Mons Christmas Market

Every year the Mons Christmas market turns the Grand-Place and two other parts of the town centre into a winter village, watched over by the UNESCO World Heritage belfry. Wooden chalets, a Christmas tree, a nativity scene and lights make up the setting of “Mons Cœur en Neige”, the name given to this winter event that brings together craftspeople, shopkeepers and a covered ice rink. For people from northern France and the Avesnois, it is an easy day out, about twenty minutes from the border on the Maubeuge side, without having to go through a big city to get there.

Three districts, one Christmas village

Mons is a medium-sized town in Hainaut, the provincial capital and former seat of the counts, with a compact historic centre around its listed Grand-Place. This smaller scale is what lets “Mons Cœur en Neige” cover three districts without the visit turning into an expedition: the event is spread over three hubs linked by a free little train, which saves you walking everywhere in the cold. The Grand-Place hosts the traditional Christmas village, with its wooden chalets, a big natural Christmas tree and a monumental nativity scene in front of the town hall. It is the most photographed hub, the one that appears on most of the town's promotional images.

The Marché aux Herbes, a few minutes' walk away, offers a market under a canopy of lights stretched above the chalets, with a central bar and street entertainment in the evening. The atmosphere there is more intimate than on the Grand-Place, with a crowd that is often more local. Place Léopold, near the station, gathers the covered ice rink and a Christmas market.

Splitting the event into three distinct hubs avoids everyone crowding onto one site. Each district keeps its own atmosphere: busier and more commercial on the Grand-Place, more relaxed at the Marché aux Herbes, more geared towards children on Place Léopold.

Ice rink, crafts and festive events

The ice rink on Place Léopold covers 600 m² and stays open beyond the holidays, until 4 January. Skate hire is included in the entry price, which makes things simpler for a family arriving without equipment. Around the ice, several chalets sell local crafts (jewellery, textiles, decorations) and food to take away.

The programme includes Christmas concerts at the end of the week, rides for younger children, and two highlights at the end of the event: the balade des lumières, a light trail through the streets of the centre, and the torchlight walk, which crosses the historic centre in the evening before the market closes. These two events draw most of the crowds: a weekday afternoon is much quieter.

For families, Place Léopold remains the best hub for young children, with its ice rink for those who can’t stand still in front of the chalets. The compact site makes it easy to keep an eye on the little ones without running from one end of the market to the other. On the Grand-Place, the monumental nativity scene in front of the town hall is a classic stop for family photos, before or after a turn on the ride; for many children, the little train between the three hubs is as much part of the outing as the market itself.

Pushchairs get around easily on the Grand-Place and the Marché aux Herbes, two pedestrian areas that are mostly flat. The ice rink offers skating aids for beginners and people with reduced mobility, on request from the staff. A weekday afternoon outside Belgian school holidays is the quietest time for a first visit with toddlers.

The Mons belfry, a UNESCO site

Standing 87 metres tall and completed in the 17th century, the Mons belfry is part of the UNESCO listing of the belfries of Belgium and France, alongside buildings such as those of Arras and Douai on the French side. During the Christmas market it is lit up every evening and visually closes off the Grand-Place, its chalets and its tree, providing a landmark visible from almost every street in the town centre. Its carillon of 49 bells, including a bourdon weighing several tonnes, keeps ringing above the chalets throughout the market.

Once the capital of the county and then the province of Hainaut, Mons keeps a tight-knit centre around its collegiate church of Sainte-Waudru and this belfry, so you can see everything on foot between two stops at the market. The town is also known for its Ducasse and the combat known as the Lumeçon, a folk tradition that is itself recognised by UNESCO, but it takes place in summer and has no direct link to the Christmas market.

Mons Christmas market 2026: getting there from France, opening hours and prices

By car, Mons is about twenty minutes from Maubeuge on the N2, then the N6 on the Belgian side, and around 45 minutes from Valenciennes on the A2 (E19), which becomes the A7 on the Belgian side and joins the E42 at Hautrage. Lille is just over an hour's drive via Tournai. The town-centre car parks (Halle, Grand-Place) offer the first hour free, and on-street parking is free from 5pm on weekdays and all day on Sundays, which makes a late-afternoon arrival easier.

By train, Mons station is ten minutes' walk from the Grand-Place, on a direct route to Place Léopold and its ice rink. From Lille, you need to change in Tournai. From Paris, the route goes via Brussels (Eurostar or TGV), with a connection to Mons; the full journey takes more than two hours, which is still reasonable for a day trip if you catch an early morning train. For travellers coming from further afield in Belgium or from Germany, Mons has regular connections with Brussels-Midi throughout the day, which leaves plenty of flexibility for the outward and return journeys.

The exact dates of the 2026 edition are still to be confirmed on the official website monscoeurenneige.be: recent editions have covered the first half of December, with the ice rink extended until 4 January. Opening hours have not been set yet either. For the ice rink, expect an hourly rate including skate hire, with a reduced price for under-12s. Entry to all three markets is free; only the ice rink charges.

For a day trip, the most logical sequence is the Grand-Place market in the late morning, lunch around the Marché aux Herbes, then the ice rink or a stroll to Place Léopold in the afternoon. Families with young children often prefer the early afternoon, calmer than a weekend evening. Free parking in the evening and the nearby station make the town easy to reach without major traffic hassle, even on a Saturday. To combine two markets on the same day, the Valenciennes Christmas market is on the way back for anyone coming from further into the Nord département.

Food and mulled wine at the Mons markets

The chalets serve the seasonal food typical of Belgian markets: Liège waffles, chichis, Hainaut cheeses, charcuterie and mulled wine to warm up between two stands. The Marché aux Herbes, with its central bar, is well suited to a sit-down break rather than a quick walk past the chalets. Some chalets focus on more local products (regional beers, Hainaut specialities), alongside the more classic sweets and hot drinks found at most markets in the region.

Mons mulled wine comes with a slice of orange, in line with the most widespread mulled wine recipe.

• The Christmas village on the Grand-Place, with its wooden chalets and natural tree, at the foot of the UNESCO belfry.
• The 600 m² covered ice rink on Place Léopold, open until early January.
• The Marché aux Herbes, with its canopy of lights and central bar for a warm break.
• The torchlight walk, which closes the event with a procession through the historic centre.
• About twenty minutes away by car, the Maubeuge Christmas market rounds off the outing on the French side; for a longer weekend, the Brussels Christmas market is a train ride from Mons station.