During the month of December, the traditional Christmas market takes place in Avignon.
Avignon is an especially popular city for its Provençal Christmas traditions; it also lends itself to end-of-year holiday shopping. The city’s Federation of Shopkeepers organizes a typical Christmas market.
In December,Avignon fete Noel includes the classic Christmas markets on Cours Jean Jaures, an ice skating rink on Place de l’Horloge, and the monumental Provençal nativity scene with an adjoining small market at theEglise des Célestins, for a visit that can be completed with the“Chemin des Crèches,” a very beautiful route that offers the discovery of various illuminated and animated nativity scenes, in which beautiful traditional figurines are combined with more technological innovations. As every year, one of the most impressive nativity scenes is the one that is set up at the Palais du Roure, rue du Collège du Roure No. 3.
Christmas parades, merry-go-rounds, as well as folk dances and carols are planned to set the mood. It is definitely a great opportunity to visit the city center to discover the magic of lights and to enjoy some of the pleasures of the winter season.
If you have time on your hands, a visit to the giant nativity scene in Grignan, with its reconstruction of a miniature Provencal village, is recommended. It consists of 80 houses, more than 60000 handmade tiles and more than 1000 figurines, averaging about 30 cm high.
Christmas in Avignon is an opportunity not to be missed!
If you want to learn about other Christmas markets in Provence, click here.