Switzerland has many romantic Christmas markets to entertain visitors in major tourist resorts and Swiss cities during the advent season. In French-speaking Switzerland, the best-known Marché de Noël is in Montreux although nearby Geneva also has an international offering. Many German-speaking Swiss cities have Weihnachtsmärkte with some of the better-known ones in Basel, Bern, St Gallen, and Zurich. Alpine peaks are also involved in Christmas markets – Mt Pilatus claims the highest Christmas market in the world while Santa Claus set up home on Rochers-de-Naye above Montreux and Lake Geneva for most of December.
- Christmas markets in Switzerland are generally called Marché de Noël in French areas. In German-speaking cities, various names are used but the standard German word Weihnachtsmarkt (plural Weihnachtsmärkte) is always understood.
Opening Times of Christmas Markets in Switzerland
The opening times of Swiss Christmas markets vary from market to market. Most of the major markets are open from late November to just before Christmas Day. The larger Christmas markets operate daily from late morning to around 8 or 9 pm – the busiest and most romantic times to visit open-air markets are late afternoon or early evening.
In contrast to the traditional Christmas markets in Germany, which generally break up a few days before Christmas, Swiss Christmas markets are often open until December 24. A notable exception is the Montreux Marché de Noël – here the festivities actually continue until a few days after Christmas Day.
- Smaller towns and ski resorts will often have markets only on weekends.
The Best Christmas Markets in Switzerland
In contrast to German cities, which can claim a Christmas market tradition of over 500 years, Christmas markets in Switzerland are more recent marketing schemes. Very few Christmas markets in Switzerland can actually claim a tradition going back more than two decades. Nevertheless, Christmas markets have become a firm fixture on the December cultural and entertainment calendars of many a Swiss city.
Some of the better-known Swiss Christmas markets are in:
- Basel – the Basler Weihnacht has around 150 stalls in the old town and a claim to the longest Christmas street in Europe.
- Bern – the Berner Weihnachtsmärkte are held on squares inside the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage-listed old town with its cobblestone streets and endless covered arcades.
- Geneva – the Marché International de Noel is just off Lake Geneva and the Rhone River and combines Swiss traditions with foreign ones in this famously internationally-oriented city.
- Montreux – the Marché de Noël usually continues until December 28 on the banks of Lake Geneva. A medieval market is hosted in Chillon Castle while Santa Clause can be visited by cog-wheel train on top of an Alpine peak.
- Mt Pilatus – the Christkindlimärt can at 2,132 m (6,995 ft) claim to be the highest Christmas market in Europe.
- St Gallen – the Weihnachststadt is centered in the old town with a huge Christmas tree on the Klosterplatz square in front of the UNESCO-listed monastery
- Zurich – the Zürcher Christkindlimarkt is held inside the Rail-City complex at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and claims to be the largest indoor Christmas market in Europe.
Germany arguably has the best Christmas markets in the world with the longest history. However, many a Swiss city has shown that two decades (Bern) or even fifteen years (Montreux) are more than sufficient to host spectacularly enjoyable Christmas markets that can entertain children of all ages.
Henk Bekker - Henk Bekker is a freelance travel writer currently living on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
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