Christmas Markets 2026: Complete Dates Table — Cologne to Bath (Reference)
Sept 24: Evergreen reference — 2026 dates for Cologne, Berlin, Brussels, Strasbourg, Paris, Nuremberg, Dresden, Vienna (all 10 markets), Karlsruhe, Bath, Metz.
Key takeaways
- Earliest starts: Stephansplatz Vienna Nov 6, Rathausplatz Nov 13, Tivoli Nov 14 — latest ends: Brussels Jan 3, Bath Dec 13 (short season).
- Strasbourg dates vary by source (Nov 26 vs 27) — confirm on noel.strasbourg.eu; La Défense end date carries a source typo — start Nov 12 only stated.
- Bookmark + verify: check official sites before booking; this page updates when cities confirm (Strasbourg dates land Sept-Oct).
One table, one season, every date that matters. Christmas market dates scatter across dozens of city sites, languages and formats — here they are unified for 2026, with sources, variances flagged honestly, and verification links. Bookmark this page; every November-December plan starts here. Revision date: September 24, 2026.
From the toolkit — Elena Marsh: Dates via aswesawit (Aug 2026), Eurostar Strasbourg, journeys6senses Paris/Nuremberg/Vienna, visitingvienna (Rathausplatz/Stephansplatz), austria.info, wien.info, Times best-markets (July 2026), beyondtheguidebooks (Strasbourg TBC note). Companions: Vienna guide and France Christmas.
The complete table
| City / Market | 2026 dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna Stephansplatz | Nov 6-Dec 26 | Earliest start; 43 stands |
| Vienna Rathausplatz | Nov 13-Dec 26 | 96 booths; skating to Jan 6 |
| Vienna Altes AKH | Nov 10-Dec 23 | University quarter |
| Vienna Spittelberg | ~Nov 13/16-Dec 23 | Sources vary start; verify |
| Vienna Maria-Theresien | Nov 15-Dec 26 | Museum quarter |
| Vienna Belvedere | Nov 17-Dec 26 | Palace backdrop |
| Vienna Liechtenstein Garden | Nov 17-Dec 23 | Palace garden |
| Vienna Schönbrunn | Nov 18-Dec 26 | Reduced to Jan 6 |
| Vienna Karlsplatz | Nov 24-Dec 23 | Artisan focus |
| Vienna Opera | Nov 23-Dec 23 | Pre-concert stop |
| Tivoli Copenhagen | Nov 14-Jan 4 | Markets vary; hygge + wheel |
| Metz illuminations | Nov 21-Dec 30 | Lights + rink (Times) |
| Cologne Cathedral | Nov 22-Dec 23 | Roncalliplatz; Sun-Wed to 9pm |
| Cologne Angels | Nov 22-Dec 23 | Neumarkt; German-only site |
| Berlin Gendarmenmarkt | Nov 23-Dec 31 | €2 (free Mon-Fri 11-2); to midnight NYE |
| Karlsruhe | Nov 23-Dec 23 | Friedrichsplatz/Marktplatz |
| Dresden | Nov 26-Dec 24 | dresden-weihnachten.info |
| Paris Notre-Dame | Nov 26-Dec 27 | 40+ artisans; Mon-Thu to 8pm |
| Strasbourg | ~Nov 26/27-Dec 24 | VARIANCE — confirm city site |
| Nuremberg | Nov 28-Dec 24 | christkindlesmarkt.de |
| Brussels Winter Wonders | Nov 27-Jan 3 | Latest end; daily 12-10 |
| Paris La Défense | From Nov 12 | Start only — end date unsourced |
| Bath | Nov 26-Dec 13 | Shortest season; book early |
| Prague | ~Nov 29-Jan 6 pattern | Prior-year pattern; confirm |
| Budapest | ~Mid-Nov pattern | Vorosmarty + Basilica; confirm |
| Tallinn | ~Nov 21-Dec 27 pattern | Medieval square; confirm |
| Copenhagen (other) | Nov 14-Jan 4 | Tivoli anchor; others vary |
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Variance notes (read before booking)
Strasbourg: aswesawit says Nov 27, Eurostar says Nov 26, city guides say 2026 TBC (released Sept-Oct). Plan from Dec 1 to be safe; confirm on noel.strasbourg.eu. The one-day variance only matters for opening-weekend trips.
Spittelberg: Nov 13 vs 16 across sources — assume mid-November.
La Défense: one source prints an impossible end date (“January 39”) — obvious typo. Only the Nov 12 start is stated; verify closing officially.
Prague/Budapest/Tallinn: 2026 dates from prior-year patterns in the Times roundup — confirm on city sites before booking. The pattern (late-Nov opens) is stable; exact days shift.
How to use this table
- Pick your week first, markets second — Nov 27-Dec 6 covers the most openings; Dec 18-24 covers peak atmosphere; post-Dec 26 only Brussels/Berlin/Vienna-skating remain.
- Verify the three flags (Strasbourg, Spittelberg, La Défense) on official sites the week you book.
- Book stays against openings — opening weekends (Vienna Nov 13, Strasbourg ~Nov 27) compress first; midweek beats weekends everywhere.
- Pair with our guides — Vienna deep-dive, France Christmas, November playbook for prices, EES app for borders.
One table, updated when cities confirm. The season obeys these dates whether you read them or not — so read them.
How dates get confirmed (the calendar behind the table)
Christmas market dates firm up in waves: Vienna and German cities publish by summer (visitingvienna updates May-August); French cities confirm September-October (Strasbourg’s own guides say TBC until then); Paris markets finalize October-November (La Défense end-date typo proves the rush). The pattern: earliest announcers open earliest (Vienna Nov 6 guide published May); latest announcers cluster late-November openings. If your target city’s 2026 dates still show TBC, the prior-year pattern in this table is the reliable proxy — openings shift by a day or two, never by weeks. Check the official site the week you book; until then, plan on the pattern.
Pairing dates with trips (three templates)
Opening-week hunter (Nov 6-15): Vienna (Stephansplatz Nov 6, Rathausplatz Nov 13) + Tivoli (Nov 14) — earliest lights, thinnest crowds, lowest prices. Fly midweek, stay central, walk nightly.
Peak-season classic (Dec 10-20): Strasbourg + Cologne + Nuremberg by rail — the grande tournée, full atmosphere, peak prices. Book stays now (September), trains at release, markets need no tickets.
Late escape (Dec 27-Jan 3): Brussels (to Jan 3) + Berlin Gendarmenmarkt (to Dec 31) + Vienna skating (to Jan 6) — the season’s overtime, thin crowds, New Year bonus. The only week when Christmas markets meet New Year fireworks.
Bookmark, verify, go (maintenance note)
This page’s revision date is September 24, 2026. Cities confirm and occasionally shift dates through October — Strasbourg’s official release (Sept-Oct) is the one to watch; Spittelberg and La Défense flags resolve on official sites. Recheck this page before booking, verify the three flagged dates officially, and treat prior-year patterns as proxies, not promises. Reference pages earn bookmarks by staying current — this one will. Check back when Strasbourg confirms (Sept-Oct), when Paris finalizes La Défense, and before every booking. The table you need is the table that’s current — and this is it, revision-dated and source-linked. Share it with your travel group: one link beats twenty tabs. And when the cities confirm their final dates, this table updates first — the bookmark that keeps working. Print the relevant rows, save the city links, and travel the season date by date. Merry planning — and see you under the lights, mug in hand, list checked twice like the season demands. Frohe Weihnachten, joyeux Noël — see you there.
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