The Antwerp Christmas Market
From 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, Antwerp puts its winter market across the oldest part of the city. Not one square but a route: the Grote Markt, the Handschoenmarkt under the cathedral, the Suikerrui and down to the Steenplein on the river. Winter in Antwerpen draws around 1.5 million visitors and is the largest Christmas market in Flanders.
Here is how to do it without spending the evening in a queue.
What is actually there
The route, not the square
Most Christmas markets are one square you walk around twice. This one runs about a kilometre from the Grote Markt to the water, which means it absorbs a crowd instead of concentrating it. Start at the cathedral end and walk towards the Scheldt; the river at the far end is the reward.
The ice rink
A 1,200 square metre rink with a bar attached, which is a larger rink than most cities manage. Skate hire is on site. Weekday afternoons are the only time you will get a clear lap.
The lights
The city hangs the whole route, and the Grote Markt with the guild houses lit is the photograph people come for. It is better after dark than it sounds, and dark starts around half past four in December.
What to eat and drink
Belgian, mostly, and unapologetic about it. Waffles, fries with the sauce you are least used to, hot chocolate, gluhwein, and the sausage stands that appear nowhere else in the year.
When to go
The best time is a weekday between four and seven. The lights are on, the office crowd has not arrived yet, and you can walk the route at your own pace.
The worst time is Saturday afternoon. The second and third weekends of December are the busiest days of the Antwerp year, full stop.
Sunday morning is the quiet secret. The stalls open late morning and for the first hour the market belongs to whoever turned up.
Getting there and back
The market sits in the pedestrian zone, so the car is the wrong answer. Trams run to Groenplaats and Meir from all directions, and Antwerp Central Station is a fifteen minute walk or a short tram ride away.
The awkward part is the return. Between nine and eleven in the evening every tram towards the station is full. Two ways around it: walk the fifteen minutes, which is pleasant if you are dressed for it, or leave before nine.
What else is on in December
December is the month Antwerp is most itself. Art Antwerp takes over Antwerp Expo, the museums put on their winter programmes, and the shops on the Meir stay open late on the Sunday openings. If you are here for a weekend, the market is an evening, not a day.
Where to stay for the Christmas market
Hotels in the streets around the Grote Markt book out first and price accordingly. The alternative is to stay a few minutes out and walk in.
VIA Antwerp is a six minute walk from Antwerp Central Station in Zurenborg, the Art Nouveau district, which puts you one tram stop or a twenty minute walk from the market and well clear of the evening crush. Four stars, seven room types, and MEA downstairs for dinner before you go and a cocktail when you get back.
December fills up early here as everywhere else. If you know your dates, the availability check is the fastest way to see what is left.
Practical notes
Dates. 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Check antwerpen.be before you travel, because the end date shifts with the calendar.
Opening hours. Sunday to Thursday from 12.00 to 22.00, Friday and Saturday until midnight. On 24 and 31 December the market closes at 18.00, and it is closed on 1 January.
Cost. Walking the market is free. The ice rink and the food are not.
City tax. Antwerp charges 3.58 euro per person per night in 2026, paid at your hotel on arrival rather than in your online booking.
