Differdange Christmas Market

In the south-west of Luxembourg, half an hour’s drive from Thionville, the Differdange Christmas market takes place on the Place du Marché (Maartplaz), in the pedestrian zone of the town centre. The town presents it as “the oldest Christmas market in Luxembourg”: the Déifferdenger Chrëschtmaart was born in 1977, celebrated its 48th edition in 2025 and holds its 49th from Friday 27 November to Sunday 20 December 2026. More than thirty chalets, a large ice rink, a carousel with free rides and a Saint Nicholas procession make it an Advent outing for families in the area, with one thing to know before you set off: in 2025, the market was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The Place du Marché and the Differdange Christmas market

The official 2025 leaflet lists more than thirty chalets on the Maartplaz, split between decorations, crafts, drinks and food. The square sits at the centre of the pedestrian zone, so you can walk around the chalets without meeting a car. Concerts are given on the square every weekend, and the official opening in 2025 took place on Friday 5 December at 6.30pm.

Its age is part of the market’s identity. The town claims a first edition in 1977, which would make it the oldest in the country by its own account, and has counted the editions ever since: the 48th in 2025. For 2026, the municipality has launched its call for exhibitors and set the calendar for the 49th edition: from Friday 27 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, almost four weeks in the pedestrian zone, with a large ice rink, free concerts, a curling lane and the carousel.

Ice rink, Golden Lady carousel and curling in the pedestrian zone

The Chrëschtmaart adds a series of free or almost free attractions to the market itself. In 2025, a synthetic ice rink of 175 m², with no real ice, was set up in the pedestrian zone from 5 to 21 December, open from 2pm to 7.30pm, until 9.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays like the rest of the market. The town explains the choice through its Net Zero Déifferdeng 2030 programme: a rink that uses no energy for refrigeration. For 2026, the announcement promises “a large ice rink set up in the heart of the pedestrian zone”, without giving its size. The “Golden Lady” carousel turns with free rides offered by the town, and a “funspiel” hosts games of Eisstockschiessen, Bavarian curling.

The 2025 calendar gave the rhythm of a typical edition. The Saint Nicholas procession reached the Place du Marché on 6 December at 2pm; in 2026, it comes through on 5 December, with the starting point and time still to be published. The Déifferdenger Chrëschtlaf, the Christmas fun run created in 2004, held its 19th edition on 14 December. On 12, 13 and 14 December, the Parc Gerlache hosted “Tipi Time”: two DJ evenings and a family day with brunch under a tipi. The 2026 programme will appear on differdange.lu.

Dates, opening hours and closing days

The 49th edition runs from Friday 27 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, almost four weeks, with Saint Nicholas visiting on 5 December. Entry is free. The 2026 opening hours have not yet been published; in 2025, the market opened from 2pm to 8pm, with late openings on Fridays and Saturdays until 10pm, and the food stalls served from midday. That year, everything closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, chalets and ice rink included: check the 2026 opening days on differdange.lu before hitting the road.

A cup of mulled wine cost €3 in 2025. To place Luxembourg’s Glühwäin among Europe’s other recipes, from Alsatian white wine to Nordic glögg, read mulled wine and its variants.

• Where: Place du Marché (Maartplaz), pedestrian zone of the town centre, L-4621 Differdange; Tipi Time in the Parc Gerlache.
• When: from Friday 27 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, 49th edition; in 2025, from 5 to 21 December.
• 2025 opening hours: 2pm to 8pm, until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, food from midday; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. 2026 hours to be published.
• 2025 ice rink: synthetic, 175 m², 2pm to 7.30pm, until 9.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Prices: free entry; in 2025, mulled wine €3 a cup and free carousel, ice rink price not published by the town.

Getting to Differdange from France

By train, Luxembourg station is served by the Paris, Metz, Thionville, Luxembourg TGVs, then CFL line 60 reaches Differdange with RB and RE trains. The CFL blog lists the Differdange Chrëschtmaart among the markets “reachable by train”. The station is not on the Place du Marché: allow for a walk from the Oberkorn district, where it stands, to the centre. Public transport has been free throughout Luxembourg since 29 February 2020, train, bus and tram, with no ticket needed: only the French part of the journey has to be paid for.

By car, allow about 3h56 from Paris (336 km, without traffic), 54 minutes from Metz (70 km) and 34 minutes from Thionville (43 km).

Differdange, Esch and Luxembourg City on the same line

Line 60 links the towns of the Terres Rouges, the Red Lands. The Esch-sur-Alzette Christmas market, on the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, opened as early as mid-November in 2025 and can be seen in the same half-day. At the end of the line, the Luxembourg Christmas market occupies several squares of the capital; its Wantermaart on the Place de la Constitution has no connection with Differdange, despite the similar-sounding names. The Thionville Christmas market can be visited on the way back to France.