Caen Christmas Market

Caen Christmas market likes to stretch out: the chalets run from Place de la République to Boulevard Maréchal-Leclerc, the shop windows compete with strings of lights and the town hall façade turns into a giant Advent calendar. Here, a visit feels like a stroll through a whole city centre in festive mode, with illuminations on until 11pm, and all night long on 24 and 31 December.

A chalet village that hugs the whole city centre

The 2025 edition lined up 56 chalets between Place de la République and Boulevard Maréchal-Leclerc, with an offer that goes well beyond the usual pairing of woolly hats and mulled wine: santons (Provençal nativity figures), toys, household linen, organic cosmetics, local food products and even a few sweet treats from Canada. Two mascots roam the aisles, one carousel turns inside the market on Place de la République and a second on Place Bouchard.

When it comes to entertainment, the city goes all out: barrel organ, brass bands, snowman-making workshops, face painting for children, musical shows by students of the Conservatoire and the Orchestre de Caen. Father Christmas has his chalet on Boulevard Maréchal-Leclerc, open on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons until 24 December; on certain days a photographer elf gives children their photo for free. And every evening at 6pm, from 1 to 24 December, a window of the town hall lights up to reveal a brand-new surprise.

Caen Christmas market dates and opening hours for 2026

Caen Événements has already set the 2026 edition: from 28 November to 29 December, with around fifty chalets announced. Detailed opening hours will be confirmed closer to the opening. In 2025, the market opened every day from 11am to 7.30pm (from 2pm on Mondays), stayed open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays, closed at 4pm on Christmas Eve and took Christmas Day off.

Hot cider, tartiflette and Normandy produce

The food chalets go for comfort: seafood, raclette sandwiches, tartiflette, pretzels, Liège waffles and mulled wine. The local take on winter warmth is hot spiced cider, worth seeking out among the hot-drinks chalets. On the regional produce stalls, the Normandy classics are in demand: salted butter caramels, teurgoule (slow-baked rice pudding), artisan honeys and jams.

Two food events complete the picture. In mid-December, the Region holds a gourmet market in the cloister of the Abbaye aux Dames, with a selection of Normandy producers and artisans. On 23 December, Place Saint-Sauveur hosts the market of the Calvados farm producers: farmhouse cheeses, Christmas poultry, foie gras, snails, cider products, honey. Perfect for rounding off your Christmas Eve menu straight from the source.

Getting there: tram, free shuttle and car parks

You can reach the city centre by tram on lines T1, T2 and T3, Bernières stop, a few minutes' walk from the chalets. Over the festive period, Twisto runs a free electric shuttle through the centre from Monday to Saturday, 7.30am to 8pm, every 15 minutes. On the weekends before Christmas, a €5 family ticket lets five people travel all day without limits.

If you drive, the République underground car park sits right beneath the square (527 spaces). The city offers 30 free minutes in the Hôtel de Ville and Gardin car parks, one hour of free on-street parking on Saturdays, and a park-and-ride at the Palais des Sports linked to the centre by the shuttle.

Fancy carrying on the chalet tour? Rouen Christmas market pairs well with Caen for a Normandy weekend, and Amiens is worth the detour if you are heading north.