Marché de Noël de Strasbourg
Strasbourg has hosted a Christkindelsmärik — Christ-child market — since 1570, making it the oldest Christmas market in Europe and the template every other city's version is trying to imitate. Over 300 wooden chalets fill the city centre from late November to 30 December, smelling of vin chaud, cinnamon and freshly baked bredele biscuits.
Eleven sites, one magical city
The market isn't one square but eleven distinct sites spread across the Grande Île, each with its own character. Place Broglie hosts the official opening ceremony and the most traditional stalls; Place de la Cathédrale glitters under a 30-metre Christmas tree; and Place du Marché-aux-Cochons-de-Lait is the quietest, most local-feeling spot.
Look for stalls selling Alsatian crafts: hand-blown glass ornaments from the Vosges village of Meisenthal, carved wooden nutcrackers, and embroidered table runners. These are the real artisan items — the mass-produced souvenirs are easy to spot and skip.
What to eat and drink
A ceramic mug of vin chaud (mulled Alsatian Riesling or Pinot Noir, spiced with cinnamon, star anise and cloves) is non-negotiable — keep the mug as a souvenir or return it for a €2 deposit. Pair it with a flammekueche (tarte flambée), a paper-thin Alsatian flatbread topped with crème fraîche, onions and lardons, cooked in a wood-fired oven.
Bredele are the small shortbread-style biscuits unique to Alsatian Christmas: look for anisbredele (anise-flavoured), zimtsterne (cinnamon stars) and springerle (embossed white biscuits). Boulangerie Naegel on Rue du Faubourg-de-Saverne bakes exceptional versions.
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