Olsztyn Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips

The dates of the Warmian Christmas Market in Olsztyn 2026 have not been announced yet: the city's cultural centre (MOK) hadn't published them by mid-October. In 2025 the market lasted only four days, from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 December, and filled the Old Town between Targ Rybny, the Market Square and the High Gate. A week earlier, on 6 December, the city Christmas tree was lit. We'll update this article once the 2026 dates are out.

Olsztyn's market is all about local character: crafts, honey and gingerbread from makers in Warmia and Masuria, concerts on the stage at Targ Rybny, and barstuki, mischievous Warmian house spirits, instead of imported attractions. Below you'll find what the 2025 edition looked like, opening hours, a map and tips for a weekend in Olsztyn. To compare other cities, see our guide to Christmas markets in Poland 2026.

At a glance: Warmian Christmas Market in Olsztyn

2026 dates	not yet announced (as of 16 October 2026)
2025 dates	11–14 December 2025 (Thursday–Sunday); tree lighting on 6 December
2025 stall hours	Thu 1pm–8pm, Fri–Sat 1pm–10pm, Sun 1pm–6pm
Location	Old Town: Targ Rybny (stage), Market Square with the Old Town Hall, around the High Gate
Entry	free
Getting there	tram or bus to the centre, then on foot through the High Gate; about 2 km from Olsztyn Główny station
Organiser	Miejski Ośrodek Kultury w Olsztynie and the City of Olsztyn, co-organised by the Olsztyn Food Bank

The 2025 hours and programme come from MOK's website. We include them to show what to expect; they may change in 2026.

Where the market is

The Warmian Christmas Market spreads across the whole Old Town, which is compact enough to walk around in fifteen minutes. In 2025 it had three focal points:

• Targ Rybny (the old fish market square) – the main stage with concerts from afternoon into the evening.
• Market Square and Old Town Hall – stalls plus the "Land of Small Pleasures", workshops inside the town hall, which houses the regional public library.
• High Gate – the "Barstuk Village" installation and an exhibition of winter photos from Warmia.

Scouts set up a nativity scene at the end of St John's Bridge over the Łyna River. All locations are on the map.

What to see and taste

Local crafts and flavours

MOK described the market as a paradise for people who love things with soul: local crafts, jewellery, ornaments, honey, mulled wine, gingerbread and gifts you won't find in a shopping centre. The Olsztyn Food Bank took care of the stallholders. Look for makers from Warmia and Masuria: honey from Masurian apiaries, ceramics, wooden and linen decorations.

Barstuki, the Warmian house spirits

The most Olsztyn-specific feature is the barstuki, cheeky, warmth-loving little spirits from Warmian folk tales. According to MOK they're helpful but can play tricks if ignored, so wave when you see one. In 2025 a Barstuk Village stood in front of the High Gate, and in the Land of Small Pleasures children made "postcards from a barstuk's burrow". The programme also included a puppet show about a dumpling princess, a mischievous kłobuk spirit and dzyndzałki, Warmian dumplings worth ordering in one of the Old Town restaurants.

Concerts on Targ Rybny

The stage was the heart of the market. In 2025 local artists and national stars performed, including the highland folk band Trebunie-Tutki, Baranovski and Lemon, plus choirs and Christmas swing and jazz. On Thursday at 4pm there was a festive cooking show with tastings. MOK usually publishes the programme a few days before the start.

St Nicholas, a charity run and a Christmas tram

On the market Sunday, St Nicholas meets children and a charity Santa Run starts at noon. In 2025 a festive tram ran through the city, and the Zajezdnia Trolejbusowa, a former trolleybus depot, hosted a small winter exhibition. In the Old Town Hall, the library held a used-book sale and a gift-wrapping stand for books.

Gift idea: you can't take a barstuk home, but you can take an Olsztyn map poster. Put a heart on the High Gate or Lake Ukiel and download the print file.

Practical tips: when to go and how to get there

When to go

In 2025 the stalls opened at 1pm every day. They stayed open until 10pm on Friday and Saturday, until 8pm on Thursday and only until 6pm on Sunday, so Sunday evening is not a good plan. Most happens on Friday and Saturday from 4pm, when the concerts on Targ Rybny begin and the Old Town lights come on. For crafts without crowds, come on Thursday after 1pm or on Saturday right at opening.

Tree lighting

In 2025 the "prelude" to the market was the shared lighting of the city Christmas tree on 6 December, St Nicholas Day. If MOK keeps a similar calendar in 2026, the tree will be lit a few days before the market, when the Old Town is already decorated but still quiet.

Getting there and around

Olsztyn Główny station is about 2 km from the Old Town. The easiest way is a tram or bus to the centre, then on foot through the High Gate; Targ Rybny is a few minutes further. The Jakdojade app helps with routes. Gdańsk and Warsaw are each about 2.5 hours away by train, so you can pair Olsztyn with a seaside market: see our Gdańsk Christmas Market 2026 guide. You can't drive into the Old Town; there are car parks around its edge.

With children, buggies and dogs

The Land of Small Pleasures workshops, the Barstuk Village, puppet shows and St Nicholas make a good family afternoon. The Old Town is cobbled with a few steps near the walls, but the main lanes are fine with a buggy. MOK says nothing about dogs. The concerts on Targ Rybny are loud and crowded, so come earlier in the afternoon with a dog.

Olsztyn in winter beyond the market

Olsztyn is a city of lakes and forests, so it's worth stepping beyond the Old Town. The City Forest starts a short ride from the centre and is lovely for a walk on snowy paths. Closer to the Old Town is the Mendelsohn House, a former Jewish pre-burial house designed by Erich Mendelsohn, now used for meetings and exhibitions. Both fill a market weekend nicely while the stalls are still closed.

Where to stay

Stay in or near the Old Town, for example around Dąbrowszczaków Street or by the Łyna. As the market only lasts one long weekend, book central accommodation as soon as the dates are announced.

A Saturday plan for Olsztyn

Spend the morning at the Castle of the Warmian Chapter, where Copernicus's astronomical table survives, or under the dome of the Planetarium. At 1pm, when the stalls open, walk through the High Gate to the Barstuk Village and on to the Market Square. In 2025 the Saturday workshops in the Old Town Hall ran from noon to 4pm, so children still have time to make something. From 4pm stay on Targ Rybny for the concerts, and in a break eat dzyndzałki in one of the restaurants on the square. If you're staying until Sunday, take a morning walk to Lake Ukiel, empty and very calm in winter.

A community market, not just shopping

After the 2025 edition MOK's director wrote that for four days the Old Town became a magical place and its residents a community, which sums up the Olsztyn market well. The Food Bank co-organises it, the State Forests supplied the Christmas trees, scouts built the nativity scene, and the programme included a charity run and Christmas cards for seniors made by children. There's less big commerce and more local initiative, and that's Olsztyn's biggest strength.

Nearby: what to see while you're there

• Olsztyn Market Square – colourful townhouses and the Old Town Hall in the middle of the market.
• High Gate – the Gothic city gate where the Barstuk Village stood in 2025.
• Castle of the Warmian Chapter – Nicolaus Copernicus worked here as administrator from 1516 to 1521; his astronomical table survives on the cloister wall.
• St James's Cathedral – a Gothic church a few steps from the square.
• Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory – dome shows, a good plan for a winter morning.
• Lake Ukiel – the largest lake within the city limits, for a walk on a frosty morning.

More ideas: things to do in Olsztyn.

FAQ: Olsztyn Christmas Market 2026

When is the Olsztyn Christmas market in 2026?

MOK hasn't announced the dates yet. In 2025 the Warmian Christmas Market ran from 11 to 14 December, Thursday to Sunday in the second week of December.

What are the opening hours?

In 2025 the stalls were open Thursday 1pm–8pm, Friday and Saturday 1pm–10pm and Sunday 1pm–6pm.

Is there an entry fee?

No, the market and the concerts on Targ Rybny are free.

How much is mulled wine?

MOK didn't publish stall prices, so we don't quote any.

Can I bring my dog?

The organiser gives no rules on dogs. The Old Town is tight and the stage area is loud, so choose an early afternoon if you bring one.

When is the Christmas tree lit in Olsztyn?

In 2025 the tree lighting took place on 6 December, a week before the market. We'll add the 2026 date once MOK announces it.

Finally: looking for a gift for someone from Warmia? An Olsztyn map poster with a heart on the Old Town is a keepsake that lasts. Markets in other cities are in our guide to Christmas markets in Poland 2026.