around Alsace. There are several routes departing from Colmar, which makes it an easy way to visit.<\/p>\n The highlight of Colmar\u2019s Christmas markets, for me, was the culinary market on Rue de la Montagne. Several chefs set up booths surrounding tables and they dish out their treats, both Alsatian and classic French specialties.<\/p>\n (As previously mentioned, I found it much better to visit the culinary market on a Sunday rather than a Saturday \u2014 there were two people rather than 10 people in each line, and it was much easier to get a table.)<\/p>\n There is also a carnival on Colmar\u2019s Champs de Mars, complete with fun rides and an actual carousel bar!<\/p>\n An unexpected joy of Colmar was the best quiche lorraine of my life<\/em> at a place called P\u00e2tisserie Charles Schmitt<\/a> on Avenue de la Republique. It\u2019s fairly close to the Navettes de No\u00ebl stop. Charlie and I loved it so much, we drove to their second location to have it again the next day.<\/p>\n Getting to Colmar: <\/strong>The train from Strasbourg to Colmar<\/a> takes just 30 minutes. <\/p>\n Colmar is also the base of the Navettes de No\u00ebl Christmas shuttle buses, which makes it possible to visit if you\u2019re staying in another town.<\/p>\n If there is any Christmas market in Alsace worth traveling to see, it is the Ribeauvill\u00e9 Christmas market.<\/strong> Ribeauvill\u00e9 (RI-bo-vee-AY) puts on a unique medieval Christmas market that only takes place on two weekends during December.<\/p>\n There are lots of medieval Christmas markets around Europe, but what makes this one special? The workers are all in costume as medieval characters, and they interact with everyone!<\/p>\n Jokers and royalty put on mini skits on stages. Townspeople put visitors in the stocks and jokingly flog them. Devils wander town on stilts and grab people. Men randomly lead a herd of geese through crowds! Where else can you find this?!<\/p>\n I was delighted by the entire atmosphere in Ribeauvill\u00e9, which added so much childlike wonder to my trip. And it didn\u2019t hurt that Ribeauvill\u00e9 is one of the most beautiful villages I\u2019ve seen in France. Seriously \u2014 I think it\u2019s the prettiest of the five towns I\u2019ve visited in Alsace.<\/p>\n Ribeauvill\u00e9 is basically one long street that twists and turns, different colorful houses at every angle.<\/p>\n One other thing I noticed was that all of the people working at the market seemed to be in a jolly, cheerful mood. Perhaps that\u2019s the effect of the market only taking place for four days each year. People are still into the joy and novelty of the early days.<\/p>\n Ribeauvill\u00e9 was extremely<\/em> crowded, even though we arrived on the first Navettes de No\u00ebl Christmas shuttle of the day. And you know what? IT WAS WORTH THE CROWDS. It was worth EVERY MINUTE.<\/p>\n Honestly, if you want to experience something truly special in Alsace, come to the Ribeauvill\u00e9 Christmas Market. This was my favorite.<\/p>\n One thing to be cautious about: there is a cheese shop on the left side of the street as you walk into town. The cheeses look and smell SO good, so we bought some, and nearly keeled over when we were charged something like 80 euros. Don\u2019t get roped into buying expensive cheese like we did!<\/p>\n Getting to Ribeauvill\u00e9: <\/strong>You need to book the Navettes de No\u00ebl, the shuttle bus from Colmar. The parking situation is horrendous, with cars parked on top of each other in a wide radius, and public transportation is extremely limited from bigger hubs.<\/p>\n Some Christmas market tours fr<\/a>o<\/a>m Strasbourg<\/a> and some Christmas market tours from Colmar<\/a> visit Ribeauvill\u00e9, but keep in mind the Christmas Markets only take place on four dates in December.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be honest \u2014 while Riquewihr (REEK-veer) is one of the smaller villages and a feast for the eyes, it was probably my least favorite of the five Christmas markets we visited in Alsace. <\/strong>It was incredibly crowded, the small market area didn\u2019t have anything particularly interesting to share, and there was a surprising lack of food vendors.<\/p>\n I would not visit Riquewihr on the weekend again; I only visited then because it was part of the shuttle route to Ribeauvill\u00e9 Christmas market, which only takes place on the weekend.<\/p>\n That said, this was obviously a very beautiful town to photograph\u2026though not as twisty and turny and beautiful as Ribeauvill\u00e9, I must admit.<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colmar-Carousel-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x681.jpg\"\/)
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Why visit Alsace?<\/h2>\n
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The Reason for Alsace Christmas Overtourism<\/h2>\n
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kate-and-Charlie-with-a-Tarte-Flambee-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kate-and-Charlie-with-a-Tarte-Flambee-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Alsace-Map-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x1024.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Alsace-Map-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x1024.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Alsace-Road-Map-Alsace-Christmas-Markets.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Alsace-Road-Map-Alsace-Christmas-Markets.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/River-cruise-Koblenz-Rhine-1024x576.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/River-cruise-Koblenz-Rhine-1024x576.jpg\")
The Impact of River Cruises<\/h2>\n
![\"Lots](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lots-of-people-in-Kayseberg-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x680.jpg\"\/)
![\"Lots](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lots-of-people-in-Kayseberg-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x680.jpg\")
How to Avoid the Crowds at Alsace Christmas Markets<\/h2>\n
![\"Charlie](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Charlie-shopping-for-sausages-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x811.jpg\"\/)
![\"Charlie](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Charlie-shopping-for-sausages-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x811.jpg\")
![\"Meats](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Barbecue-in-Ribeauville-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"Meats](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Barbecue-in-Ribeauville-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\")
Tips for Visiting the Alsace Christmas Markets<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Navettes-de-Noel-Shuttle-Bus-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x726.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Navettes-de-Noel-Shuttle-Bus-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x726.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Tarte-Flambee-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpeg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Tarte-Flambee-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpeg\")
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Alsatian-Bakery-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-768x1024.jpg\"\/)
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Alsatian-Bakery-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-768x1024.jpg\")
![\"Strasbourg's](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Strasbourg-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpeg\"\/)
![\"Strasbourg's](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Strasbourg-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpeg\")
Rating the Alsace Christmas Markets<\/h2>\n
Strasbourg<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Food-Market-Strasbourg-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x765.jpeg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Food-Market-Strasbourg-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x765.jpeg\")
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kate-and-Charlie-first-wine-Strasbourg-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpeg\"\/)
![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Kate-and-Charlie-first-wine-Strasbourg-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpeg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Charcuterie-plate-Alsace-Christmas-markets-1024x742.jpeg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Charcuterie-plate-Alsace-Christmas-markets-1024x742.jpeg\")
![\"Beautiful](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colmar-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"Beautiful](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colmar-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\")
Colmar<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carousel-Bar-Colmar-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x683.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carousel-Bar-Colmar-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Champagne-and-food-at-Colmar-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Champagne-and-food-at-Colmar-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\")
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carnival-ride-Colmar-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carnival-ride-Colmar-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x768.jpg\")
![\"Huge](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ribeauville-Christmas-Markets-Buildings-Alsace-Christmas-Market-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"Huge](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ribeauville-Christmas-Markets-Buildings-Alsace-Christmas-Market-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nRibeauvill\u00e9<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ribeauville-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-Stocks-1024x768.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ribeauville-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-Stocks-1024x768.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Medieval-stage-Ribeauville-Christmas-Markets-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x675.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Medieval-stage-Ribeauville-Christmas-Markets-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x675.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ribeauville-Christmas-market-geese-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x784.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ribeauville-Christmas-market-geese-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x784.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Riquewihr-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x759.jpg\"\/)
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Riquewihr-Christmas-Market-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x759.jpg\")
Riquewihr<\/h3>\n
![\"Crowds](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Riquewihr-town-crowds-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x677.jpg\"\/)
![\"Crowds](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Riquewihr-town-crowds-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x677.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Riquewihr-Christmas-decorations-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x624.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Riquewihr-Christmas-decorations-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x624.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/People-in-Riquewihr-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x692.jpg\"\/)
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.adventurouskate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/People-in-Riquewihr-Alsace-Christmas-Markets-1024x692.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n