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The Obernai Christmas market runs from Friday 27 November to Thursday 31 December 2026, according to the town council. Its 45 chalets fill four squares in the historic centre. A firework display opens the festivities on the first evening. Then, a light show is projected onto the town hall every evening until 24 December. Here are the opening hours, the programme and the easiest ways to get there.
Obernai is a small town on the Alsace Wine Route, south-west of Strasbourg. Moreover, it is easy to reach by train. As a result, it makes a perfect day trip during Advent.
What are the Obernai Christmas market dates in 2026?
According to the official town council page, the market is open every day from Friday 27 November to Thursday 31 December 2026, except on 25 December. However, the tourist office listing gives Wednesday 30 December as the last Friday-Saturday opening. So if you plan a visit right at the end of December, call the tourist office first.
Opening hours
- Sunday to Thursday: 10am to 8pm;
- Friday and Saturday: 10am to 9pm;
- Thursday 24 and Thursday 31 December: 10am to 4pm;
- closed on Friday 25 December.
Entry is free, says the tourist office. Therefore, you only pay for food, drinks and gifts at the chalets.
Where are the chalets?
According to the tourist office, the chalets stand on four squares in the town centre: Place du Marché, Place du Beffroi, Place de l’Étoile and Place Neher. In addition, the council mentions a crafts area in the Cour Athic, at the cultural centre. The council highlights “45 chalets” run by craftspeople, and the tourist office describes a market of “gastronomy and crafts”.
Fireworks, light show and little train: the programme
- fireworks on Friday 27 November for the opening;
- a light show projected onto the town hall from 1 to 24 December, every evening at 6pm and 7pm;
- a Christmas tourist train from 28 November to 31 December (except 25 December), departing every hour from 2.30pm to 6.30pm, Rue Sainte-Odile;
- an exhibition of handmade Belgian nativity scenes in the church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, daily 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm;
- miniature houses in the belfry, a 2 km treasure hunt (about 1.5 hours) and Father Christmas’s letterbox on Place de l’Étoile.
Finally, street entertainers perform at weekends. Train fares are not listed on the pages we checked.
How to reach the Obernai Christmas market without a car
The train is the simplest option. Indeed, the council says it takes 30 minutes by TER regional train from Strasbourg, and the station is a 7-minute walk from the centre. Furthermore, Pass’O buses on lines A and B are free from Monday to Saturday and serve the station.
If you drive, free car parks surround the centre: Remparts, Rue Poincaré, Stade and Altau. The paying Sainte-Odile car park has 212 spaces in the town centre. A free Christmas shuttle also runs every 10 minutes from 2pm to 7.30pm; however, the council’s pages differ on its days (weekends or Sundays only), so check before you travel.
Other Christmas markets nearby
Obernai combines easily with Strasbourg, 30 minutes away by train, whose market also opens on 27 November. Further south, the Wine Route leads to Riquewihr and Kaysersberg. For practical questions, the Obernai tourist office, Place du Beffroi, answers on +33 3 88 95 64 13.
Obernai Christmas market: key takeaways
- Dates: Friday 27 November to Thursday 31 December 2026 according to the council, closed on 25 December.
- Hours: 10am to 8pm, until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 10am to 4pm on 24 and 31 December.
- 45 chalets on four squares; free entry.
- Fireworks on 27 November, light show every evening from 1 to 24 December at 6pm and 7pm.
- Access: 30 minutes by TER from Strasbourg, free Pass’O buses, free car parks on the edge of town.
Sources: Obernai town council; Obernai tourist office, checked on 15 November 2026. Read this article in French: Marché de Noël d’Obernai 2026. Featured photo: Filiz Elaerts / Unsplash.
