Angoulême Christmas Market

Angoulême climbs up its limestone plateau, ringed by ramparts, with Saint-Pierre Cathedral and the comic-strip murals that made its name. When December comes round, the Angoulême Christmas market takes over the heart of the upper town, on Place des Halles, right beside the covered market hall. Some thirty wooden chalets, an ice rink that catches the light, a carousel for the little ones: the town centre becomes a seasonal village without you ever having to leave the historic cobbles.

Angoulême Christmas market on Place des Halles

The market sits on Place des Halles (also known as Place Guillon), backing onto the handsome 19th-century iron market hall. The chalets line a few lanes, which makes wandering easy: you can do the full loop at your own pace, mulled wine in hand, without ever getting lost. Charente craftspeople and producers run most of the stalls, with plenty of gift ideas and treats. Jewellery, pottery, soaps, turned-wood decorations: the festive table gets as much attention as the tree, and the pineau producer hands you a cup to taste while the potter lifts the latest batch out of the kiln.

The ice rink on the square is a regular fixture. It's real ice, open to children and adults alike, and it gives the place that lively end-of-year buzz everyone loves. The first laps are wobbly, the next ones a little less so, and you come off with rosy cheeks, ready to warm up at the counters. The carousel completes the picture for families. All around, the stalls serve their mulled wine recipes in steaming cups, and the smell of roasted chestnuts drifts through the air as soon as night falls. The upper town, with its tightly packed façades and cobbles, holds the warmth of the lights and gives the market the feel of an old city in festive mood.

Charente specialities and treats

Charente has plenty to fill a festive hamper. On the stalls you'll come across Pineau des Charentes, the fortified wine made from grape must and young cognac, served well chilled as an aperitif. It comes in white, rosé or red, and makes a hostess gift that's easy to carry. Cognac itself is never far away, in small gift bottles, in filled chocolates or as homemade truffles on a few stalls. On the sweet side, the galette charentaise, a butter biscuit flavoured with cognac, is the safe bet to slip into your bag: a shortbread created in the 19th century to use up the surplus butter and eggs from the farms. The more adventurous leave with cagouilles, the small grey snails the region simmers in white wine, garlic and a dash of cognac.

• Pineau des Charentes: white, rosé or red, served chilled, ideal for a festive aperitif.
• Cognac: in gift bottles, or as chocolates and homemade truffles on a few stalls.
• Galette charentaise: butter shortbread flavoured with cognac or vanilla, easy to give as a present.
• Cagouilles à la charentaise for the curious, small grey snails simmered in white wine and cognac.
• Mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and papillotes (wrapped chocolates) to keep you going between the chalets.

Entertainment, opening hours and getting to Angoulême Christmas market

The market comes with a proper festive programme: open-air concerts, magicians and visits from Father Christmas for the children. In 2025, Angoulême added its Mapping de Noël, a trail of projections in the town hall courtyard, on the mural dedicated to Goscinny and on the law courts, every evening from 6pm. A town built on comics knows how to put its walls on show, and once evening falls the light tells a story that goes well beyond ordinary festive lighting.

For the 2026 opening hours, it's best to check with the town and the tourist office, as this year's edition hasn't been confirmed yet. In 2025, the market opened every day from 10am to 8pm, with a late opening until 11pm on one Saturday. Expect dates to be confirmed around mid-December.

Getting there is simple. By train, Angoulême station is served by the high-speed line from Paris (about two hours) and by regional services to Bordeaux and Poitiers. From the station, the upper town is a few minutes' uphill walk, or a short bus ride. By car, several car parks surround the historic centre, including the Halles car park a stone's throw from the square. Entry to the market is free, while the ice rink and the carousel charge a fee.

What to see around the market

Angoulême is best explored on foot, and the Christmas season lends itself to a short heritage walk. Saint-Pierre Cathedral and its carved Romanesque façade, a few streets from the market, are well worth the stroll. The ramparts give you an open view over the Charente valley, pleasant even under a winter sky. And there's no missing the murals: the town has around thirty of them, a tribute to its role as the capital of comics and to its international festival.

If you're continuing through Nouvelle-Aquitaine, several towns hold their markets within easy reach. The Poitiers Christmas market is about an hour away by train, the Limoges Christmas market lies over in Haute-Vienne, and towards the ocean the La Rochelle Christmas market makes for a getaway between ramparts and the old harbour.