Twinkling trees. Warming mulled wine. Stalls just bursting with seasonal gifts. Christmas markets in France are truly magical.
If you’re visiting France in the festive season then a trip to a Christmas market should definitely be on your list of things to do. Whether you’re looking for festive presents for family and friends or just want to spend an evening enjoying seasonal food and drink, these markets are a wonderful place to get into the Christmas spirit.
France is one of the best countries in Europe for traditional Christmas markets, especially when you visit its oldest towns and cities where the mediaeval architecture provides the perfect backdrop for the festive stalls. Many of these markets also open in November and run right through to January, so you don’t actually have to celebrate Christmas in France in order to appreciate them.
We’ve rounded up our top picks for the best Christmas markets in France to make this holiday season a truly magical one. With our selection of French villas located throughout the country, you can spend a day exploring before heading back to continue your festivities in front of a roaring fireplace.
Metz Market
Sprawled across the city’s six different squares, the Metz Market truly has something for every type of festive fanatic. Take in the various stalls around sunset at one of the best Christmas markets in France, exploring their handcrafted gifts and holiday treats, and you’ll also get to see an enchanting trail of lanterns come to life starting at County Hall.
Metz is located in the Lorraine region in the north of the country and is best known for its Gothic cathedral, which you’ll see lit up for the occasion when you visit the market. There are actually several different Christmas markets in Metz that are gathered around the cathedral, creating a ring of different stalls and places to sit where you can slowly work your way around when you visit.
As one of the most popular Christmas markets in France, you can expect the atmosphere to be busy and cheerful when you visit Metz. Highlights include the lantern trail at Boufflers Square where various illuminations create a route you can follow, and the impressively tall Ferris wheel that will give you views of the entire market from above.
We recommend timing your visit to coincide with Saint Nicholas weekend right at the start of December, which is a key celebration of Christmas in France. Enjoy a parade of floats through Metz for all the family to see, featuring teddy bears, toys and other traditional Christmas characters you’ll never forget.
Tuileries Christmas Market
You’ll find over 100 wooden stalls to explore at Paris’ Tuileries Christmas Market. Held in a grand public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, it’s a really beautiful French Christmas market that combines classic food and gift stalls with the excitement of a family funfair.
Perfectly placed for visiting as part of a trip to the capital, it’s one of the most popular Christmas markets in Paris and offers a carnival-style atmosphere with roasted chestnut and raclette vendors nestled among thrill-seeking attractions. Kids will love racing around the central ice rink, while adults can enjoy a festive tipple or two at the Champagne igloo.
If you’re visiting Paris over the festive season then a trip to this market needs to be on your itinerary, especially as it’s so central and therefore easy to reach on public transport. There’s almost half a mile of stalls and entertainment, which includes a classic Ferris wheel as part of the fairground section of the market.
Strasbourg Market
If you want to get a literal taste of both French and German Christmas traditions, head to the Strasbourg market. Located near the border in France’s Alsace region, it’s undoubtedly one of the best Christmas markets in France and takes over the old town with over 300 stalls and a skating rink beneath the twinkling Place Kléber tree.
As one of the oldest French Christmas markets, this is a well-established event with fifteen different areas grouped together in a couple of different sections of the city. They’re close enough together to all visit in a day, or if you’re staying in Strasbourg for several days you can spread your trips to each of them out over your stay.
This variety of different markets also means there’s something for everyone in Strasbourg, with traditional food and craft stalls but also second-hand items and antiques available in one of the sections. Many of the shops around the markets will also be open for the day, so it’s an ideal place to visit if you’ve got a lot of Christmas shopping still to do!
Strasbourg is an incredibly historic city with beautiful traditional buildings that look like they’re plucked from a fairytale, so it’s certainly worth a visit if you’re looking for one of the most beautiful French Christmas markets. Serving traditional hot chocolates, cider and mulled wine alongside sugary Alsatian cookies and seasonal sausages, this picture-perfect scene is lifted straight from a holiday greetings card. There’s a reason why they call this place the ‘Capital of Christmas’!
Reims Market
Reims was the first site of Christmas celebrations in France in 496, and this city’s market boasts a similarly heritage-rich feel, centred around the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. The UNESCO-listed building serves as a staggering backdrop for an evening spent meandering the various stalls of the courtyard, while you can also enjoy views of the entire traditional scene if you take a ride on the illuminated Ferris wheel.
Unlike many of the other French Christmas markets, the stalls here are only clustered in one section of the city, but with over one hundred lining the streets, it’s still a very impressive sight. After all, the market at Reims is the 3rd biggest Christmas market in France, so there’s more than enough to see whether you’re visiting for an afternoon trip or want to spend the evening exploring the stalls.
Reims is also known as the gateway to the Champagne region in France, so you might as well make the experience even more special by sampling a bit of bubbly while you’re in the area. Grab a glass before heading on up and you’ll feel warm and cosy from the inside out.
Mulhouse Market
For a more unique yet equally magical take on the classic Christmas market, a visit to Mulhouse is a must. Another traditional town in the Alsace region, Mulhouse provides the perfect backdrop for a classic French Christmas market. The stalls are set up in front of the church of Saint-Etienne, which is the largest protestant building in France, providing a dramatic backdrop for over 100 different stands selling food, drink and gifts.
Celebrating its cloth-making history, the city sees colourful fabrics drape over the various buildings and chalets of the Place de la Réunion, while local craftspeople showcase their equally enchanting creations to take home as gifts. Every year, a new festive fabric is designed to celebrate the town’s heritage and then used to decorate the market stalls. It’s one of the best France Christmas markets if you’d prefer something a little smaller or you’re looking for a more unique experience, both of which you’ll find here.
If you’re visiting Mulhouse for the Christmas market then you’ll be ideally situated to also attend the Pfastatt and Kingersheim markets, which are smaller events on the edge of the area that are equally as charming. These markets have more of a community feeling and won’t take as long to fully explore, but if you’ve taken a trip to Alsace for a festive holiday then the more French Christmas markets you can see, the better!
Of course, if you really want to appreciate the best Christmas markets in France then you should plan a trip that includes visits to multiple markets to get a flavour of at least two or three. We’ve highlighted the best five in France in this guide, but there are plenty more held all over the country, many of which are only a short train or car journey apart.
Looking to plan your holiday escape or visit some of these Christmas markets in France? Discover our full collection of luxury Christmas villas and cottages to make the most of the festive season, or check out more of our favourite places to stay with family around Christmas.
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