Autun Christmas Market

Set between the hills of the Morvan and the Burgundy plain, Autun hides two thousand years of history behind its stone façades. Autun Christmas market makes the most of this setting by bringing its exhibitors together, in 2026, in the Salle La Vaillante and along the Promenade des Marbres, on Avenue Louis Basdevant. For one December weekend, regional crafts, treats and entertainment warm up a town that was once Augustodunum, the “sister and rival of Rome”. The market spreads out here amid an ancient heritage that is still very much alive, with the Roman theatre and the monumental gates a few streets from the stalls.

The atmosphere is friendly and family-oriented. You meet local makers and Morvan producers, enough to find a few gift ideas without rushing. Entry is free, which makes it an easy outing for a weekend before Christmas in Saône-et-Loire. Autun has just under 13,000 inhabitants, so the market stays on a scale where you take the time to talk to the exhibitors rather than elbow your way through.

Autun Christmas market, Salle La Vaillante and Promenade des Marbres

In 2026, the event takes place in the Salle La Vaillante and along the Promenade des Marbres, on Avenue Louis Basdevant. The stands house artisans, makers and producers from all over the region, with a closeness that makes conversation easy: you talk to the person who made the item and find out where the product comes from. The indoor section lets you take a break in the warm between two rounds of the stands.

The 2026 edition takes place over the weekend of 5 and 6 December 2026, from 10am to 7pm on the Saturday and from 10am to 6pm on the Sunday, with the entertainment programme still to come. The format is designed for all ages, with crafts and food, a selection of regional exhibitors and the usual seasonal entertainment. Each year the town hall issues a call for artisans and makers to fill the stands, which ensures a line-up that changes from one edition to the next. The detailed programme is still to come, as is the possible presence of activities for younger children or live music at the weekend.

This short format has its advantages: one concentrated weekend, a human-scale site, and the feeling of a real local event rather than a set built for a month. Autun families meet up here, and visitors passing through find a pleasant stop on the way to the Burgundy vineyards or the Morvan.

What to eat and what to take home

Burgundy cooking sets the tone of the food stalls. The Morvan is charcuterie country, and jambon persillé is the local classic: desalted pork shoulder, cooked in a court-bouillon and then set in a jelly flavoured with parsley and garlic. Alongside it, you will find cured ham slowly dried at altitude, rosette sausage, andouille, black pudding and matured cheeses from the area. Gaudes, a porridge of roasted maize flour that fed generations of farmers until after the war, are part of the local culinary heritage, as is the crapiau, a thick buckwheat pancake with bacon flavoured with garlic and parsley.

On the sweet side, gingerbread and honey from the hives of the massif suit the season perfectly. And since this is Burgundy, wines from neighbouring appellations are never far away: a white for the Christmas aperitif, a red with ageing potential for the meal. The producers at the market enjoy explaining their wines, which helps you choose well when you leave with a few bottles.

• Jambon persillé and Morvan charcuterie, to take away for the holidays.
• Burgundy wines from neighbouring appellations, to go with a Christmas meal.
• Honey, gingerbread and confectionery from regional producers.
• Handmade crafts: turned wood, ceramics, wool and handmade decorations.
• A cup of mulled wine to warm up between two aisles, and you can find the homemade recipe to make it again at home.

Augustodunum and Saint-Lazare: a heritage walk

It is worth getting to Autun a little before the chalets open. The town has kept a rare Gallo-Roman ensemble: the ancient theatre, one of the largest in Roman Gaul, the so-called Temple of Janus whose walls still stand by the Arroux, and the monumental Saint-André and Arroux gates that marked the entrance to the city. It is the legacy of Augustodunum, Autun’s ancient name, a city founded under the emperor Augustus.

A little higher up, the medieval town is organised around Saint-Lazare Cathedral, built around 1120-1130 in the spirit of Cluny and crowned with a 15th-century Gothic spire. Its Last Judgement tympanum, carved by Gislebertus and signed with his name in full, ranks among the masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art: an immense Christ sits enthroned in the centre, surrounded by the resurrected, angels and scenes of the weighing of souls, with an eye for detail that made the sculptor’s reputation. Inside, the capitals tell biblical stories with the same freedom of hand.

At the gateway to the Morvan, the town also opens onto the neighbouring forested massif, its lakes and villages. This double identity, Roman and medieval, shows on every street corner: you go from the remains of Augustodunum to the mansions of the old town in a few minutes’ walk. In Autun, heritage and market meet without you having to rush from one site to another: everything is concentrated in the historic centre.

Getting there and planning

Autun is easy to reach by car via the A6 (Chalon-Nord or Beaune exit, then follow signs for Autun) or via the RCEA from the north and west. Allow about 1h20 from Dijon and a little less from Chalon-sur-Saône. By train, Autun station is served via connections at Étang-sur-Arroux or Le Creusot TGV, the latter linking to Paris in about 1h20, followed by a coach or car journey to the centre. Parking near the market is reasonable on a December weekend, but it is best to aim for early afternoon to find a space close to the market.

The streets climbing up to the cathedral take a little effort with a pushchair or in a wheelchair. With free entry to the market, you can keep your budget for food and gifts, which makes the outing easy to fit into half a day.

If you extend your stay, Burgundy has plenty of Christmas markets around Autun. Beaune Christmas market and its Hospices can be visited on the same trip, Chalon-sur-Saône Christmas market stretches along the Saône, and further north Dijon Christmas market offers a fuller programme over several weeks.

Our tips for your visit

With only one weekend, you might as well come early in the weekend to enjoy well-stocked stalls and avoid the most popular food products selling out. The Burgundy cold in December bites: hat, gloves and good shoes, as you will also be walking the cobbled streets of the old town. A stop at the cathedral before or after the market rounds off the outing without adding to the journey, since everything is within walking distance.

For families, free entry and the entertainment make the day easy to organise. If you want to stay longer, the Musée Rolin and its collection of Romanesque sculpture, or a walk to the ancient theatre, fill a late afternoon before you head home. And to bring a little of the atmosphere home, a cup of mulled wine on the spot and then the recipe made again at home remain the best way to make the season last. Finally, remember to check the entertainment programme before you set off, as that detail of the 2026 edition has yet to be finalised.