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Paris
Christmas Markets
Date: End of November until End
of December
Description
Get into
the spirit of the holidays with a trip to one of
Paris's Christmas markets. While these
traditional Paris markets are
not as impressive as the German or Austrian "christkindlmarkets" they
are still worth a trip.
The
markets are made up of clusters of wooden huts selling gifts, food and
cups of hot spiced wine.
The gifts
vary a little from market to market but tend to be
mostly tacky (penknives, scarves, wooden fruit bowls)
however, this year I have noticed an improvement with the
addition of some new more interesting vendors especially at the
Champs-Elysées.
 For me the best part of the
markets is the food.
I really
enjoy wandering around with my hands wrapped around a cup of
hot wine "vin chaud" and trying to decide between the tartiflette or
the smoked meat sandwiches with melted raclette cheese!
Tartiflette
is a traditional French dish from the Savoie and is made with potatoes,
onions, bacon and melted
Reblochon
cheese. For the Christmas markets they cook it in
these giant black pots and the smell of it cooking is almost as
delicious as the taste.
List
of Paris
Christmas Markets
Champs-Elysées
Christmas Market- This is my favorite Christmas
market because of it's great location.
Metro:
Line 1 - Champs Elysées Clemenceau
When you
are here there is no doubt that you are in Paris and it's
Christmas, looking up the street you see the trees dripping
with christmas lights all the way to the Arc de Triomphe and looking
down you see the
Big Wheel at
the Place de la Concorde - it's beautiful!
 This
is also a fun market for children as this
year they have added a little Santa roller coaster.
My kids
also enjoyed the grilled sausages and giant candy floss / cotton
candy.
I spotted
some nice engraved bracelets and interesting purses made with
recycled candy wrappers.
La
Défense
Christmas Market - Located just behind
the impressive 100-meter high Grande Arche and right outside
the La Défense
shopping center.
Metro:
Line 1 to La Défense.
Exit through the shopping center and follow signs for "marchés
de Noël".
Once again
the gifts are not that great but the food is excellent.
As soon as you enter the market you smell the tartiflette but
there are also hams roasting on an open spit which they slice for
sandwiches or try the "Foie Gras" which also makes an excellent
Christmas
gift.
Montparnasse
Christmas Market
- wooden huts covered with fake snow
selling the usual gifts with the addition of one vendor selling
colorful collections of mounted butterflies, moths and other bugs.
Metro:
Lines 4, 13, 12 - Montparnasse
 The
best part of this market is the ice rink in front of Gare Montparnasse
which is
not as large as the rink in front of Hotel De Ville but it is also not
as busy.
The ice
rink opens in December, ice skating is free or 5
euro to rent skates.
For smaller
children they have these great
wooden penguins they can skate with to keep them balanced.
There
are also two carousels that children can ride for free. On
the
weekends there are regular market stalls here where you can pick up
inexpensive shoes, jackets, sweaters and watches.
Christmas
Market Saint-Sulpice
Location: Place
Saint-Sulpice, 6th arrondissement
Metro: Saint-Sulpice
Christmas
Market Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Location: Place
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Christmas
Market Nation
Location:
Place de la Nation, 11th arrondissement
Metro/RER:
Nation
Christmas
Market at the Place des Abbesses
Location: Place des Abbesses, 18th
arrondissement (Montmartre)
Metro: Abbesses
Christmas
Market at Gare de l'Est
Location: Gare de l'Est, 10th
arrondissement
Metro: Gare de l'Est
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