Christmas season in Luxembourg: here»s what you need to know

On November 18, the Christmas season starts in Luxembourg. «Winterlights» will adorn the capital for 7 weeks. Read on to learn where to go in the city these days to truly feel the Christmas spirit.

Christmas markets

Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtmaart will open at place d’Armes. This is the most traditional of the traditional Christmas markets in Luxembourg. This year, 38 shops with holiday goods will participate.

Wantermaart will take place at the foot of the Gëlle Fra monument at place de la Constitution. 41 shops will be opened for visitors, as well as entertainment: a pyramid, a Ferris wheel and various attractions. And don’t forget cafes and restaurants with excellent views of the city.

Niklosmaart on place de Paris will offer visitors a wide selection of food (from hamburgers and churros to Christmas waffles and pancakes), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as Christmas decorations. On some days, Saint Nicholas House will be open or, in other words, Santa’s house. All children can visit it, chat with Nicholas and ask for gifts for Christmas.

Wanterpark takes place in the Kinnekswiss park, since the skating rink was not filled this year due to the energy crisis. However, this does not sour the festive mood. The park will open a gourmet village of 6 restaurant houses, as well as a stage for musical performances and other entertainment.

Outside the capital, there will also be Christmas markets and fairs. For example Den Escher Krëschtmoart in Esch-sur-Alzette.

All bazaars will work from November 18 to January 1, with the only days off being Christmas Eve and the holiday itself. On Saturdays and Fridays, each market will be open from 11 am to 10 pm. On other days the closing hour will be 9 pm.

Regular street markets

During the entire Christmas season, ordinary street markets will open twice a week at several points in the capital:

Streets adjacent to Place Emile Hamilius and the square itself (city center): on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 14:00
Place Léon XIII (Bonnevoie): on Tuesdays from 16:00 to 19:00
Place de Paris (Gare): on Thursdays from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm

Musical performances this Christmas season

Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtmaart and Wantermaart will feature festive orchestra performances every Sunday from November 20 to December 18. Musicians will march between the two bazaars, playing festive music and entertaining guests. The orchestras will play from 12:00 to 18:00 every Sunday except December 4, when the music will stop a little earlier — at 15:00.

The city conservatory has prepared an extensive seasonal program for all music lovers. You can check the schedule online.

Theater

City theaters have prepared an extensive program for the Christmas season as well. Not all performances are festive, but fans of performing arts sure have a wide choice. Here is the program of only the capital’s Grand Theatre of the capital:

Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny: November 18 at 20:00
Andromache: November 18-19 at 20:00; November 20 at 17:00
Eternal Road: November 19 at 18:00
Lady in the Dark: November 24 and 26 at 20:00
In Escher Jong: November 25-26 at 20:00; November 27 at 17:00
Botis Seva — BLKDOG: November 29-30 & December 1 at 8pm
Smith & Wesson: December 2-3 at 8:00 pm
Tania Soubry: December 6-7 at 20:00 (on December 7, after the performance, there will be a meeting with Tanya Soubry at 22:00)
Verrückt nach Trost: December 9-10 at 19:00; December 11 at 17:00
Devid Striesow liest Elias Canetti: December 10 at 5:00 pm
Via Katlehong: December 14-15 at 20:00
Workshop Déieren preparéieren sech: December 17 at 10:30
Workshop Lifegoal: Prënz/Prinzessin?: December 17 at 11:30
All of Déieren aus dem Bësch: December 18 at 11:00 and 15:00; December 21 at 18:30
The Prom Bets Blanca Li : December 28 and January 7 at 11:00 / 12:00 / 13:00 / 14:15 / 15:15 / 17:30 / 18:30 / 19:30 / 20:45 / 21: 45

More information about the schedule, programs of different theaters and tickets is available online.

Christmas movies and more

Cinémathèque also offers a wide film program before the Christmas holidays:

12/06/2022 at 15:00 Miracle on 34th street, a Christmas comedy in French, suitable for children
12/11/2022 at 15:00 and 16:30 Monsieur Bout-de-bois, three animated short films in French, suitable for children
12/16/2022 at 18:30 Little Women, a classic Hollywood picture in English
12/16/2022 at 20:30 Die Hard, the legendary action movie in English
12/17/2022 at 17:30 Love Actually, a British romantic comedy almanac in English
12/17/2022 at 20:00 pm Fanny and Alexander, the Bergman-directed family drama
18/12/2022 at 15:00 Die Muppets-Weihnachtsgeschichte, a film adaptation of Dickens’ Christmas story by the Muppet troupe in German, suitable for children
also 18/12/2022 at 17:30 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a crime comedy in English
also 18/12/2022 at 20:00 The Shop Around the Corner, a classic black and white comedy
12/21/2022 at 18:30 Home Alone in English, suitable for children
21/12/2022 at 20:30 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in English, suitable for children

More information available online.

Christmas entertainment for the whole family

Winterkids, the traditional Christmas market for children, opens on 1 December on rue Notre-Dame.

The Advent Circus will begin its festive performances on December 9 and will perform until January 8. Not all performances are suitable for children under 12, but the children’s program is marked on the site, as are the days when it runs. The circus will be located on place d’Armes. Don’t forget to book your tickets online.

Wanterpark organizes a special children’s entertainment program on Sundays.

At Jan Palach square, the magical Wanterzuch train will travel through the Wanterbësch winter forest. Rudolph, Santa’s red-nosed reindeer, will accompany it.

A carousel for children and adults will open at place d’Armes.

Like the bazaars, the train and carousel will operate from November 18 to January 1 with two days off — on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Opening hours are the same: from 11 am to 9 or 10 pm.

From November 23 to December 21, Käerzenatelier, a Christmas candle making workshop, will be open for schoolchildren. It will be located on place de la Constitution.

Buying a Christmas tree

From November 25 to December 24, Christmas tree markets will work in several places in the capital:

Rue du Fort Elisabeth / Place Jean Heinisch
Place Leon XIII, Bonnevoie
Champ du Glacis
Entree du Parc de Merl, Bd P. Dupong

The pines sold here were grown on the territory of the Grand Duchy without the use of any machinery. Maximum environmental friendliness guaranteed.

Festive illumination

Soon thousands of Christmas lights will be lit all over Luxembourg. Since 2009, the city has switched to energy-saving holiday light bulbs, so there will be no major problems with New Year’s street lighting due to the energy crisis, even though the hours will be somewhat reduced.

Changes in shops’ schedules

Shops will open on Sunday four times during the Christmas season. This will happen on November 27, December 4, 11 and 18. Shops will be open from 14:00 to 18:00. Convenient for anyone who wants to shop in a festive atmosphere on the weekend. Details can be found online.

Changes in public transportation

On the same four Sundays when shops will open, public transport will operate according to a modified schedule to help everyone get to the city center and back home:

On line 17, transport will move at intervals of 10 minutes between le parking Bouillon and l’arrêt Monterey from 13:00 to 18:30;
Line 16 will increase the number of transport between the center and Strassen / Bertrange;
Line 28 will increase the number of transport between the central station and Cloche d’Or — Howald, P + R Lux-Sud;
The City Shopping Bus, a free shuttle bus running between Glacis and the city center, will run every 7-8 minutes from 13:30 to 18:30.