Christmas Markets Open After Christmas 2026: Where to Go

Rathausplatz is still open on Boxing Day, 26 December, but that is its final market day. For later dates, the official Schönbrunn Palace market runs through 6 January, from 10:00 to 19:00 after Christmas. Choosing the specific location makes the difference between a proper shopping visit and a photograph of an empty square.

We'd choose Schönbrunn for a New Year break and make the palace setting part of the appeal. Vienna also keeps a separate skating season at Rathausplatz until 6 January, closing on 31 December. We like the option of combining market browsing with ice time rather than spending every evening shopping.

Official Prague City Tourism lists the main Old Town Square market until 6 January. That gives Prague a longer Christmas-market window than most traditional German headline markets. We have not found a confirmed 2026 organiser timetable for each holiday, so check the specific day if arriving on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. Smaller Prague markets end earlier.

We like Prague for a late-December trip that still has plenty to explore outside the stalls. The astronomical clock's twelve apostles give Old Town Square a year-round spectacle alongside the seasonal market. We'd build the break around the historic centre and use the market for evening atmosphere, rather than make shopping the whole reason to travel.

Heinzels Wintermärchen at Heumarkt continues through 10 January but closes on 24 and 25 December. The organiser says it trades from 11:00 to 22:00 to 30 December, then 11:00 to 21:00 from 31 December. Its Alter Markt area has already closed on 23 December, as has the Cathedral market.

We'd choose Heumarkt for the skating and elf-themed setting. The Heinzelmännchen legend is about tiny helpers secretly doing craftsmen's work at night; it gives the market a story beyond decorations and drinks. We like this as a playful winter outing, especially when the Cathedral market has finished.

Advent Basilica runs to 1 January and publishes unusually detailed holiday times. It is open 11:00–20:00 on 25–26 December, trades into the early hours after midnight on 31 December, and closes at 18:00 on 1 January. The Vörösmarty Square programme and its craft sellers should not be assumed to follow the same calendar.

We like Budapest for a New Year break with an evening focal point: the basilica's façade is lit with projected artwork from 17:30. We'd combine that with city exploring and a thermal-bath day, then return for the lights. That feels like a more rounded trip than three days spent circling the same stalls.

The Domplatz and Residenzplatz market remains open 25–26 December from 11:00 to 18:00, with ordinary hours again on 27–30 December. On New Year's Eve, retail stalls close earlier than selected catering stalls, which can serve until 01:00. The season finishes on 1 January at 18:00.

We like Salzburg for its musical character and compact historic setting. Its tradition of brass music played from towers began in 1952, giving the Christmas season a story that reaches beyond the stalls. For a late-December break, we'd pair the Domplatz and Residenzplatz market with time around the old town rather than plan an all-day shopping itinerary.

Tallinn's organiser lists daily market stalls 10:00–20:00 to 6 January, with hot drinks running later. This can suit travellers wanting a full winter atmosphere rather than an Advent-only craft market. Snow is possible but not guaranteed, and individual performances may run on a different timetable.

We'd choose Tallinn for medieval streets with a market at their centre. The Town Hall Square tree tradition is traced locally to 1441, which makes the tree itself part of the city's story. We like a two- or three-night break with time to wander and warm up indoors, rather than travelling solely for the number of stalls.

The City of Brussels confirms Winter Wonders until 3 January, normally 12:00–22:00. On 31 December it closes at 18:00. The organiser also lists an 18:00 close on 3 January, which the city page does not mention; recheck final-day hours. The Christmas-market chalets form part of the wider festival; do not assume the skating and other attractions have identical opening times.

We like Brussels when the Grand-Place light show is treated as part of the trip, not just a backdrop to shopping. The square's architecture becomes a stage for the festival. We'd spend one evening following the lights and food through the centre, and keep the rest of the break for the city itself.

Colmar's six central markets remain open to 29 December, but the dedicated gourmet market continues to 3 January. The official market schedule gives 25 and 26 December trading for the central stalls; some individual stall listings differ slightly from the central published hours.

We'd choose Colmar for an unhurried food-focused break. Its gourmet market is a separate attraction from the six central Christmas markets, so the town offers two different festive rhythms. We like finishing the central markets before 29 December, then leaving time for the gourmet stalls that continue into January.