Mimis Weihnachtsmarkt

Mimis Weihnachtsmarkt is a rare thing: a 100% vegan Christmas market held on a working animal sanctuary in the Zurich highlands. It runs on the first Advent weekend, 22–23 November 2026, at Hof Narr in Hinteregg (municipality of Egg, Canton Zürich), a 20-minute Forchbahn ride from central Zurich. The market has been a two-day format since 2023 and has grown into one of Switzerland's most distinctive alternative Christmas experiences, specifically because it trades the usual glühwein-and-bratwurst formula for something quieter, slower, and entirely plant-based.

Hof Narr is the soul of the event. The sanctuary is home to horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, dogs, and cats, all of whom have been rescued from conventional agriculture. The farm also runs transFARMation, a project helping conventional Swiss farms transition to sanctuary models, and the vegetable subscription Gemüse Narr. At the Christmas market, visitors can wander between the animal barns and the stall rows, meeting the residents and hearing their backstories, which turns the market into something closer to an educational experience than a pure shopping event.

The stalls themselves are over 50 vendors deep, tightly curated around vegan, regional, and fair principles. Expect vegan fondue, churros, plant-based banh mi, hot chocolate, mulled wine (glühwein), fresh baked goods, and cupcakes, alongside a gift-focused core of t-shirts, tote bags, handmade jewellery, candles, artwork, greeting cards, advent calendars, artisan chocolate, and animal sponsorships (Patenschaften) that fund care for the sanctuary residents. Farm-produced vegetables, bread, mushrooms, preserves, and syrups round out the offering.

The atmosphere is deliberately counter-programming to Zurich's bigger city markets. Expect candlelight, warm drinks, hand-decorated stalls, and a rural pace, no crowds pushing through narrow lanes, no industrial-scale sausage grills, no gluehwein chain stands. Kids run between the animal enclosures while adults browse gifts and warm themselves by the stoves. Entry is free. Parking is limited and public transit is strongly recommended: take the S18 Forchbahn from Zurich Stadelhofen to Hinteregg station, then walk four minutes to the farm gate. Dress warmly, plan for November weather in the Zurich Oberland, and consider staying for dusk when the candlelight peaks.