Obernai Christmas Market 2026: dates, hours and how to get there without the stress
Updated 16 October 2026, from the official website of the Obernai tourist office.
Obernai is the closest Wine Route Christmas market to Strasbourg: about thirty minutes by road, a compact old town around its belfry, and 45 wooden chalets of artisans and food producers spread over five squares. It is also one of the few markets in Alsace still open between Christmas and New Year: it runs until 31 December, while Riquewihr and Kaysersberg close on the 20th.
Getting there is the weak point, as in every village: the town-centre car parks fill up at weekends, the town directs visitors to outlying car parks with shuttle buses, and the last train back to Strasbourg sets your return time for you. This page gives you the verified 2026 dates and hours, what to see once you are there, and the simplest way to do an Obernai + Strasbourg evening with a private van.
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2026 dates and opening hours
| Dates | Days | Hours | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 27 November → Thursday 31 December 2026 | Every day | Sunday to Thursday 10:00–20:00; Friday and Saturday 10:00–21:00 | Friday 25 December |
| 24 and 31 December | Thursday | 10:00–16:00 | — |
Source: tourisme-obernai.fr, “Rêvez Noël à Obernai” page, consulted on 16 October 2026.
So Obernai is open on 26 December, throughout the week between Christmas and New Year, and until 16:00 on 31 December. After the Haut-Rhin villages close on 20 December, three markets remain in Alsace: Obernai (until the 31st), Colmar (until the 29th, open on Christmas Day) and Eguisheim (until the 30th, closed 24 to 26 December).
The market at a glance
Its official name is the “Marché de Noël de la Gastronomie et de l’Artisanat”, the food and crafts Christmas market. Its 45 chalets stand on five squares of the old town, a few minutes’ walk from each other, around the Place du Marché and its belfry. You find what the name promises: foie gras, gingerbread, cured meats, bredele biscuits, jams, Christmas beer and Alsace wines on one side; hanging decorations, ceramics, wooden objects and blown-glass baubles on the other.
The local speciality is white mulled wine, served from the winegrowers’ cauldron and made with Alsace white wine and spices. The tourist office also lists an exhibition of Belgian nativity scenes in the Cour Athic and short shows on the Place du Marché at 18:00 and 19:00, from 1 to 24 December.
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours on site, more with dinner in a winstub. The best moment is a weekday late afternoon, when the lights come on around 16:30–17:00 and the chalets stay open until 20:00. Saturday evening is the liveliest, with closing at 21:00, but also the busiest.
Getting there: car, shuttle or private van
By car. Obernai is 30 to 40 minutes from Strasbourg on the A35 outside rush hour. The town asks visitors to favour public transport and car-sharing: at weekends, free Pass’O shuttle buses link the outlying car parks and the VVF campsite to the town centre.
By train. Obernai has a regional TER service from Strasbourg. Practical for two people by day; in the evening your visit depends on the last train.
By private van. We collect you at your hotel in Strasbourg, at the station, at Entzheim airport or in Colmar. The van drops you as close as possible to the old town, at a pick-up point agreed with your driver, and waits for you or comes back at the time you choose. Your shopping stays on board, and a 21:00 return on a Saturday depends on no timetable. Up to 8 passengers and their luggage in a Mercedes V-Class, up to 3 in a saloon car; for more than 8, several vans on request.
Combining Obernai with other markets
Obernai is 30 to 40 minutes from Strasbourg: the natural combination is an Obernai + Strasbourg evening, in either order.
- Afternoon in Obernai, evening in Strasbourg. Leave your hotel around 14:00, two hours in Obernai until nightfall, back around 17:30 for the lights of the Strasbourg Christmas market, whose chalets closed at 21:00 in 2025.
- Day in Strasbourg, dinner in Obernai. Leave around 17:00, illuminated market until 20:00 or 21:00, dinner in a winstub, late return. Ideal on a Friday or Saturday.
- On the way back from Colmar. Obernai is a logical stop when driving back from Colmar to Strasbourg, 30 to 40 minutes from either. The full village itinerary is on the Alsace wine-village Christmas tour page; for a village-by-village guide, see Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim and the Ribeauvillé medieval market.
The calendar of every market is on the Alsace Christmas markets page.
2027 dates
The 2027 dates have not been published yet. Obernai generally follows the Advent calendar, from the last weekend of November until 31 December, closing on Christmas Day. We will update this page as soon as the tourist office publishes the official dates.
How much does a private van cost?
Price for the whole vehicle (up to 8 passengers), confirmed before departure:
- Strasbourg → Obernai, one way: on request
- Return trip with the driver waiting for you in Obernai: on request
- Obernai + Strasbourg evening, or an Obernai stop on a village tour: on request
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