Nantes Christmas Market

Two squares, two moods

Nantes plays on two complementary stages. Place du Commerce, served by all three tram lines, hosts the red and white chalets and the food. The mood there is lively and busy, sometimes packed on a Saturday night.

Place Royale, grander with its neoclassical fountain of 1865, is home to Father Christmas’s illuminated house, the Ateliers des lutins and designer-maker chalets (jewellery, ceramics, textiles). The lighting is more restrained, the atmosphere more contemplative. The two squares almost touch, two or three minutes’ walk from each other.

The Voyage à Nantes effect

What sets Nantes apart: the Christmas market is part of the Voyage à Nantes trail, a permanent art project that weaves around twenty contemporary works into the city. The green line painted on the ground links these works and runs through the market squares. Children follow the line, adults enjoy the cultural stroll between two tastings.

Les Machines de l'Île, 15 minutes' walk away, stays open over the holidays. The Grand Éléphant takes its daily walk even in December. The perfect family combo: Machines in the morning, market in the afternoon, illuminations in the evening.

Local food, Nantes style

The market showcases producers from the Loire region. The gâteau nantais (a sweet almond and rum cake from a 19th-century recipe) is the emblem: try it at Vincent Guerlais or Boulangerie Pâtisserie LMP. Berlingots de Nantes (striped boiled sweets) make cheap, typical gifts.

On the savoury side, rillettes from Le Mans, fouée (a small hollow bread you stuff with rillettes or chocolate, depending on your mood) and Bordier butter by the slab also double as souvenirs. Muscadet sur lie, by the bottle or the glass, goes with the oysters served by the oyster farmers of the Bay of Bourgneuf.

Father Christmas, on Place Royale and in the Bouffay

On Place Royale, Father Christmas’s illuminated house welcomes children, and the Ateliers des lutins offer them free face painting and creative workshops on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Bouffay quarter does not host the chalets, but the Commune libre du Bouffay sets up Father Christmas’s letterbox there, with meet-and-greets on some Wednesday afternoons, and on one Saturday in December organises a lantern parade preceded by an afternoon snack and Christmas carols.

Planning your visit

Nantes by TGV from Paris: exactly 2 hours, ideal for a weekend return trip. The centre is easily done on foot, so no need for a car. To extend your stay, Rennes (Brittany) is 1h25 away by TER regional train, and Tours (Loire châteaux) 2h30. Hotels in the centre (Bouffay, Graslin) stay affordable during the week.