It’s never too early to celebrate the magic of Christmas. And this year, Ile-de-France residents will be able to enjoy a good mulled wine before all the others.
That’s it, autumn is definitely here. Rain and cool weather are gradually settling in in France, and with them, the famous winter blues. But don’t panic, lovers of Christmas and its magic will soon be able to cheer up. Yes, this year, the end-of-year holiday season is arriving even earlier than expected. Garlands, songs, raclettes, mulled wine, small chalets, ice rinks… You guessed it, the Christmas markets are back.
To spend some time out of time with family, toast with friends, stroll with your lover under the mistletoe branches, to start preparing your gifts, or quite simply to comfort yourself and warm up with a good tartiflette, this is the unmissable meeting place against the ambient gloom of winter. And this, for adults and children alike: because there is no age to appreciate the magic of Christmas! And good news for the inhabitants of Île-de-France, they will be the first to be able to benefit from it.
From November 13, the famous La Défense district – located in the west of Paris – will be transformed into a huge Christmas market, the largest in the entire region. Already visited by more than 1.5 million people last year, the 2025 edition promises to be even more grandiose: more chalets, more artisans, more culinary specialties, more entertainment, a larger ice rink, two new rides, new installations and a whole new scenography… Enough to bring a little enchantment to this office district, completely transformed for the occasion. The market will be held for more than a month and a half, until December 28.
Of course, French people who do not live in Île-de-France will also be entitled to their share of magic. If the La Défense Christmas market opens the festivities, the other regions will quickly follow. The one in Strasbourg for example, which is both the largest in France and the most famous, but also the oldest – the first edition dates back to the year 1570 – will open its doors from November 26. Reims, Lille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, Grenoble and even Caen… Hundreds of cities will host, like every year, their own Christmas market across the country.
