Strasbourg France at Christmas Time is such a festive experience. We visited in 2018 and found it so easy to get in the holiday spirit here!
Between the lights, the mulled wine, and the cobblestone streets, it is practically impossible to not feel the holiday energy in this northeast region of France.
While my post is titled Strasbourg, France – our adventures included a day trip to a couple of small towns in the Alsace region.
So really you could say this is an Alsace, France Travel Guide ;).
We also started this ten day Christmas trip in London for five days – be sure to check that post out here if you are wanting to add more to your own itinerary as well!
In a rush?
Strasbourg, France Travel Guide
Where is Strasbourg and How to Get There
Strasbourg is located in the Alsace region of France on the Germany border.
The Rhine River forms the Eastern border of this French city which is 247 miles east of Paris.
The closest major airport to the region is Frankfurt (FRA) – and you can easily take a two hour train ride from Frankfurt to Strasbourg.
Since our travels started in London, we took the train from London to Strasbourg.
That train ride is a 6.5 hour ride including the Eurostar from London to Paris and required a train station transfer in Paris.
And while I know that may sound like a long train ride – somehow train rides through Europe always seem to go fast.
There is wifi on the Eurostar and TGV trains but if you have a good book and a window seat, you will have plenty to do!
How Long to Spend in the Alsace, France Region
Our itinerary entailed a three night stay in Strasbourg with one full day to explore Strasbourg and another full day in the smaller towns of Colmar and Riquewihr.
If you want to explore more of the small towns in the Alsace Region, you could easily add two or three more days in the area for sure.
But our two day itinerary did not feel rushed at all – so if all you have is a long weekend – you will still enjoy yourself here!
We were able to see everything Strasbourg has to offer with our one full day in the city ;).
Where to Stay
Hotel Cour du Corbeau
When we travel, we are all about location, location, location for our accommodations.
This hotel was impeccably located and very quiet (how is that even possible??).
It is located on the river across the street from the Cathedral and was the perfect homebase for our Alsatian Christmas market exploring ;).
Le Bouclier d’Or
Located in the quaint neighborhood of Petit France in Strasbourg, this luxury boutique hotel is perfect for a romantic stay in the city.
Hotel & Pavillon Regent Petite France
Another luxury and historical choice in the Petite France neighborhood, this property is located in an old Alsatian house with contemporary touches.
photo courtesy of Pavillon Regent Petite France Instagram
Hotel Gutenberg
Literally steps from the Cathedral in Old Town, this property is a perfect location for Christmas market exploring!
photo courtesy of Hotel Gutenburg website
Where to Eat
Not going to lie – the majority of our dining was spent at the Christmas markets 🤪.
I mean – that was the whole reason for coming on this trip right?
Between the mulled wine, crepes, and choucroute garnie – we were good to go!!
What to Do
Christmas Markets
I specifically chose Strasbourg for our very first European Christmas market experience because it is literally the Capital of Christmas!
Christkindelsmarik is the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the oldest in Europe thus giving Strasbourg this title ;).
So of course – this had to be our first Christmas market we visited!!
The Christmas markets in Strasbourg start around November 26th every year and end on Christmas Eve.
Hours vary however all are usually open from 11am – 8pm daily.
Here is a list of all the markets in the city for you to explore (with the first five being the main markets):
- Place de la Cathédral de Strasbourg – my favorite market in Strasbourg
- Place Kleber – where the large city Christmas tree is
- Place Gutenburg – a different country is showcased every year in this market – when we were there the country was Norway ;).
- Place Broglie Christkindelsmarik – the oldest and most famous market in the city
- Place de Chateau
- Place du Marché aux Poisson – food, wine, and beer from local bakers and brewers.
- Place du Temple Neuf
- Place Saint Thomas – A children’s Christmas market
- Place des Meuniers – A small local growers and producers market.
- Place Benjamin-Zix
- Place Grimmeissen – considered the “OFF” market as it is very unique and different from the rest of the wooden chalet markets
Cathédral of Our Lady
Originally built in 1005 BC – this majestic Cathedral is impossible to miss once you arrive in the city.
This Cathedral is the sixth tallest IN THE WORLD and the tallest surviving building from the Middle Ages.
Touring the inside of the Cathedral and seeing the Astronomical clock and large manger scene is 100% worthy of a stop in your itinerary.
Petite France
The quaintest neighborhood in all of Strasbourg, Petite France is a must wander area of the city with half-timbered houses and shops.
See the Tree in Place Kleber
The biggest tree in Strasbourg and a perfect photo opp for all!
Day trip to Riquewihr
We took a day trip to Colmar and Riquewihr on our second day in the Alsace Region of France.
The 30 minute train ride to Colmar from Strasbourg was easy enough to figure out – you can buy tickets online and get the schedule on their website here.
But since we did not rent a car for the countryside – figuring out how to get to Riquewihr was a bit more tricky than we had anticipated.
There were ZERO taxis at the Colmar train station and buses that looked like they were staying put for quite a while..
My husband walked over to the train office and happened upon a taxi driver that was out of his car who ended up taking us to and from Riquewihr.
I wish I could say I remember how much this taxi ride was – but honestly it was quite a quagmire that I did not keep it to memory (or write it down for that matter – clearly it was my pre-blogging days ;)).
Nonetheless – we did get there!
Riquewihr is known for being the inspiration for the Disney Beauty and the Beast movie.
I had seen so many pictures of this storybook town on Instagram that finally getting here was a highlight of my trip!
There isn’t that much to do here – just wander the cobblestone streets and eat food at one of their small stands.
We probably spent about 2-3 hours total in this charming village.
Day trip to Colmar
While we did a quick train stop in Colmar from Strasbourg, we went straight to Riquewihr above first and then taxied back to Colmar for a few more evening hours of quaint town exploring ;).
We were staying in Strasbourg for the night as these two towns were just day trips for us and had purchased tickets for the train back to Strasbourg for around 6pm that evening.
Again – 2-3 hours in this second storybook village was enough to get a pretty good feel for all it has to offer and see all the shops and lights.
Spend an Afternoon in Paris
As mentioned earlier, Paris is a 2 hour train ride on the ICE train. You can find their entire schedule and pricing on their website here.
We spent the last afternoon of our Christmas market trip here before our early morning flight home out of Paris.
We stayed at the Paris Hotel Lancaster near the Arc de Triomphe because I had read about the Peninsula Hotel’s rooftop bar and wanted to stay as close as I could to that gorgeous property for an evening nightcap on the last night of our magical trip but still within our budget ;).
Plus the Peninsula Hotel Paris is listed as having the best lobby Christmas decorations so of course I had to see that!
We spent the afternoon wandering the streets of the MontMartre neighborhood of Paris.
And eating crepes ;).
We also climbed to the top of the Sacré Couer Cathedral to enjoy the view of the sprawling city below us.
I also found one of the best distant views of the Eiffel Tower on the road up to the church which I had never seen before!
What to Wear
We did not get any snow while we were in France in mid-December 2018.
However it did rain.
A LOT.
Which didn’t really phase us or alter our festive mood.
My husband did tell me on the last night of our trip however that the jacket he had packed was not warm enough!!
So for our next year’s Christmas market adventures – I made sure he had a parka as warm as the one I wore on this trip.
I also had super cute rainproof boots that I pretty much wore every day of our trip with jeans and a warm sweater.
Our Full Itinerary in a Nutshell
- Flew San Diego to London via British Airways overnight nonstop flight
- Arrived London 2pm
- London – spent day with Flytographer
- London – morning at Harry Potter Studios and then evening wandering London streets
- London – wandered the streets in Seven Dials and Covent Garden and saw a play
- Train to Strasbourg, France
- Day in Strasbourg, France
- Day trip from Strasbourg to Colmar and Riquewihr, France
- Train to Paris 10:42am – walked around Paris
- Flew home to San Diego from Paris on British Airways flight
I hope you found this travel guide to Alsace, France at Christmas Time helpful in your planning for this merry destination.
You can’t beat visiting the Christmas capital of the world to get in the spirit of the season ;).
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Oh Christmas isn’t just a day,
It’s a frame of mind.
~ Miracle on 34th Street
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Have a wonderful day my friend! I hope something makes you smile today ;).
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