Bruges Christmas Markets 2026: Map, Dates & What to Expect

The Bruges Christmas markets turn one of Europe’s most beautiful medieval cities into an especially magical place to visit during the holidays.

I visited Bruges last year over Christmas and New Year’s, so I experienced the Christmas markets, Winter Glow displays, festive squares, and holiday atmosphere firsthand.

If you’re planning to experience Christmas in Bruges, this guide covers everything you need to know, including 2026 dates, market locations, what to eat and drink, where to stay, and my tips for making the most of your visit.

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Is the Bruges Christmas Market Worth Visiting?

The Bruges Christmas Market is absolutely worth visiting. In fact, it is one of my favorite Christmas markets!

While the Bruges Christmas markets are smaller in size compared to Brussels or other markets in France or Germany, it makes up for it in character.

Walking around Bruges at any time of year feels like being in a fairytale, with its historic buildings, beautiful Flemish architecture, and charming canals. Now add Christmas lights and a festive holiday market… yeah it is 100% worth going to Bruges at Christmas.

Bruges Christmas Market Map 2026

Where Are the Christmas Markets in Bruges?

There are two Christmas Markets in Bruges: Markt Square and Simon Stevinplein Square Market.

Just to note, the Bruges Christmas Markets don’t have rides like some of the larger Belgium Markets (such as Brussels), but its incredibly charming and festive!

Markt Square Christmas Market

This is the main Christmas market in Bruges, located in the Markt square underneath the iconic Belfry Tower.

The Markt is a traditional European Christmas Market complete with stalls for things like small trinkets & ornaments, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and Christmas treats. Of course, there is always a Belgium Waffle market stall too!

The area surrounding the Markt is so charming & picturesque. Most of the restaurants put up festive lights, while many of the shops nearby decorate their windows with festive holiday scenes (similar to Christmas windows in Paris).

I highly, highly recommend visiting the Bruges Christmas Markt after dark, because it is so beautiful and festive with all of the holiday lights. So, spending at least 1 night in Bruges is an absolute must.

Simon Stevinplein Square Market

This is the smaller of the two Christmas Markets in Bruges, but its absolutely worth visiting.

This market focuses more on short chain and craft products, making it different from the Markt Square one. Last year, there was also a festive holiday carousel for kids.

What Is Winter Glow in Bruges?

Winter Glow is the larger winter festival in Bruges, part of this festival includes the Christmas markets.

The main attraction of the Winter Glow festival is the Winter Glow trail, which visitors can follow around the city of Bruges to see lit up art installations and festive lights.

Another highlight of Bruges Winter Glow is the Ice Skating Rink and the cozy ‘IJsgloed’ Winter Bar.

❗ Important: Brugge Winter Glow Festival runs from November 20, 2026 to February 14, 2027, but the Christmas markets do not run for the entire festival. They typically close around New Year’s.

Dates for the Bruges Christmas Markets 2026-2027

The Christmas Markets in Bruges typically stay open through New Years Day (or the Sunday after New Years). In 2026, the Bruges Christmas Markets closed on Sunday, January 4th.

Right now for 2027, the Bruges tourism board has not yet specified a closing date for the 2026-27 Bruges Christmas Markets. You can check for date updates here.

Best Things to Do in Bruges at Christmas

Markt Square Christmas Market

The main Christmas market in Bruges, in the central Grote Markt with views of the Belfry. It is such a charming market surrounded by Flemish architecture and cobblestone streets. It is especially festive at night when the area is lit up with holiday lights.

Simon Stevinplein Square Market

The smaller, yet very charming and festive market that focuses more of handmade crafts.

Winter Glow Trail

The Winter Glow Trail is a 3.5km trail around Bruges. It features various light installations and is a fun & festive way to walk around the city and admire the scenery.

Ice Rink

The Ice Rink is located along the Winter Glow Trail, at the King Albert I park. It’s family friendly, so a perfect thing to do in Bruges at Christmas with kids.

‘IJsgloed’ Winter Bar

Festive & cozy winter bar located right outside of the ice skating rink at the King Albert I Park. It reminded me a bit of an alpine ski lodge bar, but was also very festive with holiday lights. The bar offers a variety of drink and food options.

Christmas Shopping + Holiday Windows

Bruges is the perfect place for Christmas shopping, with many different types of stores from local artisan crafts to upscale boutiques.

The best shopping streets in Bruges are:

• Steenstraat – Busy main street with mainstream fashion and retail, gift shops
• Noordzandstraat – Beauty and clothing boutiques
• Wollestraat – Chocolate makers, gift shops
• Ezelstraat – Vintage finds, artisan workshops, local crafts

Many of the stores in Bruges also decorate their store windows with charming Christmas scenes (similar to the Christmas windows in Paris).

Canals + Christmas Lights

Of course you cannot visit Bruges without wandering around the beautiful canals (and maybe taking a canal boat tour). The canals, cobblestone streets, and historic architecture are one of the top reasons Bruges is worth visiting.

Bruges is even more beautiful at Christmas. Throughout the city, you will see festive Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and holiday decor.

Bruges is truly magical at Christmas.

Climb the Belfry

One of the most popular things to add to your Bruges itinerary is to climb the iconic Belfry Tower. Just keep in mind it is also a workout, with 366 steps to get up to the top!

Drink Belgian Beer at a Brewery or Pub

Belgium has the best beer, hands down. Although keep in mind this isn’t your typical domestic beer. A Belgium Triple can easily be about 9% ABV. If you aren’t a big beer drinker, it is still absolutely worth trying when in Belgium. I personally was a fan of the Kriek, which has a cherry flavor.

You can try Belgium beer at a brown café (historic tavern) or visit one of the local breweries like Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan or Bourgogne des Flandres.

There is also the Bruges Beer Experience if you want to learn more about the history of Belgium Beer.

What to Eat at Bruges Christmas Market

I seriously love Belgium food and the Christmas Markets are no different. Here are a few of the absolute must try foods at a Belgium Christmas Market:

Vin Chaud (Mulled Wine)

A hot, mulled wine is an absolute staple of European Christmas Markets. In fact, many Christmas Markets across Europe have Christmas mugs that you can collect to showcase different markets you have been to.

Mulled wine actually dates back to the Romans, who used to drink heated spiced wine to warm up as they marched across Europe.

Later, in the middle ages, mulled wine became a centerpiece of medieval feasts (especially because the spices made the wine sweeter and better tasting). Over time, hot wine became regularly associated with Christmas festivities.

Belgian Waffles

Of course you can’t go to Belgium without indulging on a Belgium Waffle. There are two primary types of Belgium Waffles: the Brussels Waffle and the Liège Waffle.

The rectangular Brussels Waffle is light & airy with deep pockets that are typically loaded with toppings. The Liège Waffle is round, dense, and chewy. It is usually eaten plain and warmed straight from a street vendor.

Hot Chocolate with Belgian Chocolate

Hot Chocolate is another must try drink at any Belgium Christmas Market. What makes this different is that Belgium is famous for their rich chocolate, and vendors at the markets typically use real chunks of Belgian chocolate mixed into hot milk.

There are also several highly-rated chocolate shops around Bruges where you can try Belgian chocolate or the rich hot cocoa.

Belgian Frites

Belgium Fries (Fries) are a thick, double fried french fry that is usually served with mayonnaise, truffle mayo, or spicy andalouse sauce. Its a perfect quick snack at the Christmas Markets, and soo delicious.

How to Get to the Bruges Christmas Markets

Getting to Bruges involves taking a local Belgium train, usually from Brussels, Antwerp, or sometimes Ghent. Luckily the local Belgium trains are usually very affordable.

Once you arrive to the Bruges train station, you can walk to your hotel or take a taxi. The city is very compact and walkable.

There is also a bus station in Bruges, which offers Flixbus connections to several direct connections to other cities.

Bruges from Paris

You can take a SNCF train to Brussels-Midi then transfer to a local Belgium train to Bruges. There is also an option of taking a Flixbus from Bruges to Paris, but its several hours so I don’t recommend it.

Money Saving Tip: If the train between Paris and Brussels is too expensive, take a TGV inOui train from Paris to Lille, France. It’s about an hour. Then, hop on a Flixbus from Lille to Bruges (about 1.5 hours).

We’ve done this twice now, and it saves money every time (and its easy). You won’t see this recommended as an option on most booking platforms simply because you need to book the bus ticket and train ticket separately, but it works.

Bruges from Brussels

Getting to Bruges from Brussels is easy, simply take a local Belgium Train (its about a 45 minute journey).

You can book on the Belgium train website, but the website sometimes is difficult to use and has issues loading. I usually just use Omio for booking all of my trains, that way everything is in one place and Omio is super easy to use. You can book your trains using Omio here.

👉 Book your Train Tickets to Bruges Here

Quick Tip: When booking a Belgium train, book 2nd class. 1st class isn’t that different, it is just sectioned off as you can see in the photo above. The glass with the 1* indicates 1st class, while 2nd class is the seats closest to the camera.

Getting to Bruges from Amsterdam

Take the Eurostar train from Amsterdam Centraal to either Antwerp or Brussels, than transfer to a local Belgium train. Note that Amsterdam has 2 train stations, so I recommend Centraal and not Zuid if you are staying in central Amsterdam.

I highly recommend stopping in Antwerp vs Brussels. The Antwerp train station is beautiful AND it has luggage storage. This makes it easy to store your bags and explore Antwerp for a couple of hours before heading on the local train to Bruges. We did this and it worked out great!

Where to Stay for the Bruges Christmas Market

There are many great places to stay in Bruges, but I want to highlight two hotels that I have personally stayed at and absolutely love. Either of these are perfect for where to stay for the Bruges Christmas Markets.

Hotel Navarra Brugge

This is an excellent choice of where to stay for Christmas in Bruges. It is only a few minutes walk from the Bruges Christmas Markets, making it an ideal location.

We stayed here during our most recent trip to Bruges during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and we definitely recommend staying here!

The hotel is absolutely stunning, and they decorate for Christmas giving it a festive atmosphere. The rooms are also very spacious and comfortable.

Another highlight of the hotel is that it has its own jazz bar and an indoor pool & sauna, which is super rare.

👉 Check Prices and Availability for Hotel Navarra Brugge

Dukes Academie Bruges

I also love this hotel. It’s been recently redone and is absolutely beautiful. I stayed here on my very first trip to Bruges and during an anniversary trip, and can highly recommend it.

Plus, it is an easy walk to the Bruges train station and a short walk to the center of Bruges where you will find the Christmas markets. The street is very charming and has plenty of nearby restaurants and shops.

👉 Check Prices and Availability for Dukes Academie Bruges

Best Time to Visit the Christmas Markets in Bruges

The Bruges Christmas Markets are generally open from late November to early January each year.

The best time to visit is typically earlier in December or on a week day if you want to avoid crowds. Keep in mind, some restaurants and museums tend to close on Mondays. Ideally, Wednesdays through Fridays would be a great time to visit to maximize what is open while having less crowds.

I also highly recommend spending atleast 1-2 nights in Bruges. The city is really beautiful at night during the Christmas season, and the Christmas markets are most magical after dark when the festive lights are all lit up.

If you visit on Christmas Day or New Years Day, please note that many restaurants will be closed (not all but more than usual). Due to this, I recommend making advanced dinner reservations for the following holidays: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day.

Is Bruges Crowded at Christmas?

Bruges can get crowded, it is a smaller town but has become quite popular in recent years. We recently spend New Years Eve + New Years Day in Bruges, and on NYE there definitely were crowds, but nothing like the crowds of bigger cities such as Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam.

I actually felt that the neighboring city of Ghent was more crowded than Bruges. One thing that helps is that many people just take a day trip to Bruges, so the crowds typically thin out more at night.

FAQs for Christmas in Bruges

The Wrap-Up: Christmas Markets in Bruges

The Bruges Christmas markets may not be the largest in Europe, but the medieval setting, festive lights, and cozy atmosphere make them incredibly special.

After spending Christmas and New Year’s in Bruges, I’d especially recommend it if you’re looking for a romantic winter city break rather than a massive Christmas market experience. Between wandering the decorated streets, stopping for Belgian waffles and hot chocolate, and seeing the city lit up for Winter Glow, Christmas in Bruges really does feel like stepping into a storybook.

If Bruges is already on your Belgium itinerary, visiting during the Christmas season makes an already beautiful city even more memorable.