When it comes to travel, I subscribe to a few unpopular opinions. Such as: we are all tourists, and the “traveler vs. tourist” debate is stupid; everyone has the right to recline a recline-able airplane seat even if I don't like it; I don't give a crap if people travel just to take Instagram selfies; and I don't believe in gatekeeping the outdoors.

But perhaps my hottest hot take when it comes to travel is this one: Strasbourg, France does NOT have the best Christmas markets in Europe.

There, I finally said it! It feels good to get that off my chest. But before you come for me with your France-loving pitchforks, let me explain why I feel this way.

Strasbourg at Christmas

We're all familiar with the tradition of Christmas markets by this point, right? (If not, for about 4 weeks leading up to Christmas, cities and towns across Europe set up charming holiday market stalls where vendors sell everything from handmade gifts to mulled wine. The tradition started in Germany centuries ago, and has now spread far and wide. Read more about Christmas markets here.)

I'm a big fan of Christmas markets; I've visited literally dozens of them (easily more than 40+) across multiple countries, and I think a Christmas market trip is one of the most magical things you can plan in Europe.

And the city of Strasbourg, France, is well-known as an excellent Christmas city in Europe. In fact, it even refers to itself as the Capitale de Noël, or “Capital of Christmas.” The Christmas markets in Strasbourg are some of the oldest in Europe, dating back as far as the 1500s, and there are several different markets of varying sizes spread throughout the city each year.

But here's the truth about Strasbourg at Christmas: while the Christmas *decor* is incredible and beautiful, I think the actual Christmas *markets* themselves are just okay. That's right: I don't think Strasbourg's Christmas markets are particularly special at all.

Why Strasbourg at Christmas IS worth it

Let's talk about why you *should* still go to Strasbourg at Christmas. Because, despite the title of this post, I'm not actually suggesting that you skip Strasbourg altogether. But if you're going to Strasbourg at Christmas, go for the city itself and the holiday decor rather than for the Christmas markets.

Strasbourg Christmas decor

Strasbourg is a super beautiful city any time of year, with gingerbread buildings and a historic center located on an island (the Grande-Île de Strasbourg). The whole island is mostly closed to cars (and doubly so during the Christmas market season), making it a charming slice of France whenever you go.

But during Christmas, the festive spirit explodes all over the streets and buildings of Strasbourg. Businesses decorate their windows and doorways, and narrow streets are draped with twinkle lights and paper lanterns. A giant Christmas tree is put up on Place Kléber, and the vibe throughout the city is just overflowing with holiday cheer.

Some of the streets with the best Christmas decorations in Strasbourg include Rue du Maroquin (find the famous houses covered in teddy bears here), Rue Mercière (for the lighted angels in front of the cathedral), Rue du Chaudron, Rue des Orfèvres, and Rue des Hallebardes.

Also check out Galeries Lafayette (outside, at least), and the streets in Petite France.

The heart of the Alsace

Strasbourg also makes an excellent base in the Alsace region of France during the Christmas season. You can easily get to smaller cities/towns like Colmar, Eguisheim, Obernai, Kaysersberg-Vignoble, and more, most of which have Christmas markets that I think are better than the ones you'll find in Strasbourg.

Why Strasbourg at Christmas is overrated

I've visited Strasbourg twice during the Christmas season. The first time was in 2015, and while I enjoyed the city itself, I found myself kind of unimpressed by the Christmas markets after having visited several markets in Germany.

I thought it was just me; I thought that surely I'd just had a bad day, or misremembered something since so many people gush over the Strasbourg Christmas markets.

But then I went back to Strasbourg at Christmas in 2023, and I felt the same way. Strasbourg is beautiful at Christmas, but its Christmas markets are kinda… meh.

The Strasbourg markets feel the same

Strasbourg has about a dozen different markets of varying sizes. The largest markets are: the one near the Strasbourg Cathedral (the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg) that extends into Place du Château and down Rue des Hallebardes; the Chrìstkìndelsmärik on Place Broglie near Hôtel de Ville (City Hall); and the market at Place Kléber, which is home to the Grand Sapin, or Christmas tree.

Smaller markets around Strasbourg include the Le Quai des Délices at Place du Marchéaux-Poissons; the kid-friendly Advent Village with storytelling shows and local products for sale; the alternative Le Marché OFF at Place Grimmeissen, where vendors are set up in shipping containers; and several small markets in Petite France (like on Place St-Thomas and Place Benjamin Zix).

And while you'd think that having so many different Christmas markets would be cool, in reality they all feel pretty much the same. There are a lot of the same chalets at every little market, often selling the same goods (many not locally-made), the same food, and the same drinks.

The chalets in Strasbourg in general aren't decorated, either – which seems so incongruous with the rest of the city, which is so decked out in decor!

Add in plastic cups that the hot drinks are served in (instead of the cute ceramic mugs you find at German Christmas markets), and the markets in Strasbourg just don't feel super special or memorable to me.

It gets really crowded

Strasbourg is a very popular Alsatian city to visit, and I'm pretty sure every single bus tour and river cruise brings people here at Christmas. You can't go anywhere near the Cathedral between the hours of about 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. without running into dozens of large tour groups following a guide with a paddle.

I have nothing against organized tours like this (I've been on some!), but the popularity of Strasbourg means that it can get very, very crowded during the holidays.

The markets always get more busy after dark, too. The one night we visited Place Kléber to see the light show at the giant Christmas tree, we very quickly left after seeing how crowded the market area around it was.

The influx of people to Strasbourg around Christmas also means that hotels are more expensive (and have more of a chance of selling out), and you'll probably need to make reservations for any restaurants you really want to eat at while you're in town.

And, lastly, another thing that is tied to crowd numbers is the increased police/military presence in Strasbourg around Christmas. The city unfortunately suffered a terror attack at a Christmas market in 2018, which means that today there's always an armed presence at the markets. I'm American and am used to seeing armed police officers, but I'm not gonna lie: it's jarring to see men and women in fatigues walking around Christmas markets with guns strapped to them.

Should you skip Strasbourg at Christmas?

No, I wouldn't go that far.

Strasbourg doesn't have my favorite Christmas markets in Europe (or even in France), but I don't think you need to completely skip the city. It's still worth it to see all the Christmas decor – but I wouldn't go for the Christmas markets alone unless you're prepared to be a little underwhelmed.

What other markets would I recommend instead? In France, I prefer Colmar to Strasbourg (the Colmar markets are just as busy as the ones in Strasbourg, but they are more unique and I think offer better shopping), and I also love some of the tiny towns in the Alsace (Obernai was my favorite).

But this is just my personal opinion, of course, and it's fine if you disagree!

At the end of the day, I'm glad I've been to Strasbourg at Christmas to see all the decorations. But I'm not sure I'll be rushing back for its Christmas markets for a third time.

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Have you been to the Strasbourg Christmas markets? If so, what did you think of them?