The first door of our Advent Calendar is open, and today we visit Tours in the heart of the Loire Valley.

During the Christmas season in Tours, the city transforms into a winter wonderland filled with festive activities and traditions.

The streets are adorned with dazzling lights, creating a magical ambience.

The Christmas markets take centre stage, offering various local crafts, artisanal products, and delicious food and drinks.

You can explore the wooden chalets (stalls) and try regional specialties, such as mulled wine, gingerbread, and roasted chestnuts. The city also hosts seasonal events and concerts, showcasing the talents of local artists and musicians.

Families can enjoy ice skating, carousel rides, and visits to Santa’s grotto—great memories of this joyous time of year.

Find out more about Tours.

The second door of our Advent Calendar is open, and today we visit Carcassonne in France’s southwest.

Carcassonne gets festive during December, when the ringed fortified citadel is dressed up in Yuletide décor and hosts its popular Christmas market.

Stalls sell handcrafted trinkets, sweets, artwork, and garlands made with dried flowers from the fields of Languedoc.

Can you hear those a cappella choirs singing ancient carols? Can you smell the roasted chestnuts and the spicy mulled wine? It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

Find out more in Carcassonne Will Capture Your Imagination.

See more places in Occitanie.

The third door opens on our Advent calendar, and today we are in Saint-Malo, a coastal town in Brittany.

Saint-Malo has a rich maritime culture and a long Breton heritage. The city gets into the festive spirit each Christmas as it decks itself out in twinkling lights and seasonal decor.

An enormous Christmas tree adorned with shells, starfish, and oceanic motifs stands in Place Chateaubriand, the open square facing the majestic Saint-Malo Cathedral.

At the Christmas Markets, open now until January 6, there’ll be festive music, decorations, concerts, and quizzes, as well as chalets with the usual Christmas treats. And Santa will definitely visit.

It’s all happening at the foot of the ramparts. Saint-Malo is keeping the Christmas spirit and traditions alive.

Find out more about Saint-Malo.

The fourth door opens, and we are happy to be in Angers.

It’s a great place to visit at any time, but there’s really something special about December.

Once the first snowflakes fall, Angers becomes a Christmas wonderland.

Imagine streets illuminated by fairy lights, beautiful medieval architecture, and a Christmas market filled with homemade crafts and traditional French delicacies! ????

Have you experienced Christmas in Angers, France? Share your memories (or dreams) in the comments.

Find out more about Angers

We’ve opened door 5 on the Advent Calendar and landed in Marseille.

The many cultures and traditions of this major port city have shaped its lively Christmas festivities.

The Old Port is the main gathering spot for celebrating Christmas. There are lights and decorations in the streets, musicians playing familiar carols and songs, and dance troupes performing the traditional Santons.

On Christmas Eve, a procession winds through Old Marseille, accompanied by donkeys, sheep, and horses.

Learn more about Marseille.

Door 6 on our Advent Calendar opens in Avignon.

Avignon’s celebrations centre on Place de l’Horloge, where the Christmas market has dozens of wooden chalet stalls selling regional delicacies, holiday decorations, and Provençal handicrafts.

On Christmas Eve, carollers gather to reenact the nativity scene before attending midnight mass at the Gothic Notre Dame des Doms Cathedral.

The non-commercial festivities reflect Avignon’s deep Catholic roots and Provençal traditions.

With song, faith, and regional foods, locals carry on Christmas traditions that are generations old.

Learn more about Avignon.

It’s December 7, and today we are in the glorious south of France, in Nice.

The Nice Christmas action unfolds on the Promenade des Anglais, where an outdoor ice skating rink, set up under the palm trees near Hotel Negresco, draws the crowds. The Christmas market nearby has festive sweets, gifts, and rides for the kids.

In the Old Town, craftspeople display their artistry in traditional wooden chalets, and brass bands perform timeless carols.

Christmas in Nice is a touch of magic against a Mediterranean backdrop.

Learn more about beautiful Nice.

It’s December 8 already. Behind today’s door on our Advent Calendar is Bordeaux, a great place at any time, but especially at this time of year.

When the Christmas spirit comes to beautiful Bordeaux, it lights up the city with holiday cheer.

A festive Christmas market with over 300 chalets takes over the downtown streets and sells artisanal goods, local delicacies, and gifts.

The city also hosts a Christmas village next to the Cathedral, in Place Pey-Berland, where visitors can ice skate against a backdrop of glittering lights or sample regional specialties, such as cannelés (rum cakes).

The Allées de Tourny glow with thousands of lights during the Christmas lights festival. Children eagerly await Père Noël for their presents on Christmas Day.

Learn more about why you should visit Bordeaux.

The Advent Calendar’s 9th door is unlocked, and we are in Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital.

Lyon glows bright during the magical Christmas season. Place Bellecour sparkles with a giant Ferris wheel and a bustling Christmas market selling local crafts and treats.

Children line up to ride the carousel and meet Père Noël to receive gifts. The Cathedrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste hosts a popular Christmas concert featuring the Lyon Symphony Orchestra and choir.

Restaurants create special menus to match the Nativity Feast, including meatless dishes and 13 desserts, to represent Jesus and his 12 apostles.

Learn more about why you’ll love Lyon.

The tenth door of our Advent Calendar is open, and today we are in Nantes.

Christmas is celebrated with festive lights, decorations, ice skating, and carousel rides.

The city comes alive with concerts, street performances, and a joyful atmosphere. It’s a memorable holiday experience.

The Nantes Christmas Market (Marché de Noël de Nantes) specialises in treats such as waffles, gingerbread, mulled wine, and hot chocolate.

You’ll also find toys and handmade works of art that make excellent presents, as well as traditional goodies like gingerbread men and roasted chestnuts. It’s all happening right in the centre of town.

Find out more about Nantes.

The 11th door is open on our 2023 Advent Calendar, and we are in beautiful Nancy, the capital of Lorraine.

From late November through December, Nancy’s splendid UNESCO-listed Place Stanislas becomes the city’s dazzling locus of Christmas magic.

The square’s 18th-century Baroque buildings and stately gates shine under elaborate light displays while festive market stalls line the square, peddling gifts, decorations, and vin chaud to the delight of locals and visitors celebrating the season together.

You can learn why Nancy offers some of the best in Grand Est

Door number 12 opens, and we are in Paris, the halfway point of our Advent Calendar adventure.

In the French capital, Christmas is a magical time, marked by enchanting decorations, festive markets, and a sense of joy.

The iconic Champs-Élysées dazzles with sparkling lights, and the Eiffel Tower transforms into a glittering spectacle.

Christmas markets, such as those at Tuileries and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, offer artisanal crafts and seasonal treats.

Around the city, there are many classical concerts, adding to the festive ambience.

Parisians indulge in gourmet delights, including Yule logs and festive pastries. The city’s grand department stores, like Galeries Lafayette, showcase elaborate window displays.

Ice skating rinks, like those near the Hôtel de Ville, provide a joyful experience for locals and visitors alike, making Christmas in Paris a truly enchanting affair.

Find out what Santa might have delivered to the people of Paris through the years.

Door number 13 on our Advent Calendar is open, and we have landed in beautiful Annecy, the Venice of the Alps.

The historic streets and canals adorned with twinkling lights create a magical ambience.

The Christmas market, located in the Old Town, offers a festive array of local crafts, seasonal treats, and holiday decorations.

Visitors can explore the Chalet du Père Noël, Santa’s workshop, where children share their wishes.

The town becomes a canvas for dazzling light displays, enhancing the festive spirit.

Choirs and musicians fill the air with melodious Christmas tunes, and the scent of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts wafts through the air.

Annecy’s Christmas festivities, blending tradition and charm, make it a joyous destination for locals and visitors alike.

Learn more about Annecy, Venice of the Alps

Our 14th door is open on our Advent Calendar, and we are in Rouen.

Christmas festivities kick off here in early December, when the city’s main square, Place du Vieux Marché, becomes a Christmas market.

Over 90 ornately decorated wooden chalets line the square, selling gifts, regional products, snacks, and warm drinks for visitors to enjoy while taking in live musical performances and light displays erected around various landmarks.

Significant gathering spots like the market and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen host Christmas choir concerts and services as well.

Stores extend their hours to accommodate shoppers, while restaurants and hotels offer holiday prix-fixe menus. Many locals adorn their homes with Christmas trees, Yule logs, and model Nativity scenes.

Père Noël brings gifts on Christmas Eve before families gather for Le Réveillon, a long celebratory dinner with special dishes like oysters, foie gras, turkey, and bûche de Noël cake.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Rouen.

We look behind door 15 of our Advent Calendar, revealing the wonderful Toulouse.

Toulouse kicks off the festivities in late November when the sprawling Christmas market opens in Place du Capitole, filling the grand central square with festive wooden chalets selling gifts, seasonal treats, and warm drinks.

Other bustling markets pop up throughout December in tourist spots like Place Saint-Georges and along Allées Jules-Guesde.

Historically significant sites like the huge Romanesque Basilica Saint-Sernin and Gothic churches hold special Christmas choirs and classical concerts this time of year as well.

Bakeries tempt passersby with elaborate bûches de Noël and thirteen desserts representing Jesus and his apostles. Homes and businesses string brightly coloured lights across their facades.

Many gather with family on Christmas Eve for the feast of Le Réveillon before heading to midnight mass. While celebrations peak quickly on Christmas Day itself, festive lights and holiday ambience carry through to early January, when decorations come down after Epiphany.

Toulouse is special this time of year, but it is a great place to visit in any season.

Door 16 is open, and we are in lovely Aix-les-Bains.

The Alpine town puts on joyful Christmas celebrations for locals and visitors alike.

The Christmas market along the shores of Lac du Bourget is especially lively, with over 100 wooden chalet stalls selling artisanal goods, mulled wine, and savoury crepes.

Carolers in traditional Alpine dress entertain the crowds, while children eagerly line up to have their photo taken with Père Noël.

The city also hosts a Christmas parade, where large floats decorated with thousands of glittering lights depict festive scenes. As the floats wind through the historic city streets, people dressed as angels, snowmen, and gift boxes walk alongside, throwing candy to spectators.

Learn more about Aix-les-Bains

Door 17 is open, and it’s just one week short of Christmas Eve.

The charming city of Aix-en-Provence sparkles even brighter during the Christmas season.

The Cours Mirabeau, the main thoroughfare, glows under elaborate arches of lights strung over the entire street.

The city’s Christmas market fills the Cours with the scents of cinnamon, cloves, and orange as vendors sell traditional santons, small, hand-painted terra cotta figurines used in nativity scenes. Choirs decked in red and green sing classic French carols while strolling from café to café.

On December 24th, locals gather in front of the Cathedral of the Holy Savior for Les Treize Desserts, a 300-year tradition of eating 13 special desserts before midnight Mass. Even families who aren’t religious keep up the custom.

Read more about Aix-en-Privence

Door 18 opens, and three-quarters of our trip is done. We are in Dijon.

The festive Christmas spirit takes over the medieval city of Dijon in magical ways.

The main street, Rue de la Liberté, glows under twinkling arches of light as the annual Christmas market lines its edges.

Local artisans sell ornate stone houses for nativity scenes along with other handmade crafts, wines, cheeses, and mistletoe harvested from Burgundy’s firs.

The scent of cinnamon and baking bread from outdoor ovens wafts through the chill December air.

On Christmas Eve, the square outside the Notre Dame de Dijon cathedral becomes home to a vivid live nativity scene with locals dressed as Mary, Joseph, and shepherds among real farm animals like sheep, goats, and donkeys.

After lining up to give animals treats, children follow Père Noël in song through the market, distributing candy canes.

For Dijonnais, both religious and not, these public yuletide traditions feed the community spirit as much as Christmas dinner feeds an appetite.

Learn more about the heart of Burgundy, the magnificent Dijon.

Door 19 is open, and we are in the historic town of Nimes.

This southern French city is bursting with Christmas spirit as the winter solstice draws near.

Every evening, spectators pack themselves along La Promenade des Antiques to watch a theatrical parade of costumes, floats, dancers, and festive characters.

Each float depicts a different ancient tale or legend, exquisitely decorated with thousands of glittering lights, towering evergreens harvested from nearby Gardon Gorges, and imagery paying homage to Nîmes’ many UNESCO sites.

Father Frost on stilts (Père Noël Échassier) throws candy while rollerblading through the crowds as carolers sing classic French Christmas songs.

On Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes on doorsteps for Père Noël to leave treats overnight.

Locals then gather at midnight mass in Nîmes Cathedral, where a life-sized Santon scene has been carefully constructed by the townspeople out of clay, moss, and other natural materials.

Discover more about Nimes

Day 20. Another door on our Advent calendar opens, and we are in Beaune, in Burgundy.

This medieval town sparkles each Christmas, especially in the jewel box-like main square, Place Carnot.

Over 20 pequats—open-face food huts—pop up around the square, selling regional treats like hot wine, roasted chestnuts, spiced bread, and more.

Carolers amplify the yuletide cheer on the streets of the town centre, which are illuminated by festive light displays arched over the roads.

On Christmas Eve, townspeople gather before the historical Notre Dame basilica, glowing golden amidst evergreen garlands and candlelight, to form a communal midnight mass choir that belts out renditions of classical carols.

After the mass, many Beaunois make their way to Les Halles du Beaune, the city’s food market, where food sellers distribute free glasses of canelé cakes, financier pastries, and champagne well past midnight.

The public Christmas conviviality bridges generations of families, visitors, and all people enjoying Beaune’s hospitality during the most wonderful time of the year.

Read more about beautiful Beaune

Day 21 and Christmas are fast approaching. Today’s door has us in Rennes.

In December, Rennes becomes a winter wonderland. The medieval half-timbered buildings of the city centre are adorned with glittering lights, festive wreaths, and red ribbons swirling overhead as you stroll from shop to charming shop.

Rennes hosts a variety of Christmas markets and fairs, where you can find dazzling Christmas markets and craft fairs that are all decked with lights, decor, and everything nice.

The markets provide extensive choices of gifts as well as delectable food, music, and a variety of entertainments.

Read more about Rennes.

December 22. Nearly there! Today, another door on our Advent calendar is open, and we are in Lille.

A blanket of cheer envelops Lille in December, when the city’s renowned Christmas market brings over two million visitors to Place Rihour.

On weekends, carolers in classic red and green perform while strolling through the markets as children ride the old-time carousel.

The main event is on Christmas Eve, when people from across the region flock to see the Parade of Giants. Towering costumed puppets crafted by renowned designers march through downtown Lille accompanied by dancers, floats of Nativity scenes, and finally, Pere Noël wishing a Joyeux Noël to all.

With abundant joie de vivre, Lille’s Christmas spirit brings the community together to celebrate the season in quintessential French fashion.

Find out why Lille is a great place to visit year-round.

The penultimate door of our Advent Calendar is open, revealing that we are in Colmar.

Colmar becomes a magical winter wonderland during the festive Christmas season. At the centre is the towering fir Christmas tree.

Every evening, the tree glows as choral groups perform, while locals and visitors mingle over mugs of vin chaud (hot spiced wine) and heaping plates of bredele cookies from the Christmas markets lining the square.

Today, December 23, children hold lit candles and follow the Wise Men on a solemn procession to Place Saint-Martin, depicting the Nativity scene to ring in the holiday.

Tomorrow, Christmas Eve fills the air of Petite Venise quarter with song as candlelit boats float under the footbridges along the river.

Find out about the best of Colmar.

Lucky last. It’s Christmas Eve and the final door of our Advent Calendar is open.

We are in Strasbourg, which is famous for many things, not least its Christmas market, which is one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to 1570.

It attracts nearly 2 million visitors annually to Place Broglie and other main squares to browse wooden chalet stalls selling ornaments, gifts, baked goods, wine, and regional specialties.

A 30-meter Christmas tree decorated with lights stands in Place Kléber alongside a mechanical clock made of gingerbread.

The market features over 300 events, including daily Advent concerts and parades with costumed characters.

Churches hold midnight mass featuring classic French carols.

Learn more about Strasbourg here.