If you’re looking for festive charm in Switzerland, then Basel Christmas Market is one of the best places to find it. Held in the city’s beautifully decorated Old Town, it’s a cosy mix of twinkling lights, wooden stalls, and the irresistible scent of mulled wine. Whether you’re here for a weekend city break or passing through on a Rhine trip, making time to visit Basel Christmas Market is a must.
We had a day to visit the Basel Christmas Market, whilst spending Christmas just across the border in Germany. It rained the entire time (every time we have visited Switzerland in fact). But it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits or our experience of Basel’s Christmas Market. Regardless of the weather, there is something for everyone, and it makes for a fabulously-festive day out! Here’s our guide on how to visit the Christmas Market in Basel and some helpful hints and tips!
Hints and Tips to Visit Basel Christmas Market
To me, there is no better, more magical, more festive place at Christmas-time than Germany. But Basel certainly gives Germany a good run for its money. The city of Basel itself is beautiful – situated picturesquely along the Rhine River. It’s lined with a combination of historic medieval and Swiss-designed buildings, which are even more eye-catching against the city’s Christmas decorations and trees.
Unlike some Christmas Markets (such as Ravennaschlucht Weihnachtsmarkt in Germany) there is no fee to enter Basel’s Christmas Market, nor do you need any tickets to attend. There is no time restriction, and you can spend as long as you like visiting the various stalls and sampling all the delightful treats on offer!
The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF) not Euro’s as many believe. Should you be planning to visit Basel Christmas Market from a bordering country, make sure to have some Swiss Francs with you.
Some stands accept card, but we found that most would only accept cash. However, there are plenty of ATM’s around the city / within the area of the Christmas Markets. If you need to withdraw cash, it’s worth checking in advance that you won’t be charged by your bank.
Basel borders Germany and France, so you will find that people speak either of these languages. Although German tends to be the more dominant language in this part of Switzerland. However, most people also speak English if you get stuck!
When to Visit Basel Christmas Market?
There are two main areas that the Basel Christmas Market takes place. One in Münsterplatz and the second in Barfüsserplatz.
This year, the market will take place daily from 27 November 2025 to 23 December 2025, from 11am – 8:30pm. On 23 December, the market on Münsterplatz will close at 6pm, and the market on Barfüsserplatz will close at 8pm.
It’s worth noting that the market gets really busy on the weekends, especially as the approach to Christmas gets closer. If you’d like a quieter experience, we suggest going during the week. We visited during the day, on the very last day before Christmas, and the market was pretty quiet. It still felt super festive, but the stalls weren’t rammed and we didn’t have to queue for food and drink, which was handy in the rain!
What You Can Expect
The Christmas Market in Basel takes place in the city’s old town, on Münsterplatz and Barfüsserplatz – doubling your chances of festive cheer and atmosphere! The entire market is beautifully decorated, with festive lights, ornaments and Christmas trees. It’s the perfect way to start your Christmas countdown!
Due to its proximity to the German border, the market offers a unique blend of Swiss-German traditions and culinary delights! You can expect Swiss chocolate, raclette and melted cheese galore(!) plus gingerbread cookies and warm cups of Glühwein. There’s also hot chocolate and non-alcoholic cider on offer too!
Barfüsserplatz
The busiest and most popular part of the Christmas Market takes place on Barfüsserplatz. This is next to the city’s Historical Museum and located at the city’s main transport hub, making it super easy to get to.
Perhaps more iconic to the market on Barfüsserplatz is its towering festive pyramid. At 13 meters in height it’s designed to look like a traditional ‘Erzgebirge Christmas Pyramid’. When we visited, our first order of business was to buy a hot mug of Glühwein from the bar here. Oli drove us, so he indulged in some delicious kinderpunsch (the non-alcoholic cider). From here you can sip away to your hearts content and explore the many stalls selling gifts and hot food.
You will need to pay a small deposit for the mug when ordering any Glühwein. When you’ve finished, return the mug to get your deposit back. Or (like us) you can forfeit your deposit and keep the mug as a souvenir! We often nose around the various Glühwein stalls and decide which mugs we like best first.
We found Barfüsserplatz to have more snacks and hot food options available. So if you’re planning to experience all the goodies that Basel Christmas Market has to offer, this is the place to be!
Münsterplatz
The market in Münsterplatz is a couple minutes walk from Barfüsserplatz. It takes place next to the city’s cathedral – probably Basel’s most famous landmark, with its distinctive red brick and two towering spires. Nestled amongst the city’s trees, this is the perfect setting for this smaller, but equally festive market.
While Barfüsserplatz features more food & drink stalls (although there are gifts and souvenir stalls), Münsterplatz is the place to go for Christmas Market shopping. Here you’ll find stall upon stall of unique gifts, from clothing, scarfs and gloves, to candles, ceramics, and Christmas decorations.
What Else is There to do at Basel Christmas Market?
Basel offers more than just the Christmas Market in the run-up to the holidays! Why not try St Martin’s Tower, or make a wish in the Basel Wish Book?
Festive Views from Basel Cathedral
During the advent period (beginning on the Sunday closest to November 30 and ending on December 24, Christmas Eve), St Martin’s Tower stairwell is illuminated from 4pm-6pm, Monday to Friday. You can climb up the stairwell to the top of the Cathedral for a beautiful view across Basel’s old town for a unique view of the twinkling Christmas Market below you. Admission to the tower is CHF 6 and last entry is 30 minutes before closing time.
Basel Wish Book
Located in Basel City Hall and a staple in Basel’s annual Christmas traditions, the Basel Wish Book is a place for locals, tourists, adults and kids, to write down their advent wishes, wish lists for Santa, or their hopes and dreams for the year to come. It’s a simple, but fun way to get involved in the local traditions, focus on what you’re thankful for and what you want from the year ahead.
Get in touch!
A trip to a Christmas Market is always a fun experience, but we hope our post about visiting Basel Christmas Market will mean your trip is one to remember! As always, if you have any questions, please drop us something in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you!
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How to Visit Basel Christmas Market
