Christmas in Switzerland: a flying Santa in Montreux, Zurich's singing tree and Samichlaus

Every evening in Montreux, at five, six and seven o'clock, Santa flies over the Lake Geneva promenade in a sleigh hung from a cable, and the crowd at the market tilts its heads back as if at an air show. In 2026 the Montreux Noël market runs from 20 November to 24 December, and the flying sleigh has long been its signature act. A few streets away from the show, Swiss families bake little bread men on 6 December and wait for Samichlaus, and those small things are what Christmas in Switzerland is worth seeking out for. Work out the budget in advance: even the mulled wine here is not cheap.

Montreux: a market above the lake and Santa's house in the mountains

The Montreux Noël chalets line the lakeside promenade not far from the Freddie Mercury statue, and from the stalls you can see the water and the French mountains on the far shore. Expect crafts, cheese, mulled wine and roast chestnuts, with live music in the evenings. Santa's flight schedule gets busier on the days just before Christmas, so check it on the Montreux Noël website.

For children the main event is higher up. A cog railway climbs from Montreux to Rochers-de-Naye, where Santa's house sits at more than 2,000 metres. It opens Wednesday to Sunday throughout the season, plus a few extra days before Christmas. Tickets go on sale in September and popular dates are gone by autumn, so if you are travelling with kids, book this first. More ideas for that kind of trip are in our piece on winter holidays with children.

Basel: two squares and the hardest biscuit in the country

Basel's market fills Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz in front of the red sandstone cathedral and in 2026 runs from 26 November to 23 December, daily from 11:00 to 20:30, with free entry. Around 150 stalls stretch between the two squares, and Münsterplatz after dark is often called one of the prettiest Christmas settings in Switzerland. Dates and a map are published by the canton of Basel-Stadt. Note that on 23 December the Münsterplatz market closes at 18:00.

The thing to take home from Basel is Basler Läckerli, rectangular honey biscuits with almonds, candied peel and kirsch cherry brandy under a thin sugar glaze. They are hard, as your first bite will confirm, but they keep for ages and survive a suitcase well.

Zurich: a singing tree and a new market by the opera

On Werdmühleplatz in Zurich stands the Singing Christmas Tree, a tree-shaped stand whose tiers fill with a different choir every evening, from school groups to church choirs. In 2026 it runs from 19 November to 23 December, with performances from 17:30 on weekdays and from 14:30 at weekends. It is unexpectedly moving, especially when children are singing.

If you remember the Wienachtsdorf, the Christmas village on Sechseläutenplatz by the opera house, it is gone: the city did not renew its permit after the 2025 season and handed the square to a new operator. It is now Bellevue Noël, announced for 19 November to 23 December 2026. Under the roof of the main station the Christkindlimarkt carries on as before, one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe and a handy escape from the rain.

Lucerne and Einsiedeln: an old town and an abbey

In Lucerne the Lozärner Wiehnachtsmärt fills Franziskanerplatz in the old town. For 2026 it is planned from 3 to 21 December, though the organisers mark the dates as provisional. Afterwards, walk across the wooden Chapel Bridge over the Reuss, and near the KKL concert hall on Europaplatz there is an ice rink in winter.

Einsiedeln, an hour from Zurich, revolves around its Baroque Benedictine abbey and the Black Madonna. The Einsiedler Weihnachtsmarkt runs from 27 November to 6 December 2026: more than 145 stalls on Klosterplatz and the main street, with a big tree in front of the abbey church. The market is a few minutes' walk from the station, so you will not need a car. The local sweet souvenir is the Einsiedler Schafbock, an old-style honey gingerbread with a raised picture on top.

Samichlaus, Schmutzli and the bread man

On 6 December, a Sunday in 2026, Swiss children are visited by Samichlaus, the local St Nicholas. With him comes Schmutzli, a companion in a dark robe carrying a bundle of twigs, who once used to scare naughty children. A child recites a little rhyme, a Värsli, and gets a bag of mandarins, nuts and gingerbread in return. The same morning bakeries sell Grittibänz, a bread man with raisin eyes eaten at breakfast.

In Küssnacht am Rigi the evening of 5 December, a Saturday this time, belongs to the Klausjagen: a procession carries enormous glowing paper mitres called Iffelen, whips crack and hundreds of cowbells clang. It is loud, not remotely staged for tourists, and it draws thousands of spectators.

Fondue, raclette and the festive table

In winter the Swiss happily eat fondue, most often moitié-moitié, half Gruyère and half Vacherin Fribourgeois. An old joke says that whoever loses a piece of bread in the pot buys a round or does whatever the table asks. Raclette is melted under a grill and scraped onto potatoes with gherkins. And on Christmas Eve many families serve fondue chinoise: thin slices of meat that everyone cooks in broth at the table.

How not to go broke in Switzerland

Switzerland is expensive, and there is no way round that, but you can soften the blow. In 2026 the Swiss Travel Pass costs 254 francs for three days and 309 for four in second class. It covers trains, buses and boats, entry to hundreds of museums and discounts on many mountain railways, so on a Basel, Zurich, Lucerne and Montreux loop it pays for itself quickly. Lunch can come from Coop and Migros supermarkets, which sell hot takeaway dishes, and tap water is perfectly fine to drink.

At the markets, mulled wine comes with a deposit on the mug, the Depot: return it and get a few francs back, or keep it as a souvenir. Hotels are cheaper in a town next to your main stop, and trains run often. And watch the calendar: on 24 December shops close early, on 25 and 26 December almost everything is shut, and most markets end on 23 or 24 December. For the wider picture of the season, see our overview of Christmas markets in Europe.

Table: Christmas in Switzerland 2026

We checked the market dates in late October 2026, and the Lucerne and Zurich organisers may still adjust theirs, so confirm before you travel. Early December gives you the most in one go: Einsiedeln's market is still open, Küssnacht is on 5 December, Samichlaus on the 6th, and Basel and Montreux are in full swing.