Deauville Christmas Market

Deauville in December means a boardwalk deserted by swimmers, Normandy villas under a low sky, and a casino that switches its lights on a little earlier. Deauville Christmas market doesn't set up on a square in the centre as you might expect, but at the Deauville-La Touques Racecourse, under the great glass roof of the Dôme. This glass restaurant, normally kept for race days, becomes a festive hall where the tables make way for the stalls of Normandy craftspeople. The idea surprises at first, then makes perfect sense: you wander in the warm, sheltered from the drizzle, among wooden reindeer and fairy lights.

A Christmas market under the glass roof of the Dôme

The Deauville-La Touques Racecourse is a few minutes from the centre, at 45 avenue Hocquart-de-Turtot. The Dôme is that building made almost entirely of glass, letting the winter light pour onto the aisles. The organisers go all in on “Made in Normandie”: the exhibitors are craftspeople and producers from the region, especially from the Pays d'Auge. You'll meet makers working with leather, ceramics and wood, jam makers, cheesemongers, and people who create festive table decorations.

You can go round the chalets in under an hour, with no crowds pushing you along. There's time to chat with the stallholder, understand how they make what they sell, and leave with a gift that has a story. That's the beauty of a market this size: real conversations happen, and you pass the same stall twice.

Normandy treats to try on the spot

Normandy has plenty to fill a festive stall. At the chalets and food trucks on site, you'll find classic winter food with a few regional touches. Tartiflette and onion soup warm you up between purchases, crêpes keep the children happy, and a glass of mulled wine goes with a stroll along the aisles. If you want to make it at home afterwards, the homemade mulled wine recipe is nothing complicated.

• Cider and pommeau: you can't pass through Calvados without leaving with a bottle, often sold by producers from the nearby Pays d'Auge.
• Normandy cheeses: Livarot, Pont-l'Évêque, raw-milk Camembert, perfect for a gourmet hamper.
• Tartiflette and onion soup: served hot under the glass roof, enough to keep you going all afternoon.
• Crêpes and waffles: a safe bet for younger visitors, between activities.
• Spiced mulled wine: your companion for the wander, to sip as you browse the stalls.

Events, opening hours and getting to Deauville Christmas market

The programme is aimed squarely at families. Ice curling is set up on the ground floor of the grandstands, a change from the usual ice rink that entertains young and old alike. Father Christmas makes appearances on certain days, with photos and sweets handed out, and a magic letterbox collects children's lists. Free face painting, a winter photo corner and a prize draw complete the picture.

As for dates, the 2025 edition ran from 20 to 23 December: 10am to 6pm on the 20th and 21st, then 10am to 7.30pm on the 22nd and 23rd (race days). Dates for the 2026 edition are still to be confirmed by the racecourse, so it's best to check the official website before you travel. Entry to the market is free, including on race days (an invitation has to be downloaded on those days).

To get there, Deauville SNCF station has services from Paris Saint-Lazare, and the racecourse is then easy to reach. By car, the public car park is free on race days, subject to availability.

Making more of the Côte Fleurie

Deauville is easy to see in a day, especially as Trouville-sur-Mer is just across the Touques, a ten-minute walk over the bridge. The boardwalk, Villa Strassburger, and Les Franciscaines cultural centre with its own Advent calendar: there's plenty to add around the market. If you're planning a Christmas weekend in Normandy, you can go on to Honfleur Christmas market and its Old Harbour, a quarter of an hour's drive away, then head up to Caen Christmas market for a more urban setting. Lovers of medieval heritage will carry on to Bayeux Christmas market and its illuminated cathedral.