Every winter the little Limburg town of Valkenburg reinvents itself as Kerststad, and the headline act is underground. Two ancient marlstone caves host Christmas markets: the Gemeentegrot, billed as Europe’s largest underground Christmas market, and the Fluweelengrot beneath the castle ruins, with around 50 stalls and a food plaza. Above ground there is the free Landal Christmas Parade, voted best Christmas parade in Europe in 2025, plus Santa’s house and a Winter Wonderland at the cable car.
- When: Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. The cave markets close on Wednesday 30 December 2026.
- Where: Gemeentegrot, Cauberg 4, and Fluweelengrot, Daalhemerweg 27, Valkenburg aan de Geul
- Hours: Cave markets roughly 11:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 19:00 at weekends; closed 25 December
- Tickets: Gemeentegrot from €9.30 (Monday to Thursday) or €11.30 (Friday to Sunday) for adults online; each cave is ticketed separately
- Getting there: Train to Valkenburg station, about 2.5 to 3 hours from Amsterdam with a change
Good to know: Book a time slot online for weekends, and wear comfortable shoes. Dogs are not allowed in the Gemeentegrot.
More Christmas markets: Best Christmas markets in the Netherlands 2026.
