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Strasbourg Opens 455th Christmas Market With Tight Security and Big Crowds

The month-long event runs under a reinforced security plan shaped by the 2018 attack, with drones and roughly 1,000 officers on duty each day.

Overview

  • The 455th “Christkindelsmärik” opened on 26 November with about 300 chalets and is scheduled through 24 December.
  • Access to the historic center is controlled during opening hours, with real-time surveillance drones and around 1,000 police, gendarmes and CRS deployed daily alongside firefighters and Red Cross teams.
  • One-way pedestrian routes will be activated on busy weekends to manage flows, complementing wider aisles, dispersed sites, an open tram stop and 15,000 park-and-ride spaces.
  • Organisers spotlight Alsatian tradition, local artisans and inclusion, including a “sapin solidaire” drive to provide gifts to 300 disadvantaged children.
  • After a record 3.4 million visitors in 2024, authorities report strong early attendance and say this year could challenge that mark.