Advent and the Christmas markets 2026

Why people travel then

Christmas markets began in German-speaking towns in the late Middle Ages, and Strasbourg has held one since 1570. Today they are the reason many people take a short winter break: a city centre turns into a lit, walkable maze of stalls selling ornaments, gingerbread and hot wine, and the cathedral or town hall becomes the backdrop.

For a walker it is the best time of year to see an old town after dark. Days are short, so a city route that would take a summer afternoon fits neatly between a late breakfast and the moment the lights come on.

What you will see on the routes

• Strasbourg: A Day on the Grande Île

  The whole Grande Île becomes the market: more than 300 stalls spread across the island, with the main square at Place Kléber and the oldest market at the cathedral. Walk it in daylight first, then come back for the lights.

• Bath: A Georgian Walk, From Roman Spring to Royal Crescent

  The Bath Christmas Market fills the streets around the Abbey and the Roman Baths from 26 November to 13 December 2026, right on the first stretch of this walk.

• Old Town Toronto: Union Station to the Distillery District

  This walk ends in the Distillery District, home of the Distillery Winter Village from 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Entry is ticketed at busy times, mainly weekends, so check before you go.

• Prague on Foot: Old Town Square to Prague Castle

  Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square host Prague’s best-known markets, usually from late November into early January, with a tall tree in front of the Týn church.

• Lyon on Foot: Renaissance Traboules to the Silk Weavers' Hill

  From 5 to 8 December 2026 Lyon’s Fête des Lumières projects light shows onto the old town and Fourvière. It is spectacular and very crowded: walk the traboules by day.

• Old Quebec on Foot: The Walls, the Château and the Lower Town

  Old Quebec’s German Christmas market usually runs from late November to just before Christmas, and the walls and the Château Frontenac are at their most photogenic under snow.

How it changes travel

• Friday nights and Saturdays are crowded enough to slow a walk to a shuffle; Strasbourg closes some streets to cars and runs security checks at the island’s bridges.
• Hotel prices in market towns rise sharply on weekends; a Sunday-to-Thursday stay costs noticeably less.
• Daylight is short (in Strasbourg the sun sets around 4:35 pm in December), so start city walks by mid-morning.

Travel window: 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Weekdays in the first two weeks of December are the calmest; Saturdays are the busiest.