Markets by theme
Markets on a riverbank, a quay or a lakeside promenade, with the lights reflected in the water. Go after dark.
19 cities with stalls by the water
19 of the market cities we cover have stalls right on a river, a canal or a lake, and they’re at their best after dark, when the lights are doubled in the water. Montreux lines 150 chalets along the Lake Geneva quays, and in Colmar the choirs sing from boats on the canal.
Best Index score first. Open them on the map →
| Market | Where the water is | Market open | Index |
|---|---|---|---|
 Strasbourg Le Quai des Délices | The gourmet market on the Terrasse du Palais Rohan and Place du Marché-aux-Poissons, along the Ill.Hotels in Strasbourg → | 27 Nov – 24 Dec | 9.1 |
 | The market sits beside the Lauch canal in Petite Venise, with choirs singing from boats.Hotels in Colmar → | 23 Nov – 29 Dec | 8.1 |
 Regensburg Adventsmarkt im St. Katharinenspital (Spitalgarten) | A market on the north bank of the Danube at the foot of the Stone Bridge, facing the old town skyline.Hotels in Regensburg → | 19 Nov – 23 Dec | 8.0 |
 | About 100 huts along the Schlachte, the promenade on the Weser.Hotels in Bremen → | 23 Nov – 23 Dec | 7.8 |
 Düsseldorf Roncalli's Weihnachtspromenade | A market on the Rhine riverside promenade.Hotels in Düsseldorf → | 19 Nov – 30 Dec | 7.8 |
 Frankfurt Mainkai section and Kinderweihnachtsmarkt am Mainkai | The official market runs down from the Römerberg onto the Main riverbank.Hotels in Frankfurt → | 23 Nov – 22 Dec | 7.8 |
 Lübeck Hafenglühen (Drehbrückenplatz); Lübsche Wiehnacht (Schuppen 6) | Hafenglühen sits on the harbour edge of the Trave, and Lübsche Wiehnacht fills a harbour shed on the quay.Hotels in Lübeck → | 23 Nov – 30 Dec | 7.8 |
 Prague Na Kampě Square Christmas Market | A small market on Kampa island by Charles Bridge, down at river level on the Vltava.Hotels in Prague → | 20 Nov – 6 Jan | 7.8 |
 Annecy Chalets on the Quai de Vicenza, Quai Napoléon-III and the Jardins de l'Europe on Lake Annecy | Chalets line the quays to the lakefront, and the canals of the Thiou run through the old town.Hotels in Annecy → | 26 Nov – 3 Jan | 7.6 |
 Hamburg Weißer Zauber (Jungfernstieg); Wintermarkt StrandPauli | A market on the Binnenalster waterfront, plus a winter market on the Elbe beach.Hotels in Hamburg → | 23 Nov – 1 Jan | 7.6 |
 Cologne Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt | The market is on the Rheinauhafen by the Chocolate Museum, along the Rhine promenade.Hotels in Cologne → | 13 Nov – 10 Jan | 7.5 |
 Innsbruck Christkindlmarkt am Marktplatz | The Marktplatz market sits on the bank of the River Inn.Hotels in Innsbruck → | 13 Nov – 6 Jan | 7.5 |
 | 150 chalets along the Lake Geneva quays.Hotels in Montreux → | 20 Nov – 24 Dec | 7.5 |
 Geneva Noël au Quai | The main market runs along the Quai du Mont-Blanc on Lake Geneva.Hotels in Geneva → | 19 Nov – 24 Dec | 7.1 |
 Lucerne Rudolfs Weihnacht (Inseli-Park) | A market in the lakeside Inseli-Park by the KKL.Hotels in Lucerne → | 20 Nov – 23 Dec | 7.1 |
 Paris Marché de Noël de Notre-Dame (Square René-Viviani, Quai de Montebello) | About 40 stalls in Square René-Viviani on the Quai de Montebello, looking across the Seine at Notre-Dame.Hotels in Paris → | 12 Nov – 4 Jan | 6.9 |
 Copenhagen Nyhavn | Stalls along the 17th-century canal under the painted gabled houses.Hotels in Copenhagen → | 6 Nov – 3 Jan | 6.7 |
 London Southbank Centre Winter Market; Winter by the River | Chalets on the Queen’s Walk along the Thames, and at London Bridge City facing Tower Bridge.Hotels in London → | 31 Oct – 4 Jan | 6.5 |
 Glasgow Glasgow Green, Riverside Christmas Market | Glasgow Green runs along the Clyde, and the Riverside Christmas Market on 28 and 29 Nov sits at the Riverside Museum on the river.Hotels in Glasgow → | 6 Nov – 3 Jan | 5.2 |
The ones where the water is part of the market, not just somewhere nearby.
Switzerland · Montreux Noël on the quays
150 chalets strung along the Lake Geneva quays, with the mountains across the water. It’s the lakeside market everyone pictures, and it’s the real thing.
Free Montreux pocket guide
A printable street map of Montreux’s markets with the transport stops and the walks between them.
France · Children's Market at Petite Venise
The children’s market sits by the Lauch canal in Petite Venise, and choirs sing from boats as they glide past the half-timbered houses.
Germany · Schlachte-Zauber
The Schlachte-Zauber puts about 100 huts along the Schlachte, the promenade on the Weser, with a historic Hanseatic section and a pirate village.
Pick a weekend and one of our picks. The map shows the hotels still free for those nights, with the real price for two.
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