The Maastricht Christmas Market is without a doubt the loveliest and most fun Christmas market in the Netherlands. The city itself is also worth visiting but if you want to experience an amazing Christmas market, you should for sure visit Maastricht during Christmas.
Magical Maastricht, as the name is of the Christmas village, will bring you in the perfect mood for the holidays. Unlike most Christmas markets in Germany, which end before Christmas Day, the Christmas market in Maastricht is open until the end of December. This makes it a perfect destination for some winter fun during the winter break.
Read more:
➱ What to see and do in Maastricht if you are visiting for a day
➱ 5 affordable castle hotels near Maastricht
➱ How to visit the Valkenburg Christmas Market
➱ Best Christmas Markets and Winter Festivals in the Netherlands
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Maastricht Christmas Market 2026 Dates
The 2026 edition of Magical Maastricht is taking place from 27 November till 27 December.
How to Get to Maastricht
Maastricht is easily accessible as it’s the biggest most southern city in the Netherlands. It has its own airport, but it’s used mostly for summer charters, so this won’t help for the winter. Other nearest airports are the low-cost hub Eindhoven (95 km), Schiphol near Amsterdam (210 km), Charleroi (115 km) in Belgium, and the Cologne airport (115 km) in Germany. Some distances:
- Amsterdam – Maastricht: 215 km
- Brussels – Maastricht: 120 km
- Cologne – Maastricht: 100 km
- Dusseldorf – Maastricht: 110 km
- Luxembourg City – Maastricht: 180 km
- Paris – Maastricht: 400 km
Pro tip: Buy your train tickets online with the Dutch Railways (NS) for hassle-free travel. On the website of NS you can also check for any discounts.
Tip: Read this post about using the public transport in the Netherlands. It’s packed with tips that only a local knows!
For those who are arriving by car, the city center of Maastricht is car-free. You can park in one of the following parking places: Sphinxterrein, Frontenpark, Q-Park Bonnefantenmuseum (I prefer one of these three places), Q-Park Mosae Forum, or Q-Park Hoogfrankrijk. It takes about 5-10 minutes to walk to Vrijthof Square.
On the map below you can see the locations of the parking places, the train station and the square, where the Christmas market is held.
Where is the Maastricht Christmas Market Held?
The Christmas market is held on the famous Vrijthof square – the perfect setting for any Christmas market with the lovely St. John’s Church and St. Servatius Basilica as a backdrop. Actually the full name of the Christmas market is Magical Maastricht on Vrijthof (Magisch Maastricht op het Vrijthof). Vrijthof is perhaps the most iconic square in the city, lined up with the two beautiful churches on one side and lots of cafes and restaurants on the opposite side. It is the place to be when you visit Maastricht.
Practical Info About the Christmas Market
The Maastricht Christmas market Magical Maastricht on Vrijthof is held annually between the end of November and the end of December.
The dates for 2026 are 27 November-28 December. The market is open daily:
- Sunday – Thursday – from 10:00 to 00:00
- Friday – Saturday – from 10:00 to 1:00
- 27/11 – 12:00 – 01:00
- 24/12 – 10:00 – 18:00
- 25/12 – 11:00 – 18:00
- 26/12 – 11:00 – 01:00
The non-food stalls close daily at 10:00 pm and the attractions at 11:00 pm.
There’s no entry fee for the Christmas village, but you need to pay for some of the attractions. You can buy the tickets at place or online. Online sale starts on 1 October.
At Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof, you pay using the Magical Cash Card, which costs €1. You can top it up with credits at one of the cash desks or directly from your phone by scanning the QR code on the card. This saves you from having to queue every time you need more credit. In 2026, one credit costs €3.50. If you still have a Magical Cash Card from 2025, you can reuse it, so there’s no need to buy a new one.
If you have unused credits at the end of your visit, you can request a refund until 7 January 2027. Keep in mind that there’s an administration fee of one credit (€3.50) for processing the refund.
Magical Maastricht Attractions
Ferris Wheel
The most famous attraction at the market is the gigantic, 45 m high, Ferris wheel. From the top of the Ferris wheel there’s a breathtaking view over the Christmas village and the city. My advice is to go in the Ferris wheel when it starts getting dark. The Christmas lights are simply magical from above. In 2022 they have introduced a Ferris with closed cabins, which is more comfortable compared with the old one, but the pictures made from above aren’t that nice.
A ticket for the Ferris wheel costs 8 EUR for adults and 6 EUR for kids under 12 yoa.
Skating Rink
Another super fun thing to do at the Christmas market is skating. It doesn’t matter if you can skate or not. This is the moment to try it and have fun! You don’t need to bring skates with you, although you can. There are skates for rent at the rink.
The fun part about the skating rink is that in the middle there is a replica of the Saint Servatius Bridge, so you can watch the skaters from above, if you don’t want to skate.
A ticket for the skating rink costs 6 EUR for adults and 4,50 EUR for kids under 12 yoa.
Curling Rink
This attraction has been introduced in 2022 and is super fun if you are visiting the Maastricht Christmas Market with a group of friends or with your family.
Tip: Book your tickets online in advance if you want to use the curling rink.
Winter Slide
If you are visiting with kids, there’s also a gigantic slide. Well, the slide is not only for kids, though.
Attractions for Kids
Kids would also love the House of Santa. There’s also a Christmas train and a merry-go-round. The merry-go-round costs 3,50 EUR.
Most of the attractions, like the slide, the skating rink, the shopping paradise are covered. So if it is raining, which does quite often in winter in the Netherlands, you can still do some fun things without getting completely soaked.
Shopping at the Christmas Market in Maastricht
The Maastricht Christmas Market is also the perfect place to buy Christmas decorations, ornaments and small presents for family and friends. There’s a covered market – Magic Christmas World, that’s just like the Christmas version of the Ali Baba’s cave.
Food and Drinks at the Christmas Market
When at the Christmas market you should try poffertjes – miniature pancakes served with butter and dusted with sugar. There’s a great variety of Belgian waffles freshly baked at place. The smell that comes from the Belgian waffles stall is simply irresistible!
Another Dutch treat that you have to try at the Christmas market is the oliebol. Oliebollen (plural for oliebol) are a type of deep fried dough balls and are typical for the holiday season. They are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve, but you can find them on the dedicated stalls throughout December all over Netherlands.
There’s lots of German influences at the Maastricht Christmas market. You can try the traditional German bratwurst (grilled sausage), reibekuchen (potato pancake) and baked champignons.
Friet (French fries) are found everywhere at the market with the whole variety of Dutch toppings: curry ketchup, mayo, onions, peanut butter sauce…
The almighty mulled wine is also present, but people mostly tend to drink beer. You should try the Dutch hot chocolate with whipped cream (warme chocomel met slagroom)! It’s absolutely yam!
For those who love fish there are also lots of fish snacks, which is not quite popular for a Christmas market, but in Maastricht you can have the typical Dutch kibbeling (battered deep-fried chunks of fish) and even smoked salmon, which is being smoked at place.
Magical Winter Walking Tour
If you’d like to discover a little more of Maastricht beyond the Christmas market, why not join a guided winter walking tour? This two-hour walk starts at the historic Dinghuis, where you’ll enjoy a warm drink and something sweet before setting off. Your guide takes you through the charming streets of the Jekerkwartier, sharing stories about Maastricht’s history and the people who lived here. The tour ends at the Christmas market on Vrijthof, so you can continue enjoying the festivities afterwards.
Good to know: The tour is currently offered in Dutch and German, not English. The welcome drink includes a choice of coffee, tea or non-alcoholic mulled wine.
Final words
Christmas in Maastricht is magical! During the winter season, the whole city of Maastricht is festively decorated, which makes it the perfect destination to get into the Christmas mood. Besides for the Christmas Market, Maastricht is also popular among the locals as a shopping destination and the Dutch love to spend the weekend in this beautiful southern city.
Do you need some extra help to plan your trip to the Netherlands? Join the dedicated Exploring the Netherlands Facebook Group, where you can get tips from other travellers and locals. Or perhaps you have questions or comments? Join the group and I’ll be happy to answer them.
