Hasselt Christmas Market 2026: Winterland dates, opening hours and tips
November 6, 2026
Every year, the centre of Hasselt turns into Winterland for seven weeks: one of the largest Christmas markets and winter villages in Belgium. With a covered ice rink, a Ferris wheel, chalets full of gifts and a mulled wine in your hand, it is the winter outing in Limburg.
In this article you'll find when Winterland Hasselt 2026 is open, what there is to do, and which Hasselt specialities to take home.
When is Winterland Hasselt 2026?
Winterland Hasselt runs from Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. On opening day, the doors open at 11:00.
Opening hours of the Hasselt Christmas market
| Monday to Thursday | Friday to Sunday | |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas market and attractions | 11:00–22:00 | 10:00–22:00 |
| Ice rink | 11:00–22:00 | 10:00–22:00 |
| Grand Café and Aspenlounge | 11:00–midnight | 10:00–midnight |
From 21 December, during the Christmas holidays, the ice rink and the Grand Café open at 10:00 every day, and the Christmas market and attractions at 11:00.
Different hours apply around the holidays:
| Day | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Christmas Eve (24 December) | everything open until 18:00 |
| Christmas Day (25 December) | from 12:00 (ice rink and Grand Café from 11:00) |
| New Year's Eve (31 December) | everything open until 18:00; food and drinks on the front square until 02:00 |
| New Year's Day (1 January) | from 12:00 (ice rink and Grand Café from 11:00) |
The hours may still change. Check them on winterland.be before you leave.
Where is Winterland Hasselt?
Winterland is on the Kolonel Dusartplein in the centre of Hasselt, about a ten-minute walk from the railway station.
What can you do at Winterland?
- Ice skating on the covered rink, which is open every day, even when it rains.
- A ride on the Ferris wheel, with a view over Hasselt.
- A stroll through the Christmas market, with chalets full of gifts, crafts and treats.
- A drink in the Grand Café, overlooking the ice rink, or in the Aspenlounge, the Spiegeltent or the Authentieke Almhütte.
- For children (and the brave): the MEGA slide, the Grand Carrousel, Santa's Ghost Villa and the House of Santa Claus.
How much does a day at Winterland Hasselt cost?
Entry to Winterland is free: walking around, soaking up the atmosphere and browsing the chalets costs nothing. You only pay for what you do.
| What | Price (2026) |
|---|---|
| Entry to the site | free |
| Ice rink admission | €7.00 |
| Skate hire | €6.50 |
So skating with hired skates costs €13.50 per person. Skate hire is charged separately, so with your own skates you only pay the admission. The Ferris wheel, the other attractions and food and drinks are paid for on site. Those prices aren't published online, so allow a little extra.
Money-saving tip: Social Deal sometimes offers a combined deal with skating, skate hire, a ride on the Ferris wheel and two drinks, often for less than the separate prices. These deals are usually valid on weekdays only and for a limited period.
Practical tips for your visit
- Go on a weekday if you can. Friday evenings and weekends are the busiest, especially in December.
- Come by train. Hasselt has direct trains from Brussels and Liège, and from the station it is a ten-minute walk to Winterland.
- Coming from the Netherlands? Hasselt is about 45 minutes' drive from Maastricht and an hour from Eindhoven, so Winterland makes a good day trip across the border.
- By car? There are several paid car parks around the Dusartplein, including Q-Park ones. Parking Blauwe Boulevard, underground at Quartier Bleu, is about a five-minute walk away.
- Entry is free. You only pay for the ice rink and certain attractions.
- Book your skating tickets online in advance at winterland.be to be sure of a place. Tickets for the other attractions are sold on site.
- You can pay in cash, with Bancontact or with Payconiq. The lockers at the skate hire only take 2-euro coins.
- Dogs are welcome on a lead, but not in the attractions.
- Expect a security check at the entrance, including a bag check.
More Christmas atmosphere in Hasselt
Winterland is the biggest, but not the only Christmas attraction in Hasselt. According to Visit Hasselt, you can also visit these this year:
| What | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Kersthut Grote Markt: a winter bar for a drink in a cosy setting | Grote Markt | 13 November – 3 January |
| Christmas Alley: an alley full of lights, Christmas decorations and a winter bar | city centre | 13 November – 9 January |
| Kerst rond de Kathedraal: a new Christmas market with a Hasselt character | around St Quentin's Cathedral | in the week before Christmas, until 23 December |
| KerstMerwt: a short Christmas market with products from local makers | Capucienenplein | Saturday 19 December |
Check the exact dates and hours on visit.hasselt.be before you go.
Our tips as Hasselt locals
Our shop has been in Hasselt since 1987. A few tips to get more out of your day at the Christmas market:
- Start or finish at the National Jenever Museum. There you'll learn why Hasselt is Belgium's jenever city, and you can taste it too. You'll also find Hasselt jenever at Winterland itself.
- Walk from Winterland to the Grote Markt for a drink at the Kersthut, and on through the illuminated shopping streets.
- Go in the afternoon and stay until dark. With the lights and the illuminated Ferris wheel, Winterland is at its best.
- Take something from Hasselt home with you. Our shop at Kuringersteenweg 161 is open from Tuesday to Saturday (the current hours, including around the holidays, are on our homepage). What you'll find there is described below.
What to take home from Winterland Hasselt
If you're in Hasselt, don't go home without something typical of the city. Hasselt is known for two specialities:
- Hasselt jenever. Hasselt is the jenever capital of Belgium. A bottle of Roland W Hasseltse Jenever or a small flask of Speklaasjenever, a speculaas-flavoured jenever, is a souvenir you can drink instead of leaving it on a shelf. Read all about it in our article on Hasselt jenever.
- Hasselt speculaas (Hasseltse speculaas). Not a thin biscuit, but a thick one with a crisp crust and a soft centre. In its tube it is easy to carry.
At home, use them to make a Hasselt coffee (Hasseltse koffie): strong coffee, a dash of jenever, sugar and whipped cream on top. With Maes coffee, from the Hasselt coffee house Maes, and a bottle of young jenever, you have everything you need. A good way to end a cold winter evening.
Christmas gifts from Hasselt
Looking for a Christmas gift? You'll find plenty at the Christmas market, but if you want to give something from here, you've come to the right place. Buying local is also simply a nice gift to the region. In our shop at Kuringersteenweg 161 in Hasselt, we have been selling regional products from Limburg makers since 1987: jenever, wine from Haspengouw and the Maasland, Limburg beers, syrup, biscuits and cheese.
- A complete hamper? Have a look at our gift packages, or have one put together to order.
- No time to drop by? Order online and choose between collecting in the shop and having it shipped.
Around the holidays our opening hours sometimes change. You'll always find them on our homepage.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Hasselt Christmas market start in 2026?
Winterland Hasselt opens on Friday 13 November 2026 at 11:00 and runs until Sunday 3 January 2027.
What are the opening hours of Winterland Hasselt?
The Christmas market and the attractions are open Monday to Thursday from 11:00 to 22:00, and Friday to Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00. The Grand Café and the Aspenlounge stay open until midnight. From 21 December, the ice rink and the Grand Café open at 10:00 every day, and the Christmas market at 11:00. On 24 and 31 December everything closes at 18:00; on 25 December and 1 January everything opens at 12:00.
How much does a day at Winterland Hasselt cost?
Entry is free. Skating costs €7 for admission to the ice rink and €6.50 for skate hire, €13.50 per person in total. The Ferris wheel, the other attractions and food and drinks are paid for on site.
How long does Winterland stay in Hasselt?
Seven weeks: from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. So you can visit throughout the Christmas holidays.
Is the Hasselt Christmas market worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you're looking for more than just chalets. Winterland combines a Christmas market with a covered ice rink, a Ferris wheel, attractions for children and several bars, and entry is free. In the city centre you'll also find smaller Christmas markets and winter bars, such as the Kersthut on the Grote Markt.
Where can you park for Winterland Hasselt?
There are several paid car parks around the Kolonel Dusartplein, including Q-Park ones. Parking Blauwe Boulevard, underground at Quartier Bleu, is about a five-minute walk away. The train is easy too: it is a ten-minute walk from the station.
Can I bring my dog to Winterland?
Yes, dogs are allowed on a lead, but not in the attractions. Bear in mind that it can get very busy, especially at weekends.
Where is Winterland Hasselt?
On the Kolonel Dusartplein in the centre of Hasselt, about a ten-minute walk from the railway station.
Is Winterland Hasselt free?
Yes, entry is free. You need a ticket for the ice rink (€7, skate hire €6.50) and certain attractions. It's best to book skating tickets online in advance.
Can you ice skate at Winterland Hasselt?
Yes. Winterland has a covered ice rink that is open every day, so you can skate even when it rains.
What is a typical souvenir from Hasselt?
Hasselt jenever and Hasselt speculaas are the city's best-known specialities. You'll find them, along with other Limburg regional products, at Lekker Limburgs, Kuringersteenweg 161 in Hasselt.