For about a decade, the largest Christmas market in Paris was held on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées with its famous Christmas lights that transform the street into a fairy tale location every holiday season that lasts from late November till early January (from the beginning of Advent to the feast of Epiphany).
The first Champs-Élysées Christmas market was organized in 2008 with 90 Alsatian-style chalets (wooden stalls) painted in white. They offered handcrafted items, as well as crêpes, waffles, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, and other Christmas treats. The market also had various rides and activities for children, including a merry-go-round, a sledge course, and a Christmas train. An ice skating track was set up near the market, closer to the Place de la Concorde.
The Champs-Élysées Christmas market was canceled in 2017. It was replaced by the Tuileries Garden Christmas market, also known as La Magie de Noël (“the magic of Christmas”), that was held for the first time in 2018. The Tuileries Garden Christmas market is part traditional Christmas market, part holiday carnival. It stretches along the north side of the Tuileries Garden from the Place de Pyramides to the Place de la Concorde.
The Tuileries Garden Christmas market consists of three main parts: an Artisan Village with handcrafted gifts and souvenirs, food stalls with a vast selection of seasonal treats and drinks, and a Christmas carnival with amusement rides and games. The market has a huge Ferris wheel, more than a dozen other carnival rides for attendees of all ages, an ice skating rink, and even a Champagne igloo.
Admission to La Magie de Noël is free, but be prepared to spend money on rides, artisan gifts for your family and friends, and delicious foods and beverages you can purchase at more than 100 Alsatian-style chalets: hot onion soup, mulled wine (vin chaud), roasted chestnuts, raclette (a melted cheese dish), freshly baked waffles and crêpes, sizzling sausages, and other seasonal favorites.
Dozens of Christmas trees, bright lights, giant plastic Santas and reindeer, candy canes, music and laughter create an unforgettable Christmas experience you’ll definitely want to relive at some point. The Tuileries Garden Christmas market perfectly captures the joy of the festive season and will help you make some of the best holiday memories in your life.
In addition to the large and boisterous Tuileries Garden Christmas market, Paris has mid-sized Christmas markets with an emphasis on gifts and food rather than fairground attractions. They include the Notre-Dame Christmas market at the Square René Viviani, the Monmartre Christmas market at the Place des Abbesses, the Hôtel de Ville Christmas market, the St-Germain-des-Prés Christmas market, and more.
