The best Christmas markets in Belgium for 2026 make one of the easiest festive breaks you can book from the UK. Board the Eurostar at St Pancras and you will arrive at Brussels-Midi in around two hours, with mulled wine, warm waffles and a Grand-Place lit up for Christmas just a short ride away.
Belgium also has a long Christmas market season. Hasselt’s Winterland opens on 13 November, Bruges and Brussels are in full swing by the end of the month, and Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Hasselt all keep going until 3 January 2027, so a New Year trip works just as well as a December one. Just note that Antwerp closes on New Year’s Day.
Since the country is so compact, you can base yourself in one city and reach two or three markets by train: the medieval squares of Bruges, the food chalets of Liège, a seaside stroll in Ostend. Below are our ten favourites, with dates and opening hours checked against each organiser’s own website, plus what to eat, what to buy and where to stay.
Belgium Christmas Markets 2026 at a Glance
Best Christmas Markets in Belgium 2026 | |||
Market | 2026 Dates | Opening Hours | Best For |
| Brussels – Winter Wonders | 27 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Daily 12:00–22:00; 18:00 on 24 and 31 Dec | First-time visitors who want it all in one trip |
| Bruges – Winter Glow | 20 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Sun–Thu 11:00–20:00; Fri–Sat 11:00–21:00 | Couples who want a romantic weekend away |
| Ghent – Gentse Winterfeesten | 3 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Usually Mon–Thu 12:00–00:00; Fri 12:00–01:00; Sat 11:00–01:00; Sun 11:00–00:00 | Visitors who prefer a lively, local feel |
| Antwerp – Winter in Antwerpen | 4 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Sun–Thu 12:00–22:00; Fri–Sat 12:00–00:00; opens 14:00 on 4 Dec; closed 1 Jan | Night owls and New Year’s Eve revellers |
| Liège – Village de Noël | 27 Nov 2026 – 30 Dec 2026 (ice rink to 2 Jan) | Sun–Wed 11:00–22:00; Thu–Sat 11:00–00:00 | Food lovers planning a trip around what’s on the plate |
| Leuven – Leuvense Kerstmarkt | 3 – 20 Dec 2026 | Mon and Sun 12:00–22:00; Tue–Thu and Sat 12:00–23:00; Fri 11:00–23:00 | A relaxed day trip from Brussels before Christmas |
| Hasselt – Winterland | 13 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Daily 11:00–22:00 | Families with children who want rides as well as stalls |
| Ostend – Winter in Oostende | Late Nov 2026 – early Jan 2027 | Usually Tue–Thu 12:00–22:00; Fri–Sat to midnight | Someone who fancies a seaside Christmas break |
| Durbuy – Christmas Market | 20 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | Usually Friday to Sunday at first, then daily over the Christmas holidays | Couples wanting a quiet countryside escape |
| Louvain-la-Neuve – Louvain-la-Neige | 27 Nov – 20 Dec 2026 | Mon–Thu 11:30–21:00; Fri 11:30–23:00; Sat 11:00–23:00; Sun 11:00–21:00 | Shoppers after one-of-a-kind handmade gifts |
Note: Dates and hours checked against official organiser, city and tourism-board websites in October 2026. Times marked “usually” are tentative and will be confirmed by the organiser closer to opening, so it is worth a quick check on the official site before you travel.
1. Brussels Christmas Market – Winter Wonders
Belgium’s biggest Christmas market turns central Brussels into one long festive stroll. This is the one to choose for sheer scale: more than 200 chalets and over 4.3 million visits last winter, with the UK among its leading international markets, all within walking distance of the Grand-Place. The square is the showpiece, with its Christmas tree and evening sound and light show, while Place Sainte-Catherine and the Vismet are the places to browse and eat beneath the 55-metre Ferris wheel that usually stands there. For a gift with nearly 200 years of history behind it, step round the corner to Maison Dandoy on Rue au Beurre, which has baked speculoos in the city since 1829 and still hand-presses its St Nicholas biscuits in centuries-old wooden moulds.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 27 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Opening Hours | Daily 12:00–22:00; 18:00 on 24 and 31 Dec, and usually on the final day, 3 Jan |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Grand-Place – Christmas tree and light show; Sainte-Catherine and Vismet – main market and Ferris wheel; Place de la Bourse – Basque and Béarnais village; De Brouckère – ice rink and curling |
| What to Eat & Drink | Croustillons, tartiflette, mulled wine, pèket |
| Nearby Places to Stay | Îlot Sacré by the Grand-Place, or Sainte-Catherine and Dansaert |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Crafts from quality-label chalets |
Insider Tip: Browse and eat around Place Sainte-Catherine in the late afternoon, then stroll back to the Grand-Place after dark for the light show. This year’s guests of honour are the Béarn and the Basque Country, with their own village on Place de la Bourse. The light show does not usually run on 24 or 31 December, so plan around those evenings.
Read Also: Visit Brussels Christmas market
2. Bruges Christmas Market – Winter Glow
Bruges at Christmas is the picture most people have in mind when they think of Belgium. Its medieval centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all cobbled lanes, canals and stepped gables, looks like a Christmas card before a single light goes up. There are two markets: the main one on the Markt beneath the Belfry, and a smaller, calmer one on Simon Stevinplein, with a covered ice rink and the IJsgloed winter bar in King Albert I Park. Plan a two-night stay for 18–20 December and you will also catch the Handmade in Brugge MAKERSmarkt in the historic City Halls: three days of local makers and regional produce, and the place for a present nobody else will be giving.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 20 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Opening Hours | Sun–Thu 11:00–20:00; Fri–Sat 11:00–21:00; 24 Dec to 17:00; 31 Dec to 20:00; shorter hours 25 Dec and 1 Jan |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Markt – main market under the Belfry; Simon Stevinplein – smaller and calmer; King Albert I Park – covered ice rink (€9, about £8) and winter bar |
| What to Eat & Drink | Mulled wine, hot chocolate, local drinks at the IJsgloed bar |
| Nearby Places to Stay | Around the Markt and the Burg, or near the Begijnhof |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Bruges lace and handmade gifts |
Insider Tip: From Sunday to Thursday the stalls close at 20:00, earlier than many visitors expect, so shop first and book dinner for afterwards. The ice rink in King Albert I Park stays open until 22:00, and the wider Winter Glow festival carries on until 14 February 2027, long after the markets close on 3 January.
3. Ghent Christmas Market – Gentse Winterfeesten
Ghent is a lively university city that happens to be beautiful, and its Christmas market shares that easy confidence. The Gentse Winterfeesten drew around 2.5 million visitors in 2024, making it the most visited event in the city’s calendar. More than 150 chalets wind from Sint-Baafsplein past the Belfry to the Korenmarkt, with an ice rink beneath the Stadshal and a big wheel on the Korenmarkt. Just off the route, on the Groentenmarkt, Tierenteyn-Verlent has made Ghent mustard since 1790 and still ladles it from a wooden barrel, while rival stalls on the same square sell cuberdons, the purple cone-shaped sweets locals call neuzekes, or ‘little noses’.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 3 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Opening Hours | Usually Mon–Thu 12:00–00:00; Fri 12:00–01:00; Sat 11:00–01:00; Sun 11:00–00:00; shorter hours on 24 and 31 Dec |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Sint-Baafsplein – chalets by the cathedral; Emile Braunplein – ice rink under the Stadshal; Goudenleeuwplein – Sapin Magique, a giant spinning Christmas-tree ride; Korenmarkt – Ferris wheel |
| What to Eat & Drink | Smoutebollen, jenever, mulled wine |
| Nearby Places to Stay | Korenmarkt and Graslei, or the Patershol |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Handmade decorations and gifts |
Insider Tip: Ghent opens on 3 December, a week after Brussels, so save it for a December trip. It also runs until 3 January, so it works just as well for a New Year break.
Read Also: Visit Ghent Christmas market
4. Antwerp Christmas Market – Winter in Antwerpen
Antwerp does Christmas with a touch more polish, and keeps its chalets open until midnight at weekends. With over 1.5 million visitors last year, the city describes Winter in Antwerpen as the largest Christmas market in Flanders. Stalls run from the Grote Markt and the Handschoenmarkt beside the cathedral, through Suikerrui to Groenplaats and Operaplein, with an ice rink, a winter bar and the JOE X-mas House along the way. Before you leave, pick up a tin of Antwerpse handjes, hand-shaped almond biscuits first made in 1934 in honour of the city’s Brabo legend, from Philip’s Biscuits on Korte Gasthuisstraat, or the chocolate version from DelRey.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 4 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Opening Hours | Sun–Thu 12:00–22:00; Fri–Sat 12:00–00:00 (Operaplein closes an hour earlier); opening day 4 Dec from 14:00; 24 and 31 Dec 12:00–18:00; closed 1 Jan; 3 Jan 12:00–17:00 |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Grote Markt and Handschoenmarkt – heart of the market by the cathedral; Groenplaats, Suikerrui and Operaplein – more chalets, ice rink and winter bar |
| What to Eat & Drink | Hot snacks, glühwein, winter-bar drinks |
| Nearby Places to Stay | The old town, or near Antwerp-Centraal |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Gifts from the heated chalets |
Insider Tip: If you are visiting over New Year, note the market is closed on 1 January.
5. Liège Christmas Market – Village de Noël
Liège calls itself the European Capital of Christmas, and it has the history to support the claim. Its Village de Noël, which the organisers describe as Belgium’s oldest Christmas market with 38 years of history, draws around 1.5 million visitors a year. Some 200 chalets fill Place Saint-Lambert and Place du Marché, with the ice rink on Place de la Cathédrale. The food is what sets it apart: oysters and tartiflette on heated terraces, cheese fondue in the Gruyère cabin, and the city’s own juniper spirit, pèket, best tasted at the Maison du Pèket, an official partner of the Village.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 27 Nov – 30 Dec 2026 (ice rink to 2 Jan 2027) |
| Opening Hours | Sun–Wed 11:00–22:00; Thu–Sat 11:00–00:00; 24 Dec to 18:00; 25 Dec from 13:00 |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Place Saint-Lambert and Place du Marché – the Village, Ferris wheel, sledging run; Place de la Cathédrale – ice rink |
| What to Eat & Drink | Pèket, oysters, tartiflette, Liège waffles, Gruyère fondue |
| Nearby Places to Stay | Around Place Saint-Lambert and Le Carré, or Outremeuse |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Tchantchès puppets, hand-painted glass decorations |
Insider Tip: Ring ahead for cheese fondue in the Gruyère cabin; the other food chalets don’t usually take bookings. The craft chalets can shut from 20:00, so do your gift shopping before dinner. Tram T1 stops right at Place Saint-Lambert.
6. Leuven Christmas Market – Leuvense Kerstmarkt
Leuven’s Christmas market is compact, friendly and easy to add to a stay in Brussels. Running since 1988, it reaches its 38th edition in 2026 and drew well over half a million visitors last time. More than 120 stands fill Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein, in front of the grand University Library, and the neighbouring Herbert Hooverplein, with stallholders from eight countries. What makes it special is its local flavour: Leuven is the home of Stella Artois, which sponsors the market, so a glass of the city’s own beer by the University Library is part of the experience.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 3 – 20 December 2026 |
| Opening Hours | Mon and Sun 12:00–22:00; Tue–Thu and Sat 12:00–23:00; Fri 11:00–23:00; 20 Dec 12:00–21:00 |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Ladeuzeplein – main market by the University Library; Hooverplein – the adjoining square, where the market continues |
| What to Eat & Drink | Smoutebollen, Leuven-brewed beer |
| Nearby Places to Stay | Around the Grote Markt and the Oude Markt |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Gifts from stallholders in eight countries |
Insider Tip: Come on a Friday, when the market opens an hour early at 11:00 to tie in with Leuven’s weekly market. The market ends on 20 December, so plan a pre-Christmas visit rather than a New Year one.
7. Hasselt Christmas Market – Winterland
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Hasselt’s Winterland is the first of our ten markets to open, on 13 November 2026, and runs until 3 January 2027. Now in its 18th edition, it is a great choice for families, with free entry and rides and skating alongside the stalls. Everything sits on Kolonel Dusartplein, ten minutes’ walk from the station: a covered ice rink, a giant slide, an Austrian-style Almhütte, a Ferris wheel and Santa’s house, with Christmas chalets in between. Hasselt calls itself the capital of taste, so leave time for the Jenevermuseum, set in a former jenever distillery, and pick up the Hasselt Taste Package from Visit Hasselt, with local speculaas, pralines and apple juice from Herkenrode Abbey.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 |
| Opening Hours | Daily 11:00–22:00; ice rink 10:00–22:00; 24 Dec, 31 Dec and 3 Jan to 18:00 |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Kolonel Dusartplein – ice rink, Almhütte, Ferris wheel, giant slide and chalets on one site |
| What to Eat & Drink | Austrian dishes in the Almhütte, drinks in the Grand Café |
| Nearby Places to Stay | The pedestrianised centre around the Grote Markt |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Hasselt jenever and speculaas |
Insider Tip: Entry is free, but book ice-rink tickets online before a weekend visit. The market closes at 18:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, so plan those evenings elsewhere.
8. Ostend Christmas Market – Winter in Oostende
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Ostend offers the one thing the other markets can’t: Christmas a short walk from the North Sea. Few markets let you follow a mug of mulled wine with a bracing walk along the promenade. The Christmas market sits on the Wapenplein, in the heart of town, and an ice rink is part of the winter programme. Don’t leave without trying Ostend’s shrimp croquettes, made with hand-peeled shrimp caught by the town’s own fishermen, ideally with a glass of KREVET, the wheat beer the city brewery ‘t Koelschip created to go with them.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | Late Nov 2026 – early Jan 2027 (tentative) |
| Opening Hours | Usually Tue–Thu 12:00–22:00; Fri–Sat to midnight |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Wapenplein – the Christmas market, in the heart of town; seafront promenade – a winter walk by the North Sea |
| What to Eat & Drink | Hot chocolate, waffles, shrimp croquettes in town |
| Nearby Places to Stay | Around the Wapenplein, or the seafront |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Handmade gifts, decorations, winter woollens |
Insider Tip: The market is now on the Wapenplein, so ignore older guides that point to Leopoldpark. When you order croquettes, ask for genuine Ostend ones: by rule they contain at least 30% shrimp and are made within 10 km of the city.
9. Durbuy Christmas Market
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Often described as the smallest town in the world, Durbuy is one of the most charming places in Belgium at Christmas. It offers something different from the big cities: cobbled lanes, stone houses and wooded Ardennes hills in place of grand squares. The market usually winds from the Parc Roi Baudouin, with its ice rink and food chalets, along the allée Verte to the Anticline, where one chalet serves Durbuy’s famous foie gras potato. Make time, too, for the Confiturerie Saint-Amour, a father-and-son jam maker whose workshop is open to visitors, for dandelion and lilac jellies and Ardennes preserves sold mainly from the producer’s own shops.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 20 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 (ice rink to 4 Jan) |
| Opening Hours | Usually Friday to Sunday at first, then daily over the Christmas holidays |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Parc Roi Baudouin – ice rink and food chalets; allée Verte – chalet-lined walkway; the Anticline – foie gras potato chalet, Christmas train and lights |
| What to Eat & Drink | Ardennes produce, mulled wine |
| Nearby Places to Stay | The old town, or Barvaux (nearest station) |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | Ardennes preserves and crafts |
Insider Tip: Book well ahead, and expect tight parking and one-way streets on market days. Local press reported rooms fully booked for 20 km around during the market, so reserve your hotel as soon as your dates are fixed.
10. Louvain-la-Neuve Christmas Market – Louvain-la-Neige
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Louvain-la-Neige is the market for people who like to know who made what they are buying. Now in its 31st edition, it is one of the largest Christmas markets in Wallonia, with up to 180 exhibitors in 85 chalets across a town that is entirely car-free. The Grand-Place is set among fir trees around a wood fire that burns throughout, ringed by decorated cable-car cabins where you can settle in with a glass of champagne, while Place de l’Université gathers makers and producers. Pop-up chalets change every three or four days, so a second visit always brings new finds.
| Field | Details |
| Opening Dates (2026) | 27 November – 20 December 2026 |
| Opening Hours | Mon–Thu 11:30–21:00; Fri 11:30–23:00; Sat 11:00–23:00; Sun 11:00–21:00 |
| Best Markets to Visit & Location | Grand-Place – crafts and regional produce around the wood fire; Place de l’Université – makers and producers
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| What to Eat & Drink | Champagne, mulled wine, croustillons, gingerbread |
| Nearby Places to Stay | The car-free centre, or Ottignies (main-line station) |
| What to Buy / Gift Items | One-off pieces from pop-up makers |
Insider Tip: Check the participants page before you go to see which pop-up makers are in when. Non-food chalets close an hour before the bars, so do your shopping first and linger by the fire afterwards.
Read Also: Best Christmas Markets in the World | Christmas markets in France
Christmas markets in Europe | Know all about Brussels Christmas Markets
Complete guide to Bruges Christmas Markets | Best Christmas markets in Germany
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which is the biggest Christmas market in Belgium?
Brussels Winter Wonders is the largest, with more than 200 chalets and over 4.3 million visits in 2025. Liège’s Village de Noël, which its organisers describe as the oldest, has 38 years of history.
What is the most Christmassy place in Belgium?
Bruges is often called Belgium’s most Christmassy city. Its UNESCO-listed medieval centre hosts two Christmas markets, on the Markt and Simon Stevinplein, from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with an ice rink in King Albert I Park, near the Minnewater.
When do Belgian Christmas markets open in 2026?
Hasselt’s Winterland opens first, on 13 November 2026. Bruges and Durbuy follow on 20 November, Brussels, Liège and Louvain-la-Neuve on 27 November, and Ghent, Leuven and Antwerp in the first week of December.
Which Belgian Christmas markets stay open after Christmas?
Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Hasselt and Durbuy all run until 3 January 2027, and Ostend into early January. Liège’s village closes on 30 December, with skating until 2 January. Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve finish on 20 December.
Can you visit several Belgian Christmas markets in one trip?
Yes. Belgium is compact and well served by trains. Brussels makes a good base: Leuven is about 30 minutes away and Liège around an hour, so two markets in one weekend is very manageable.
