Arles Christmas Market

Beneath the bare plane trees of Place de la République, between the town hall and the doorway of Saint-Trophime, Arles Christmas market sets up its twenty or so chalets a few steps from the Roman arena. The town Van Gogh painted in yellow and blue takes on the warm glow of fairy lights in December, with the obelisk in the middle and the UNESCO-listed façades just behind. Here, Christmas speaks Provençal: santons in the shop windows, thirteen desserts on the table, a nativity scene set up in the Église des Trinitaires.

Strolling between the chalets on Place de la République

The market fills Place de la République, the large paved square framed by Saint-Trophime Cathedral, the town hall and the Chapelle Sainte-Anne. Some twenty wooden chalets line up here, and you can go round in an hour without rushing: you chat with the craftsperson who set up the stall, you double back because something caught your eye. The Roman obelisk standing in the middle of the square, lit up in the evening, makes a handy landmark.

All around, the old town is made for wandering. The narrow lanes of the Roquette district, the arena two minutes away, the ancient theatre just behind: you go from a food chalet to a two-thousand-year-old monument without any effort. A 200 m² synthetic ice rink adds to the scene throughout the festive season, with cheap skate hire for anyone who wants to test their balance.

Santons and Provençal crafts

You cannot talk about Christmas in Arles without santons. The Chapelle Sainte-Anne, right on the square, hosts the Salon international des santonniers every winter, an event that has been running for more than sixty years. These hand-painted clay figurines fill Provençal nativity scenes: the miller, the washerwoman, the knife grinder, the shepherd and his sheep, all the little village folk making their way to the stable. On the market stalls, you will find both dressed santons and bare clay pieces to collect.

The rest of the crafts follow the same local vein: soaps, fabrics printed with Provençal patterns, pottery, oils and honeys from the nearby Alpilles. It is the kind of place where a gift means something because it comes from a workshop just down the road.

The Provençal nativity scene is far more than a decoration. It depicts a whole village making its way down to the Nativity, and every Arles family adds to theirs year after year. The same spirit runs through the pastrage, the shepherds' ceremony in which a newborn lamb is offered during midnight mass, a ritual handed down from the Camargue transhumance. The market keeps this tradition alive, from the figurines on the stalls to the great nativity scene at the Trinitaires.

Treats: the thirteen desserts and mulled wine

The Provençal Christmas table has its rules, and Arles honours them. The thirteen desserts round off the gros souper, the big Christmas Eve supper: a symbolic number standing for Christ and the twelve apostles. They include the four mendiants (dried figs, almonds, walnuts, raisins), the pompe à huile that you break by hand, black and white nougat, candied fruit from Apt, dates and fresh grapes kept since the harvest. At the market, several chalets sell them or offer tastings.

For something warm, the spiced mulled wine recipe warms your hands after dark, best enjoyed with a slice of fougasse or a chichi fregi, depending on the stall. A few ideas of what to slip into your bag or taste on the spot:

• The thirteen desserts, to put together yourself at the stalls or to taste during the events on Place du Forum.
• Pompe à huile, a flat brioche scented with orange blossom and the emblem of the Provençal Christmas Eve feast.
• Black nougat with honey and almonds, hard to the bite, and its softer white cousin.
• Spiced mulled wine, plus hot apple juice for the children, served at the drinks chalets.
• Clay santons, to take home and add to the family nativity scene year after year.

Events, nativity scene and the grand parade

The festive programme, called Calend'Arles, goes well beyond the chalets. The monumental Provençal nativity scene is unveiled in early December at the Église des Trinitaires, on rue de la République, and stays on view until mid-January. Brass bands roam the streets, a fairy-tale ball kicks off the festivities, and the Grande Parade lumineuse wraps everything up around 23 December with fireworks. A Camargue Christmas celebrates the gardians (Camargue cowboys), their horses and traditional costumes over one weekend.

For children, the Espace Van Gogh hosts dedicated activities, and Father Christmas poses for photos at the opening. Entry to the market is free, and at the ice rink you only pay for skate hire. A Noël des Pichouns, designed for little ones, runs for a good part of the school holidays.

Getting there, opening hours and practical info for Arles Christmas market

Arles is easy to reach by train: the station is served by TER and TGV trains from Marseille, Avignon and Nîmes, about ten minutes' walk from Place de la République. By car, several town-centre car parks become free during Advent (Sixte-Quenin, Chabourlet-Centre, Minimes), and free shuttles link outlying areas to the historic centre. The market usually runs from early December to Christmas Eve, with late openings at weekends. The dates of the 2026 edition are to be confirmed with the tourist office.

The train gets you to Avignon in twenty minutes: Avignon Christmas market and its City of the Popes are well worth the trip, while Aix-en-Provence Christmas market lines its chalets along the Cours Mirabeau. Further south, Marseille Christmas market and its santon fair complete a fine loop around Provence.