The most popular Christmas markets in central Europe can be found in northeastern France, northeastern Italy, all around Austria and in southern Germany. My favorites are the ones located in Salzburg (Austria), Innsbruck (Austria), Merano (Italy), Bolzano (Italy), Strasbourg (France) and Colmar (France). The ones in Austria and France have more ambience with neatly decorated stands and town settings which more than anywhere else are well suited for the occasion. The ones in Italy and France are the best in terms of gastronomy, eating and drinking.

Of all the Christmas markets, the ones in French Alsace are those I would recommend the most. I’ve visited them twice and on both occasions have spent a great weekend. The markets are concentrated in the region between Strasbourg and Colmar which features a nice scenary of low hills and forests, pleasant rural villages and historic buildings. Moreover, the area is well known for the typical cuisine (mixing French and German influences) and very good wines (featured in the famous Route des Vins).

My suggestion is to dedicate from two to three full days. Start in Strasbourg and spend most of the day exploring the big market but also the historical center. In the afternoon move to the south to Obernai, a small and extremely nice village where you can visit the tiny market (specialized in food and wine), have dinner in one of the many good restaurants and spend the night (my personal suggestion is La Diligence in the central square). The next day move further to the south and, following the Route des Vins and depending on the time you have, stop whenever you feel and discover the small villages with their local markets or visit the hills to the west (the heart of the Vosges region). Whatever you do, don’t miss Ribeauvillé and Kayserberg which have probably the best settings and feature extremely nice markets. Finally, move to Colmar where you can find a pretty extensive market although with much less atmosphere.