Food, festivity, and frivolity go hand in hand during the winters in Paris. Paris hotels become packed with revellers looking for Christmas gifts and seasonal entertainment. Here is our guide to the best of what is on offer…
Of course, Paris has several attractions which can be visited all year round, from the art galleries to the boulevards. But towards the winter months, the city has a festive atmosphere that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Wrap up warm, find a base at one of the many central Paris hotels and amble to your heart’s content.
Soak up the atmosphere of locals preparing for the seasonal festivities, and recognize that you in Paris you can enjoy Christmas stress-free! Duck into cafes to warm up and enjoy a break from sightseeing or shopping. Internationally recognized icons of heritage, art and history mean that there is always something to see and do in Paris. The weather, be it good or bad, has little impact on being able to enjoy them. Families should visit the seasonal fairs and merry-go-rounds – and of course, Disneyland Paris always puts on an extravagant show.
This is game season in Paris, making for exotic, indulgent, and sumptuous dishes in every level of bistro and restaurant. To work up an appetite, resist the roasted chestnuts cooking in the open air, if you can. From champagne, to elaborate dinners to fireworks, these celebrations, centred around food, stretch on well into the New Year – both secular and Chinese. Paris is certainly a city surrounded by pomp and boisterous celebrations.
As Christmas approaches, the iconic Champs-Elysees beams with an astonishing display of lights on the trees that line the long boulevard from Place de la Concorde through to L’arc de Triomphe. Evergreens decorate the streets, golden fairy lights adorn the street lights, and glittering decorations are to be found in every shop window. Down the road, dramatic window displays at the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps on the Boulevard Haussmann will leave you wide-eyed and open-mouthed. The Paris hotels, too, are transformed into winter wonderlands with a seasonal charm.
From the Marais to St Germain, rustic Christmas markets are everywhere. Hot, freshly-cooked foods can be sampled alongside mulled wines and other traditional festive treats. Several ice-skating rinks open in festive locations, such as the Hotel de Ville – ideal for the Centre Pompidou and Les Halles shopping plaza. There are also rinks which can be found at the foot of the Montparnasse tower, and even two hundred feel in the air on the first level of the Eiffel Tower. Skate with the city at your feet!
There are so many festive activities to enjoy in Paris. You won’t be disappointed with a Christmas break in the city of lights.
