These European Christmas markets have published 2026 dates through an organizer, municipality or official tourism board. The calendar is ordered by opening date, with location-specific extensions and holiday closures separated from the headline dates. Every listing was checked on October 25, 2026; unresolved and suspiciously recycled dates have been left out.
How these dates were verified
“Officially announced” means the dates appear on a primary organizer, municipal or destination-tourism source. It does not mean every stall, ride or associated event follows the same schedule. That distinction matters in cities with several independently operated markets.
- Organizer: the market or festival’s own website.
- Municipal: a city-government event page.
- Tourism board: an official city or destination listing.
Opening hours are included only where the 2026 source supplies them cleanly. Dates and hours can still change, so use the linked source for a final check before booking.
November 6: Manchester Christmas Markets, United Kingdom
Dates: November 6–December 22, 2026, across ten city-centre locations. Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens continue through January 3, 2027.
This is not one compact market, and the two January extensions should not be applied to every Manchester location. Fairground rides, the ice rink and other activities may also have separate charges.
Official source: Manchester City Council (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 6: Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market, Vienna
Dates: November 6, 2026–January 6, 2027, at Schönbrunn Palace, 1130 Vienna.
Hours: Daily 10:00–21:00; December 24, 10:00–16:00; December 25–January 6, 10:00–19:00. These dates apply specifically to Schönbrunn, not Vienna’s many other Christmas markets.
Official source: Vienna Tourist Board (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 13: Advent Basilica, Budapest
Dates: November 13, 2026–January 1, 2027, at Szent István Square.
Hours: Monday–Thursday and Sunday 11:00–22:00; Friday–Saturday 11:00–23:00. It closes at 15:00 on December 24 and 20:00 on December 25–26. New Year’s Eve runs until 03:00; January 1 ends at 18:00.
These are Advent Basilica dates, not a blanket schedule for Budapest.
Official source: Advent Basilica (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 16: Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral, Germany
Dates: November 16–December 23, 2026, on Roncalliplatz beside Cologne Cathedral. The market is closed November 22 for Totensonntag.
Hours: Sunday–Wednesday 11:00–21:00; Thursday–Friday 11:00–22:00; Saturday 10:00–22:00. Cologne has several separately run markets, so do not transfer this schedule to the entire city.
Official source: Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom (German; checked October 25, 2026).
November 20: Tallinn Christmas Market, Estonia
Dates: November 20, 2026–January 6, 2027, on Town Hall Square in Tallinn Old Town.
The official tourism record confirms the date range and location but did not display daily hours or holiday exceptions when checked. Tallinn also has other seasonal events, including a separately listed market at Balti Jaam.
Official source: Visit Tallinn (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 23: Colmar Christmas Markets, France
Dates: November 23–December 29, 2026, for Colmar’s six central Christmas markets.
Hours: Monday–Thursday 11:00–19:00; Friday–Sunday 10:00–20:00. The markets close at 17:00 on December 24 and open on December 25 and 26. The separate gourmet market and Place Rapp fair continue through January 3; the six main markets do not.
The central zone is closed to vehicles during market hours, with parking and shuttle information published on the official site.
Official source: La Magie de Noël à Colmar (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 26: Basel Christmas Market, Switzerland
Dates: November 26–December 23, 2026, on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz.
The dedicated Christmas page lists daily hours of 11:00–20:30. On December 23, Barfüsserplatz closes at 20:00 and Münsterplatz at 18:00. However, another official Basel calendar record displays conflicting daily hours, so check again before relying on opening time. The separate Theaterplatz village continues to January 3.
On-site prices are in Swiss francs.
Official source: Basel Tourism (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 26: Bolzano Christmas Market, Italy
Dates: November 26, 2026–January 6, 2027. The official tourism board states that the market opens at 17:00 on November 26.
Daily operating hours and holiday closures were not available in the official pages reviewed, so previous-year schedules should not be used as a substitute. Check the city’s market map and event information before travelling.
Official source: Tourist Board Bolzano Bozen (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 27: Helsinki Christmas Market, Finland
Dates: November 27–December 22, 2026, at Senate Square.
Hours: Monday–Thursday and Sunday 11:00–19:00; Friday–Saturday 11:00–20:00. This market finishes before Christmas Eve and should not be confused with other Helsinki seasonal events operating on different dates.
Official source: MyHelsinki (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 27: Strasbourg Christmas Market, France
Dates: November 27–December 24, 2026, across several central squares. Opening day begins at 14:00, and all chalets close at 18:00 on December 24. None continue through Christmas Day or New Year.
The official language versions disagree over whether normal daily opening is 11:00 or 11:30, so no definitive time is given here. The official English FAQ also specifies a €1 refundable or donatable cup deposit; that is not the price of the drink.
Official source: Noël à Strasbourg (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 27: Brussels Winter Wonders, Belgium
Dates: November 27, 2026–January 3, 2027.
Winter Wonders is a multi-site city-centre event covering Grand-Place, Sainte-Catherine, Bourse, De Brouckère, Place de la Monnaie and other locations. The official record confirms the overall dates and organizer but did not provide operating hours or Christmas and New Year exceptions when reviewed. Rides and special activities may be separately charged.
Official source: Visit Brussels (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 27: Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, Germany
Dates: November 27–December 24, 2026.
Hours: Regular hours are 10:00–21:00. The opening-day ceremonial prologue begins at 17:30, while the German organizer page lists market hours of 10:00–22:00 that day. Christmas Eve hours are 10:00–14:00.
The main Christkindlesmarkt has associated children’s and partner-city markets, which should be checked separately.
Official source: Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt (English and German; checked October 25, 2026).
November 27: Ljubljana Christmas Markets, Slovenia
Dates: November 27, 2026–January 3, 2027, across the historic centre, including Breg, Cankarjevo nabrežje, Prešernov trg, Kongresni trg and Pogačarjev trg.
The separate Castle Festive Fair continues through January 6. The wider Festive December programme also has its own schedule, so neither should be used to extend the city-centre market dates.
Official source: Visit Ljubljana (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 28: Advent Zagreb, Croatia
Overall dates: November 28, 2026–January 7, 2027.
Advent Zagreb is a citywide umbrella celebration rather than one market with a single set of hours. The official site confirms the festival period, but that does not establish that every stall, attraction and venue operates throughout it. Use the location programme and official map when detailed 2026 schedules are available.
Official source: Advent Zagreb (English; checked October 25, 2026).
November 28: Old Town Square Christmas Market, Prague
Dates: November 28, 2026–January 6, 2027, at Old Town Square.
Prague City Tourism’s individual event calendar confirms the dates, but opening hours and holiday exceptions were not shown in the listing reviewed. Peace Square, Republic Square and Wenceslas Square have different schedules, so Old Town Square’s dates should not be treated as citywide.
Transactions on site are in Czech koruna.
Official source: Prague City Tourism market calendar (English; checked October 25, 2026).
Still awaiting clean official confirmation
Several prominent markets are missing deliberately. A date copied across event aggregators is not the same thing as a date the organizer is prepared to stand behind.
- Dresden: the official Striezelmarkt page gives November 25 in its heading but labels November 26 as opening day in the hours section. That conflict needs resolving.
- Kraków: reported November 27–January 6 dates were found on a non-official listing, not a current municipal or organizer page.
- Munich: no clean official 2026 Christkindlmarkt date page was verified in the supplied material.
- Copenhagen/Tivoli: the tourism record contains 2026 calendar entries alongside stale text describing the 2025–2026 season, making the closing date unsafe to publish as confirmed.
The earliest confirmed openings in this calendar are Manchester and Schönbrunn on November 6. Helsinki closes particularly early, on December 22, while Strasbourg and Nuremberg finish by Christmas Eve. For a post-Christmas trip, the confirmed options include Tallinn, Bolzano, Prague, Zagreb and several location-specific extensions elsewhere. Recheck the official link before paying for non-refundable travel: exact dates are verified, but incomplete hours and multi-venue schedules remain the likeliest source of unpleasant surprises.
