Mr Wilders, whose statements have included comparing the Koran with Hitler’s Mein Kampf, told the court freedom of expression was on trial.
If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of a year in jail.
Mr Wilders’ Freedom Party is the third biggest in the Netherlands after June’s elections, and is expected to play a key role in the next parliament.
Prosecutors have brought five charges of inciting hatred and discrimination, and the trial will scrutinise statements he made between 2006 and 2008.
