Dijon Christmas Market

Place de la Libération, a Mansart showcase

Place de la Libération was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart at the end of the 17th century, modelled on the royal squares of Versailles. Its semi-circular shape, its arcades in Burgundy stone and the Palace of the Dukes as a backdrop make it one of the most beautiful urban squares in France. When the lights come on across the facades around 5pm, the effect is striking.

Sixty-five chalets are set up around the central fountain. The tree, more modest than Strasbourg's (12 metres), is traditionally decked in red and gold baubles. The market continues along Rue de la Liberté, the main pedestrian street, where another thirty or so chalets are given over to street food.

Burgundy food in the spotlight

Gingerbread, mustard, blackcurrant, boeuf bourguignon: the local staples are everywhere. Mulot et Petitjean, founded in 1796, runs the most visited stall: plain gingerbread, honey-filled, orange-glazed, in loaves. Allow €8 to €14 for artisan gingerbread depending on size. Nonnettes (small round honey cakes with a filling) make good gifts to take home.

Dijon mustard, which paradoxically is now made more by Maille than by Dijon's own artisans, is regaining a network of craft producers (Maison Edmond Fallot, Moutarderie La Bourgogne) who make the real thing with stone mills. Taste before you buy: the difference from the industrial version is clear.

For drinks, Dijon crème de cassis is served as a kir royal by the glass (blackcurrant liqueur + Crémant de Bourgogne) at €5 on several stalls. Kirs with cassis or blackberry are the version without bubbles. Burgundy mulled wine, made with gamay or generic pinot noir, is more subtle than the southern versions.

The Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie

A bonus for food-loving visitors: the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, opened in 2022 in the former general hospital, is 15 minutes' walk from the market. It offers permanent exhibitions on French gastronomy, cookery workshops and a market village with producers. Pairing it with the Christmas market makes for a full, themed day out.

Entertainment and shows

Sound and light show on the Palace of the Dukes: 12 minutes of free video mapping every evening at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. The result on the 15th-century facades is elegant, more understated than Reims's show on its Gothic cathedral.

Open-air ice rink on Place de la République, 8 minutes' walk away. Free every day except Saturday evening, with skate hire extra at €4. Children get priority in the morning sessions.

Worth combining

Dijon sits at the heart of the region: Beaune and its Hospices are 40 minutes away by TER regional train, Besançon 1 hour, Vézelay 1h30 by car. For wine lovers, the Route des Grands Crus runs through the Côte de Nuits (Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot) between Dijon and Beaune: the drive can be done in half a day, and several estates offer winter tastings by appointment.