Where to Find the Most Festive Christmas Markets and Events in Utrecht

While the Netherlands isn’t known for its Christmas markets in the same way as neighbouring Germany is, they do have some spread out around the country, which I have previously written about here. Amsterdam has a few Christmas markets and some other cities also have one or two, while the beautiful city of Utrecht also has at least four. I recently visited on the weekend that three markets were on so I can now tell you all about the markets and other festive events in Utrecht, so let’s get started!

Christmas Markets and Events in Utrecht

The city of Utrecht is located in the province of Utrecht, which is inland from Amsterdam and can be easily reached from there in about 26 minutes via train. I’ve previously written about all the best things to see and do in Utrecht at any time, but today I’m just going to focus on the main Christmas markets and other Christmassy events held in Utrecht. Most of the markets in Utrecht are only held over a weekend in December (or November), rather than being open for weeks at a time, but they’re quite cute and cosy (or gezellig!) and worth visiting if you happen to be in the Netherlands at the right time.

Advent Market in the Domhof

This is actually the one market I haven’t yet attended for myself, as it was held on a different weekend to the next three and I was unable to go this year – but I’m hoping to go next year! Pandhof van de Dom is the beautiful cloister garden of the Domkerk (St Martin’s Cathedral) which hosts a small Advent market on a Saturday. This year it was held on November 30th but I will update this post with the next year’s date as soon as it’s available.

While this market would definitely be small as it’s held in a small space it sounds delightful, with stalls selling gifts along with mulled wine and sweet treats. It takes place between 3:30pm and 5:30pm, with a ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree in the garden, followed by the ringing of the church’s bells to ring in Advent. Find out more information about it here.

Molen De Ster Wintermarkt

The next three markets were all held on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of December this year, in three different parts of the city. The first one I visited was the Wintermarkt at Molen de Ster, a traditional 18th-century windmill that’s a short walk from Utrecht Centraal Station.

Molen de Ster is usually open on Saturdays for guided tours, while the onsite café is open Friday to Sunday and there are some cute farmyard animals on the grounds for children to pet. They also host some small markets throughout the year and live music during the summer. I attended their Christmas market and found it to be very cute.

There were about 45 different stalls selling gifts, as well as stalls for poffertjes (tiny Dutch pancakes), hot chocolate, mulled wine and soups. The stalls were spread out around the main courtyard in front of the mill and some were also inside the mill as well. I saw lots of lovely gift ideas and even bought myself a set of cat Christmas cards from a local Dutch artist to send next year.

There were a lot of families with small children here and it would make a great festive outing if you wanted to bring your own children to listen to music, have some yummy food and drink, pat some animals and buy Christmas gifts. You can find more information about the Christmas market (and the windmill) here.

Xmas Swan

The Christmas edition of the regular Swan Market was held this year on Vredenburg, a square which is directly outside the Hoog Catharijne Mall if you go through it from the train station to the other side. I think in past years it may have taken place at different locations, but I’ll make sure to check each year and update this post.

This market wasn’t as busy as the other two, but that also meant you could peruse the stalls without lots of other people in the way. I saw some lovely edible-looking candles and other cute gift ideas. It’s probably not as busy since it’s right next to a massive mall, so people probably go shopping in the shops inside instead of at the market, but I do think it’s worth a visit.

This Christmas market would definitely also be the best for meeting up with friends for drinks or food as they had a large selection of food stalls that smelled amazing! There was also a little bar and a bouncy house for kids to enjoy. You can see more about Swan market dates here.

Twijnstraat & de Kerst Markt

The third market I visited is also the one that’s located furthest away from the train station, on a street called Twijnstraat that’s lined with lovely stores and cafés. Twijnstraat en de Markt is another regular local market that gets a special festive makeover for Christmas. It also seems to be very popular with locals as it was by far the busiest market of the day.

The foot traffic was moving at a snail’s pace along the street, but the shops and cafés looked like inviting spots to escape the cold. There were plenty of stalls selling gifts along with food and warm drinks. Apparently there were also live music acts throughout the day, including carollers, but I didn’t encounter any while I was there.

Unlike the other two markets, Twijnstraat en de Kerst Markt only takes place on the Sunday, rather than the whole weekend, which also may have been why it was so busy. I left before it got dark but while looking at their Facebook page (they don’t have a website) I saw some night-time photos that looked very cosy with the twinkling lights.

The couple below were playing their violins on the street for people to enjoy as they browsed.

The highlight of this market was definitely the festive stilt-walkers, who were accompanied by a woman not on stilts who was handing out candy or chocolates to passersby!

Other Christmas/Winter Activities in Utrecht

Aside from those Christmas markets, there are some other festive/Christmassy events and places to check out in Utrecht if you’re looking for a bit more magic! On Jaarbeursplein (which you will pass if you’re going to Molen de Ster from the train station) there’s a skating rink called U on Ice, which is free and open from December 3rd until the 22nd. There’s also a small café within this covered ice-skating rink, while next door is a colourful oliebollen stand (the photo at the beginning of this guide) for you to have some tasty deep-fried balls of dough, which are a delicious Dutch staple during the colder months.

For children and train enthusiasts, the Spoorwegmuseum (National Railway Museum) is transformed into the Winter Station, with a skating rink around some of the old steam engines, festive decorations and plenty of delicious warming treats to enjoy. The Winter Station is open from December 21st until January 5th and is even open (with slightly adjusted hours) on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, so it would be a fun activity during the Christmas break.

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Have you visited any cool Christmas markets or festive events in Utrecht that I’ve left off this list? Let me know in the comments or pin one of these if you’re planning your own Christmas visit to Utrecht!