A Christmas Market Escape
Christmas in Alsace is not just one market. For several weeks, villages and towns across the region fill with lights, wooden chalets, decorations and the smell of vin chaud, spices and baking. Staying at Les Écrins means you can spend the day in the middle of it all, and then retreat to the peace of the Vosges foothills when you’ve had enough of the crowds.
At a glance
- Best for Christmas lovers, romantic winter breaks & a first taste of Christmas in Alsace
- Time needed 2–3 days
- Driving Most markets are 15–30 minutes from Les Écrins
- Best season Late November to late December
- From Les Écrins Kaysersberg approx. 15 min · Colmar approx. 25 min
Christmas along the Wine Route
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Colmar Christmas Markets
Lights, canals and half-timbered façades
From Les Écrins · approx. 21 km / 13 miles · 25 minutes by car outside peak Christmas traffic
Start with Colmar, whose Christmas celebrations spread across several squares and streets of the historic centre, each with its own setting.
The town does much of the work: half-timbered façades, canals and narrow streets covered in Christmas lights make the old town particularly atmospheric after dark.
Generally from late November until the end of December
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Kaysersberg at Christmas
One of our favourites, just down the road
From Les Écrins · approx. 8 km / 5 miles · 10–15 minutes by car outside peak Christmas traffic
Closer to Les Écrins, Kaysersberg is one of our favourites at Christmas. Its medieval streets have plenty of atmosphere throughout the year, and Christmas brings another dimension altogether.
Weekends only: check the dates before planning your visit
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Or try something different
A new setting for each day of your stay
If you have several days, each village offers its own take on Christmas, and it is a fun way to see another side of the region’s traditions.
Riquewihrapprox. 20 km / 12.5 miles · 25–30 minRibeauvilléapprox. 23 km / 14 miles · 35 minEguisheimClose to ColmarRiquewihr offers another beautiful Wine Route setting at Christmas. Ribeauvillé takes a completely different approach with its medieval Christmas market, costumes and entertainment inspired by the Middle Ages. Eguisheim, with its circular cobbled streets and colourful half-timbered houses, takes on an especially magical atmosphere when dressed in Christmas lights and decorations.
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Add a Christmas wine tasting
Step out of the cold and into a family cellar
Break up the markets with a visit to a wine cellar. Winter is a wonderful time to discover Alsace wines: taste a few local varieties and learn a little about what has been grown in the vineyards you’ve been driving past all day.
Ask us while you’re here and we’ll be happy to suggest a winery according to the kind of experience you’re looking for.
Go as early as possible
If you can, we recommend arriving before around 9:30 am. You’ll experience the villages while they are still relatively peaceful and have a much easier time parking nearby.
If a leisurely breakfast wins instead (which we completely understand!), consider leaving the car behind later in the day and using the seasonal shuttle services where available, particularly on busy weekends. A little planning makes an enormous difference during the Christmas season.
Come home to the Vosges foothills
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Back to Les Écrins
Warm water, crisp winter air
After a day exploring the Christmas markets, there is something rather wonderful about leaving the bustle behind, returning to the peace of Les Écrins and slipping into the warm outdoor hot tub, with the crisp winter air around you and the Vosges mountains in the distance.
If you’re lucky enough to stay with us after fresh snowfall, it gets even better: warm water, cold winter air, a blanket of white around the garden and snow covering the hills and mountains behind the house.
