Every year around this time, little villages with wooden chalets spring up all around the city and
try to sell you... most anything really...
photo de
Ted Drake utilisée
sous licence cc
OK, we admit it, we think they're a bit outdated, à bit touristy, and that some of the stall
sell a load of old tat, but it seems that people love, otherwise there wouldn't bee so many of
them! If you haven't got all your presents yet (and I haven't even started), perhaps a visit to one
will give you some inspiration?
Here's a list of the 2008 Xmas markets in Paris
Let's start in our area,
place Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Just at the exit of
the metro station and around the church, you'll find Santa's Village, probably classier than
certain Right Bank affairs ;-) From 5th December 2008 - 1st January 2009, every day from 10am -
8pm.
photo by
marie-astier used
under cc licence
Also in the Saint-Germain area, on the
Place Saint-Sulpice, there’s a Winter
Village from 4th – 24th December 2008. As well as the usual stuff, this
village also hosts the
France Art Workshop Winter Village form 4th
– 7th December (jewellery, leather goods, glasswork, ceramics, etc. and
special event like a Romani concert, photo exhibition, contest...) and
Le Marché de
Noël et de la Solidarité from 11th – 24th December.
Other event are also planned. Click
here for further details.
The last Rive Gauche market is to be found
at the foot of the Tour Monparnasse,
with multicoloured chalets and mulled wine-tasting! Yummy! From 28th November
– 29th December 2008, every day from 10.30am to 7.30pm.
For the most luxurious, high-class chalets in all of Paris, and fir the first time ever (!!!)
there’s a Xmas market that goes from the
du Rond-point des Champs-Elysées up
to the place de la Concorde. With a European theme, you’ll find not only product
from all over France, but also special activities for kids, such as wooden horses, a little train
and even Santa’s house! From 20th November to mid-January.
photo by
joriavlis used under cc
licence
Walk up the Champs Elysées and you’ll get to
La Maison de l'Alsace
with its annual spread. The front of the building, nearly 750 m² has
been dressed up like the witch’s house in Hansel and Gretel; think giant gingerbread and
cakes. They’ll be covering all 28 windows of the building, sprinkled with illuminated
garlands. From 26th November – 28th December.
Just outside the city, but still reachable by metro and directly in line with the Champs Elysees,
is
La Défense. Here the skyscrapers all try to outdo each other and the
Xmas Market tries to outdo all the others too! In front of the Grande Arche over 10 000
m², there are 250 chalets selling not only French produce but also items
from abroad: Tunisia, Morocco, Greece, Egypt, Iran, Mauritania, Kenya, Yemen, Russai, Vietnam,
Indonesia... And from 1pm – 6pm every day you can have your photo taken
with Santa for just 5 euros! How does he manage to be on the Champs Elysées and at La
Défense at the same time?... From 26th November - 28th December 2008, every day from 11am
– 7.30pm, except Saturdays 9.30am – 6pm
At the
la Gare de l'Est, renovation has filled the grand empty arrival and
departure halls with shops. Consequently, the Xmas Market will be out the front of the station. As
it’s where people catch the train to Alsace, lots of their yummy (stodgy?) specialities
should be on offer.
photo by
photigule used under cc
licence
Last but not least: in the north of Paris there’s also a little Xmas Market on
Place
des Abbesses from 28th November – 30th December 2008, and in
the east of the city, another on
Place de la Nation from 1st
– 24th December, every day from 10am - 8pm.
Happy Xmas shopping!
Recommandations
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and reject those that you are not interested in
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