The Best Of Paris for the Festive Season

The Festive Season is in full swing in Paris even if the weather is more spring-like than winter and even if the Christmas Markets and the Department Stores are less crowded than usual due to 13 November attacks. Our city is so magical with its Christmas lights and shop windows that strolling in Paris streets at night at that time of the year is just a delight.

Top Ten Christmas lights and shop windows

Here is my Top ten of the most exceptional Christmas lights not to be missed in Paris:

1. The Avenue Montaigne, so beautiful and showing this year again the wonderful bottle of perfume ‘J’adore’ in front of Dior!

Festive Season - Paris - The Avenue Montaigne
Festive Season – Paris – The Avenue Montaigne
Festive Season-Paris-A building Avenue Montaigne
Festive Season – Paris – A building Avenue Montaigne
Festive Season - Paris - Dior Avenue Montaigne
Festive Season – Paris – Dior Avenue Montaigne

2. The Champs Elysées of course!

Festive Season-Paris-Avenue des Champs Elysees
Festive Season – Paris – Avenue des Champs Elysées

3. The Place Vendôme and streets nearby, decorated with a lot of Christmas trees. 4. The rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. 5. The shop windows of the Galeries Lafayette and the Christmas tree inside. 6. The shop windows of the Printemps Haussmann, fairy and sparkling to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Department store. 7. The Magical Garden in Bercy Village. 8. The lights of the Viaduc des Arts. 9. The rue Clerc, the rue Mouffetard, the rue Montorgueil, … : all the Parisian pedestrian shopping streets are beautifully illuminated. 10. The shop windows of the Bon Marché, so smart!

Festive Season - Paris - The rue des Francs Bourgeois in the Marais
Festive Season – Paris – The rue des Francs Bourgeois in the Marais
Top Five Christmas Markets

From mid-November till early January dozens of Christmas markets are held all over Paris: I like their wooden chalets and magical Christmas atmosphere. My favourites are:

On the right bank: 1. The Christmas market of the Champs Elysées of course, always so mythical and even more exceptional this year as it has been inviting 40 creative craftsmen. 2. The Christmas market of La Défense, which is the biggest of all and the best for all kind of shopping.

Festive Season - Paris - Christmas market on the Champs Elysées
Festive Season – Paris – Christmas market on the Champs Elysées
Festive Season - Paris - A wooden chalet on a Christmas market
Festive Season – Paris – A wooden chalet on a Christmas market

On the left bank: 3. The Christmas market of Saint Sulpice, the best for typical Christmas objects, decorations and crib figures. 4. The Christmas market Paris Notre Dame, specialized in arts and crafts. 5. The Christmas market of the Quai Branly, with beautiful views on the Eiffel Tower!

Top Five Christmas family activities

Unfortunately the Ice rink Place de l’Hotel de Ville has not been setlled this year as the square was occupied until mid-December by stands on the occasion of COP21.  However skating lovers can enjoy two other skating rings with prime locations in Paris: Either the large one located in the Christmas market of the Champs Elysées, until 4 January ; or the small one on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, until 31 January.

Festive Season - Paris - The Ice rink near the Hotel de Ville in 2014
Festive Season – Paris – The Ice rink near the Hotel de Ville in 2014

And my three other favourites apart of skating are: 1. The big wheel on the Place de la Concorde, beautifully lit up in blue white red. 2. The Carnival ‘Jours de Fête’ and its 50 fairground attractions under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. 3. The free merry-go-rounds for kids in each area of Paris.

Festive Season-Paris-Merry go round
Festive Season – Paris – A free Merry-go-round

‘Paris est une fête’, ‘A Moveable Feast’, let’s pay tribute to Hemingway and celebrate the festive season in Paris!

Christine Bokobza – Good Morning Paris B&B – www.goodmorningparis.fr

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