There are plenty of Christmas Markets to choose from in Zurich during Christmas time. Almost every corner of the city has a market for everyone’s taste.
The markets are beautifully decorated, have music, lots of different food stalls and activities for both young and old. Christmas markets are the place to have a hot punch (for the younger ones) and a mulled wine, followed or accompanied by great food. Often, there is food from all over the world and you will have difficulty choosing.
All of the Zurich Christmas Markets are very easy to reach and some are within walking distance from each other. So, if you’re pressed for time, you can quickly tick a few off in one night. I recommend spending some time at each to soak up the atmosphere.
Below are some of my favourite markets for you to enjoy some Christmas cheer!
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Zurich Wienachtsdorf at Sechseläutenplatz
- Date: 23.11 – 23.12.2023
- Opening times:
- Mon – Sat: 11 am – 10 pm
- Sunday: 11 am – 8 pm
- Location: Sechseläutenplatz / Tram or Train Stops: Bellevue or Stadelhofen
This is one of the largest Christmas Markets in Zurich. Located a stone’s throw from the lake and right in front of the Zurich Opera House, it’s hard to beat and a local favourite.
The Wienachtsdorf is always buzzing no matter what time of the day and fits the bill of a typical Swiss Christmas market:
- Lots of little wooden market stalls where alternating designers sell unique pieces of art and craftwork.
- Twinkling lights adorn the entire Sechseläutenplatz and soft music plays in the background.
- And a lot of food stalls selling culinary delicacies from all over the world. Whether you want a traditional sausage, raclette, Momo’s, Bao Buns or a burger, everything’s available.
For the children, the square on the Opera House terrace is turned into an “Elfendörfli” (Elf Village). Little mini-huts offer all kinds of activities for the children:
- Christmas Card Making
- Storytelling
- Samichlaus post office
- Elf disco and so on.
And if you want to get away from it all, you can always go to the Opera House foyer to enjoy relaxing music or walk over to Bürkliplatz for some candle making. There are also a few smaller stands by the Stadelhofen train station, where we took refuge on Saturday night for a quiet Glühwein. When it gets crowded at the market, so sometimes you have to head for the smaller places for peace.
Zurich Weihnachtsmarkt Dörfli in Niederdorf
- Date: 23.11 – 23.12.2023
- Opening times:
- Mon – Thu: 11 am – 9 pm
- Fri – Sat: 11 am – 10 pm
- Sun: 11 am – 8 pm
- Location: Hirschenplatz / Tram stop: Rudolf Brun Brücke – Grossmünsterplatz / Tram Stop: Helmhaus
This is Zurich’s oldest Christmas Market and a fun one to walk through. It runs from Hirschenplatz to the Grossmünster church and is perfect for an evening stroll.
Around 70 stalls with food, drinks and cute handicrafts line the Old Town’s cobbled streets. I’m sure you will veer off to check out the little alleyways with more cute shops and the smell of roasted chestnuts just around the corner.
Near the Grossmünster, you will find the cozy Fondue Alp, a cosy chalet that serves delicious cheese fondues, raclette and Flammkuchen. It’s the perfect ending to a stressful day. Don’t forget to book, though, as it gets busy during the week.
Zurich Christkindlimarkt Main Station
- Date: 23.11 – 24.12.2023
- Opening times:
- Sun – Wed: 11 am – 9 pm
- Thu – Sat: 11 am – 10 pm
- 24th December: 11 am – 4 pm
- Location: Zurich Main Station
The Christkindlimarket at Zurich Main Station is hard to miss. With 140 stalls, it’s one of Europe’s biggest indoor Christmas markets. This year, it’s celebrating its 30th anniversary.
The atmosphere is very festive, the indoor hall filled with the smoke of grilled sausages and the smell of cinnamon and sweet mulled wine. The stalls sell traditional products and souvenirs, like woodcraft, nativity scenes, scarves, knitwear or glass ornaments.
The eye-catcher is the 10m (32ft) high Christmas tree, which used to be adorned with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. It was stunning and unique in the world. However, due to the energy crisis, the Christmas tree didn’t have any Swarovski crystals last year. To get the sparkling effect of the crystals, a lot of lights are required. As all shops needed to tone down the Christmas lighting, it was decided to replace the crystals with lights powered by bikes ridden by the visitors. It’s a fair decision, even though it’s taken away the tree’s magic.
This year, the tree is sponsored by Lindt and is adorned with Lindt balls and a lot of other Lindt related objects. You can even take your picture in front of the tree on the sleight. Which is great for a family Christmas photo!
This Christmas market is typically very busy. There is no downtime and it’s always packed. So be prepared to shuffle instead of walking. It’s all part of the charm, though and if it’s raining outside, you will be very happy to have a large indoor Christmas with all the goodies.
Personally, though, I find the other markets have more charm than this one. I prefer the Sechseläutenplatz market, or the smaller ones behind the Bahnhofstrasse or Münsterhof. Even the new Europallee market has more Christmas feeling I find, especially when it is all lit up at night.
Zurich Münsterhof
- Date: 23.11 – 23.12.2023
- Opening times:
- Mon – Wed: 11am – 8.30pm; Thu – Sat: 11am – 9.30pm
- Sun: 11 am – 7.30 pm / 23.11: 4 pm – 9.30 pm / 23.12: 11 am – 9.30 pm
- Location: Münsterhof
The Christmas Market at Münsterhof is one of my favorites. It’s a little less busy than the ones at Bellevue and the Main Station and its setting is very cosy and festive. Backed by the beautiful Fraumünster church and the many historical guild buildings on the square, this market ticks all the boxes.
Under the motto “From Zürich for Zürich” vendors sell local products like Züri sauces, Dilly Socks and writing utensils from the renowned Landolt-Arbenz stationery store. They are a bit more expensive, but far more unique and high-end quality.
In addition, you can join one of the origami or soap workshops organised for both young and old. Or, you can enjoy the entertainment program in the big tent. An overview of all the concerts can be found here (under Kulturprogramm).
Of course, you won’t go home hungry either, as many food stalls offer various cuisines. Don’t forget to try the mulled wine here. The restaurant Carlton and the wineshop Zweifel developed a unique recipe with less sugar, so the wine tastes more like red wine – which is a treat.
Want To Save This For Later?
This market is a real gem, so don’t forget to visit it. Especially during the day, it is very quiet, and you have the place almost to yourself. I was just there 15 minutes ago and took all these pictures.
Zurich Werdmühleplatz
- Date: 23.11 – 23.12.2023
- Opening times:
- Mon – Thu: 4 pm – 9 pm
- Fri: 4 pm – 10 pm
- Sat: 1 pm – 10 pm
- Sun: 1 pm – 9 pm
- Location: Werdmühleplatz
Another one of my favorites. The Christmas Market at Werdmühleplatz is relatively small but has the coolest feature of all Christmas Markets in Zurich: The Singing Christmas Tree.
Just off the Bahnhofstrasse, a 5-minute walk from Zurich Main Station, this is a must-do when you’re in Zurich over Christmas. If you’re not in the Christmas mood yet, you will be after visiting one of the many Singing Christmas Tree concerts. I’ve written a more detailed post about it here and you can find the program on their website.
And even though the Christmas Market is relatively small, it still has a lovely atmosphere with enough stalls to satisfy your appetite.
Zurich Weihnachtsallee
- Date: 23.11 – 23.12.2023
- Opening times:
- Market: Mon- Sat: 11 am-10 pm, Sun: 11 am – 8 pm
- Fondue-Chalet: Mon – Sun: 11 am – midnight
- Gluehwii-Kuppel-Bar: Mon – Sat: 11 am-midnight; Sun: 11 am – 10 pm
- Location: Europaplatz (right next to Zurich Main Station)
In 2023, a new Christmas Market, the Zürcher Weihnachtsallee, has launched and is attracting many people, especially at night when it’s all lit up and very Christmasy!
In addition to the existing shops along the Europaallee, around 80 alternating stalls offer beautiful design products and handicrafts. Not only Swiss delicacies like Tirggel, nut bread, or Capuns, but also international delicacies like Christstollen, Lübeck marzipan, and Nuremberg gingerbread will satisfy many food lovers.
Many little cozy seating areas and shelters under a Christmas-lit sky invite you to linger and enjoy the magical Christmas atmosphere. I especially love the little huts with just a few seats, they are very cosy, but clearly very hard to come by. So, come super-early if you want one of those.
The mulled wine dome wine bar (Gluehwii-Kuppel-Bar) is perfect for a shared drink or a break in between and the fondue chalet will create warm memories for friends, families and colleagues. As with any other fondue chalet, I suggest to make a reservation early.
I have been to this Christmas Market twice already, and it’s great. There are many different food options, and the prices are not too crazy. Plus, there are many places to sit and hang out and lots of stalls to buy those last-minute Christmas gifts.
Zurich Illuminarium
During Christmas, the inner courtyard of the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum) turns into a veritable spectacle of light, music and culinary delicacies.
Zurich Illuminarium is not so much a Christmas Market in a traditional way, but more modern with a different concept. Entering the courtyard, you’re met with a sea of lights, a warm and relaxed atmosphere and food smells from around the world. It’s busy and pulsing because of its location near Zurich Main Station.
The entrance to the courtyard is free. If you want to visit one of the light and music shows, buy a ticket online or onsite. Tickets sell out quickly, so I recommend buying your ticket in advance online. There are two shows: one for children (Yumi story) and one more geared to adults (music and laser). The light projections on the museum’s walls are stunning and authentic art pieces. It’s worth visiting at least once. I can assure you that the little ones will, for once, be very quiet.
More information on the shows, show times and tickets can be found on their website or in this post.
There is also large fondue chalet. Reservations required.
This is a cashless event, so bring your credit card or use Twint; no cash is accepted.
- Date: 9.11 – 30.12.2023
- Opening times: food stalls open daily from 5 – 11 pm
- Location: Landesmuseum
Zurich Stadelhofen Christmas Pyramid
This Christmas Pyramid is a fixed component at the Stadelhofen Train Station during Christmas. Even though it’s only the pyramid, it’s festive and always busy. At the bottom, they serve raclette, sausages, churros and, of course, mulled wine. In this tiny world, you will likely strike up an interesting conversation with a local or tourist.
This is the perfect place to wait for your train. Just make sure you don’t get carried away and miss it!
- Date: 23.11 – 24.12.2023
- Opening times: Sun – Wed: 11 am – 9 pm; Thu – Sat: 11 am – 10 pm
- Location: Zurich Stadelhofen Station
Zurich Uetliberg Winter Magic
If you feel like getting away from it all but still want to be close to the city, I recommend visiting the Uetliberg Winter Wonderland. Even though this doesn’t fall into the traditional Christmas Market set-up, it’s still well worth a trip up the Uetliberg.
The square in front of the Hotel Uto Kulm is turned into a mini winter wonderland with lots of Christmas trees, festive decorations, sparkling lights, and a few food stalls.
Starting this year (2023), they also have a small Christmas Market on specific dates, where people can sell things they purely create as a hobby. Maybe this is the place to find a special Christmas gift.
Mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and local winter dishes will warm you up after the short walk from the train station. Or you can have a fondue in the traditional “Maiensäss” (old Swiss Chalet); reservations are required.
After you’ve enjoyed the beautiful view over Zurich city, you might want to play a round of curling on one of Zurich’s most beautiful curling rinks. If this sounds too tiring, you can have a go at candle dipping.
If you’re lucky, there is enough snow to sled down the mountain into town (sleds can be rented onsite).
- Date: 25.11.2023 – 28.02.2024
- Dates Christmas Markets: 25.11, 26.11, 2.12, 3.12, 9.12, 10.12, 16.12, 17.12
- Opening times: daily 9 am – 8 pm
- Location: Zurich Uetliberg, Uto Kulm