Épernay Christmas Market

The capital of champagne, Épernay drapes itself in fairy lights from late November and turns its town centre into a winter village. Épernay Christmas market sets up around Place Bernard-Stasi and Place Hugues-Plomb, a short walk from the Avenue de Champagne and its great houses (Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, Pol Roger). Beneath the illuminated façades, you drift from the chalets to the ice rink and from a glass of bubbly to a mulled wine, in an atmosphere that is as much funfair as tasting room.

Épernay Christmas market, between chalets and the Eper'neige village

For the festive season, the town renames its centre “Eper'neige”. On Place Hugues-Plomb and Place Bernard-Stasi, an outdoor ice rink sits alongside a sledging run and a village of winter games. All around, wooden chalets sell local Champagne crafts, decorations and treats. Entry to the market and the illuminations is free; only skating on the rink is charged.

You explore on foot, between the stalls and the giant Advent calendar set up every year from 1 to 24 December. Take the time to walk up the Avenue de Champagne after dark: the grand mansions of the champagne houses are lit up, and the contrast with the white chalk of the cellars dug beneath the town gives the stroll a character all its own. Chatting with the stallholders, often local producers and makers, is as rewarding as the shopping.

The scale stays human. This isn't a giant with two hundred chalets like in some big cities, but a compact layout you walk round in a loop, with the ice rink in the middle and stalls all around. Families like to meet here in the late afternoon, when children switch from the sledging run to hot chocolate while their parents linger at a champagne bar. It's a market to soak up rather than march around, glass in hand.

Champagne treats and specialities at Épernay Christmas market

It's hard to come to the capital of champagne without raising a glass of bubbly. Stalls sell flutes to take away, but also ratafia champenois, a sweet mistelle made from grape must and brandy that's drunk as an aperitif. On the sweet side, the biscuit rose de Reims, the pink Reims biscuit, is dunked in champagne as local tradition dictates and flavours many of the region's desserts.

To warm up, everyone gravitates towards the steaming cauldrons. Mulled wine flows freely on the stalls, sometimes lifted with a dash of marc de Champagne for the local version. If you want to recreate the atmosphere at home, a good spiced mulled wine recipe does the job nicely on December evenings. Savoury food holds its own too, with produce that tells the story of Champagne and the surrounding area:

• Boudin blanc, the white pudding whose Rethel version (from the neighbouring Ardennes) is renowned, served pan-fried at the food stalls.
• Chaource, a creamy AOP cheese from the Aube, perfect on a slice of country bread.
• Champagne by the glass, from brut to rosé depending on which winegrowers are there.
• Ratafia and marc de Champagne, to be enjoyed in moderation.
• Pink Reims biscuits and gingerbread, to go with a coffee or a hot chocolate.

Entertainment, opening times and Habits de Lumière

The highlight of December is Habits de Lumière, a three-day celebration of champagne. It usually takes place over a mid-December weekend, from Friday to Sunday. The 2026 dates are still to be confirmed by the town. On the evening programme: video mapping projected onto the town hall façade, live shows, champagne bars set up along the avenue and fireworks. Saturday puts gastronomy in the spotlight with food and champagne pairing workshops (booking required, around €20 per person), chef demonstrations and a pastry competition for children. On Sunday, a parade of more than four hundred vintage vehicles makes its way through the streets, one of the biggest gatherings of its kind in north-eastern France.

These three days are grafted onto the Féeries de Noël, which keep the town centre busy for more than a month. The upshot: depending on when you come, you might land on a calm, family weekend around the ice rink, or on the buzz of Habits de Lumière, when the Avenue de Champagne fills up and the bubbles flow late into the night. Both moods are worth it, so pick your pace.

Father Christmas day, around mid-December, adds a parade starting from Place Bernard-Stasi and a DJ night on the ice rink. The Féeries de Noël run from late November to early January, with a giant Advent calendar and visits from Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas. Check the town's official website before planning your weekend, as the detailed programme is published as the festive season approaches. The ice rink and leisure areas open in the afternoon and evening, closing early on 24 and 31 December and taking a break on 25 December and 1 January.

Getting to and visiting Épernay Christmas market

The train is still the easiest option: Épernay station is served by TER regional trains from Reims (about 25 minutes) and Châlons-en-Champagne, with special fares during Habits de Lumière. The station is a five-minute walk from the centre, which saves you taking the car on busy evenings. By car, the free parking on Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle is handy, as the centre is partly closed to traffic during the event. After that everything is on foot and on the flat, so the route is accessible for pushchairs and people with reduced mobility.

Allow one to two hours to wander between the chalets, the ice rink and the illuminated avenue, longer if you follow up with a cellar visit. Champagne is full of other markets to combine on the same trip: the big Reims Christmas market with its cathedral close by or, a little further south, Troyes Christmas market in its half-timbered old town. To the east, Metz Christmas market and its many squares open up a lovely loop through the Grand Est for anyone staying several days.

What to see around the Avenue de Champagne

You can do the market in half a day, but Épernay deserves a longer stay. The Avenue de Champagne, nicknamed the richest avenue in the world for the bottles sleeping beneath it, is lined with houses open for tastings. Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, Pol Roger and de Castellane, with its panoramic tower, offer tours of cellars carved into the chalk, an experience to book well ahead over the festive season. Many visitors leave with a few bottles bought straight from the producer, a tasty follow-up to a day at the market.

To round off the walk, climb up to the park of Villa Bissinger or head for the slopes above the town: on a clear day, the view over the Champagne vineyards, a World Heritage Site, is worth the short detour. And if the cold gets the better of you, the cafés and brasseries in the centre are happy to serve a farmhouse chaource or a flute of local champagne so you can end the day in the warm.