Valkenburg Christmas Market

When is Valkenburg Christmas Market 2026/27?

Valkenburg Christmas Market 2026/27 runs November 13 to January 3, 2027.

How the dates are set: The organizers announce the Christmas Town dates each year; recent runs start in mid-November and end in early January.

See every event in November 2026

Source: christmastownvalkenburg.com

Valkenburg Christmas Market schedule

• November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027: Valkenburg is transformed into Christmas Town.
• In 2025: The underground Christmas market in the Castle Ruins and Velvet Cave could be visited from 14 November up to and including 30 December.
• Above ground: Santa's Village is a small area of classic wooden stalls that one visitor found free to enter.

Sources: christmastownvalkenburg.com, kasteelvalkenburg.nl, jessicalynnwrites.com

Getting to Valkenburg Christmas Market

• Valkenburg is about two hours south of Amsterdam and an hour directly west of Cologne, in South Limburg. It is reachable by train or car, and it is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the train station to the cathedral.
• One visitor parked at Walramplein, 6301 DD Valkenburg, a 5-minute walk from the caves, and paid 5 euros for about 3 hours.
• The Maastricht or Aachen Christmas market pairs well with Valkenburg on the same day. A castle Christmas market in Germany is about 30 minutes away.

Source: jessicalynnwrites.com

Where to stay in Valkenburg

• The organizers advise booking a stay in Valkenburg in advance.

Source: christmastownvalkenburg.com

Tickets and cost

The Municipal Cave market lists adult prices of €9.00 Monday to Thursday and €11.00 Friday to Sunday.

Source: christmastownvalkenburg.com

History of Valkenburg Christmas Market

In 2025, Christmas Town Valkenburg received the award for Best Christmas Parade in Europe and Best Christmas Market in the Netherlands, and placed 7th in the competition for European's Best Christmas Market.

Source: christmastownvalkenburg.com

Valkenburg Christmas Market: questions people ask

Sources: christmastownvalkenburg.com, kasteelvalkenburg.nl, jessicalynnwrites.com, christmastownvalkenburg.com

About Valkenburg Christmas Market

A Christmas market inside marlstone caves in South Limburg, billed as Europe's largest underground market.

Valkenburg turns into Christmas Town for about seven weeks, with two cave markets (the Municipal Cave and the Velvet Cave) plus a free Santa's Village above ground. The caves are the draw and the town is easy to cover on foot. The catch is that cave entry is ticketed, and the food and craft choice is smaller than at the big German markets.

Know before you go

• Wear sturdy shoes: the cave markets are underground and cool.
• Parking is limited near the caves, so the train (a 10 to 15 minute walk from the station to the cathedral) is a simple option.
• Valkenburg is about two hours south of Amsterdam and an hour west of Cologne, by train or car.

• Every November to DecemberStrasbourg Christmas MarketStrasbourg, Alsace
• Every November to JanuaryInnsbruck Christmas MarketsInnsbruck, Tyrol
• Every November to DecemberWinchester Christmas MarketWinchester, Hampshire
• Every November to JanuaryBruges Christmas MarketBruges, West Flanders
• Every November to DecemberChester Christmas MarketChester, Cheshire
• Every November to DecemberStuttgart Christmas MarketStuttgart, Baden-Württemberg
• Every November to JanuaryRiga Christmas MarketRiga, Latvia
• Every November to DecemberDresden StriezelmarktDresden, Saxony
• Every November to DecemberGalway Christmas MarketGalway, Connacht
• Every November to DecemberColmar Christmas MarketsColmar, Alsace
• Every November to DecemberMunich Christmas MarketsMunich, Bavaria
• Every November to JanuarySalzburg ChristkindlmarktSalzburg, Austria