The Bressanone Christmas market (Brixner Weihnachtsmarkt) opens on Thursday 26 November 2026 and runs until Wednesday 6 January 2027 on Cathedral Square (Piazza Duomo/Domplatz) in the middle of Brixen. It celebrates its 35th year in 2026, with 44 wooden stalls and 28 exhibitors selling regional products, local food and handmade gifts. It’s smaller than the markets in Bolzano and Merano, so you can see all of it in an hour and spend the rest of the day in the old town.
Coming by train? Leave your bags near Bressanone station and walk up to Cathedral Square in about ten minutes.
Bressanone Christmas Market 2026: Key Facts
| Dates | Thursday 26 November 2026 – Wednesday 6 January 2027 |
| Opening day | 26 November, stalls open from 16:00 |
| Closed | 25 December |
| Stall hours | Mon–Thu 11:00–19:00, Fri–Sun and holidays 10:00–19:00 |
| Food and drink stalls | Mon–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri–Sun and holidays 10:00–21:00 |
| Location | Cathedral Square (Piazza Duomo/Domplatz), Bressanone/Brixen |
| Stalls | 44 stalls, 28 exhibitors |
| Entry | Free |
| Nearest station | Bressanone/Brixen, about 10 minutes’ walk |
Opening Hours and Special Days
| Day | Stalls | Food and drink |
|---|---|---|
| Monday – Thursday | 11:00–19:00 | 11:00–21:00 |
| Friday – Sunday and holidays | 10:00–19:00 | 10:00–21:00 |
| Thursday 26 November (opening) | From 16:00 | From 16:00 |
| 5, 12, 19 and 23 December | Usual hours | Until 22:00 |
| 7 December | Usual hours | 10:00–21:00 |
| 8 December (holiday) | 10:00–19:00 | 10:00–21:00 |
| 24 December | 10:00–16:00 | 10:00–17:30 |
| 25 December | Closed | Closed |
| 31 December | 10:00–16:00 | 10:00–17:30 and 21:00–02:00 |
| 1 January | 12:00–19:00 | 12:00–21:00 |
| 6 January (last day) | 10:00–18:00 | 10:00–18:00 |
These are the 2026 times on the South Tyrol tourism event page. The listing shows slightly different times for 24 and 31 December in different places, so check again before you go on those days. The late opening on New Year’s Eve, from 21:00 until 02:00, is for the food and drink stalls only.
Where the Market Is
All the stalls stand on Cathedral Square, the open square in front of Brixen’s cathedral in the old town. The whole market is in one place, so there’s no need to plan a route between squares. The organisers run it as a Green Event, with a focus on regional producers, careful use of resources and getting there by public transport.
The streets around the square, with their arcades and shops, are worth a wander before or after the market, and the Hofburg, the former prince-bishops’ palace, is right next to the cathedral.
What to Eat and Buy at the Bressanone Christmas Market
The stalls focus on regional products: local food specialities, Christmas decorations and handmade gifts. The food and drink stalls stay open two hours longer than the craft stalls, and until 22:00 on 5, 12, 19 and 23 December, so an evening visit works well if you’re mainly there for mulled wine and something warm to eat.
Because the market is compact, it’s a good place to buy presents without fighting through crowds. Weekday afternoons are the quietest time.
Things to Do in Brixen in December
- The cathedral and cloister on the market square, the main sight of the old town.
- The Hofburg, the bishops’ palace next door, now a museum.
- Skiing on the Plose, Brixen’s own mountain, once the ski season starts.
- Another market the same day: Bolzano is 30 minutes south by train.
Getting to the Bressanone Christmas Market
| From | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bressanone station | Walk north into the old town to Cathedral Square | About 10 min |
| Bolzano | Regional train | About 30 min |
| Innsbruck | Train over the Brenner Pass | About 1h30 |
| Trento | Regional train | About 1h15 |
| Merano | Train, changing in Bolzano | About 1h15 |
| By car | Car parks around the old town; the centre is pedestrian | Varies |
Brixen is on the Brenner railway, so the Bressanone Christmas market fits neatly into a trip between Innsbruck and Bolzano. Stop for a few hours, then carry on to the next market by train.
Other Christmas Markets Nearby
- Bolzano’s market in Piazza Walther is the biggest in South Tyrol, with about 120 chalets.
- Merano’s market by the Passer river has an ice rink next to the thermal baths.
- Trento’s market in Piazza Fiera opens first, on 20 November.
- Innsbruck’s markets are across the Brenner Pass in Austria.
For more ideas, read our guide to Italy’s best Christmas markets.
Luggage Storage in Bressanone
Many visitors stop at the Bressanone Christmas market on the way between Innsbruck and Bolzano, or on the day they leave a ski hotel. A suitcase on the cobbles of the old town is awkward, and the market square is small enough that bags get in everyone’s way.
Radical Storage has several partner shops near Bressanone station and one near the Forum, close to the old town. Book online in a minute, drop your bags and collect them before your train. Every bag is protected up to €10,000, cancellation is free and travellers rate the service 4.8/5.
- Luggage storage near Bressanone station for train stopovers.
- Luggage storage near Cathedral Square, closest to the market.
Bressanone Christmas Market FAQ
The Bressanone Christmas market runs from Thursday 26 November 2026 to Wednesday 6 January 2027 on Cathedral Square. It is closed on 25 December.
Craft stalls open 11:00–19:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00–19:00 Friday to Sunday and on holidays. Food and drink stalls stay open until 21:00. On 24 and 31 December the stalls close at 16:00.
Yes. Bressanone is the Italian name and Brixen the German name of the same town in South Tyrol. Signs, timetables and websites use both.
It has 44 stalls with 28 exhibitors, all on Cathedral Square. You can walk around the whole market in under an hour.
Regional trains run from Bolzano to Bressanone in about 30 minutes. From Bressanone station it is about a 10-minute walk to Cathedral Square.
Radical Storage has partner locations near Bressanone station and near the Forum, close to the old town. Book online, drop your bags at a verified local business and collect them later, with protection up to €10,000 per bag.
