The lights are on, the Christmas Market is about to get into full swing and… well, “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”
When the smell of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts starts to invade the city, it can mean only one thing. The festive period is here! The city centre is busier than ever on the weekend as the Christmas Shopping rush begins, the shops, bars and buildings throw up their decorations and there’s a buzz in the air.
CHRISTMAS MARKET (le Marché de Noël)
Where better to soak up the festive spirit than at the specifically constructed Christmas Market! Here, there is plenty to keep you occupied for a couple of hours or more! Under the lights and music of the season, to the backdrop of laughter and merriment, browse the many different stalls with their various wares, that range from exactly to what you’d expect to the, frankly, quite unusual. You can even take a walk through a pop-up pine forest, where the scent of the Christmas trees fills the air. It’s a handy place to pick one up!
The Christmas Market is a tremendous place to grab something to eat. If it’s the more traditional roasted chestnuts and mulled wine that you fancy, you won’t be disappointed, however every year there is always something a little more exciting, such as raclette cheese burgers and mulled cider, as well as a stall that serves delicious Belgian beers on tap! The food and drink options alone keep the locals coming back again and again until the market packs up for a year. Come and sample a giant slice of the French holiday season!
BORDEAUX TASTING
Especially on years when the Bordeaux Wine Festival is on a break, this is the highlight of the year. Set in the luxurious palace on Bordeaux’s most iconic square, this is an opportunity to try some of the best wines that the region has to offer. The stalls are organised in terms of appellation, so you can also discover what makes each Bordeaux wine region so special. Passes are best bought in advance, and you can choose either to go on Saturday, Sunday or, if you simply can’t get enough, both! This really is not to be missed, whether you’re a wine beginner, lover or expert.
ANTIQUES FAIR
This is another pop-up sensation that happens every year around the time that the Christmas Market starts. On the giant Quinconces esplanade, in the shadow of the impressive Monument aux Girondins, long lines of stalls face each other, with antiques dealers coming from far and wide to sell their wares. You never know what you’re going to see from one stall to the next: books, furniture, vinyls, paintings, plants… who knows? You can eat on site at the restaurants or buy something at the many vendors who sell crêpes, churros and much more. A word of warning: the antiques fair is only open for the first part of the Christmas season so get in there while you can!
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
For many, this is the best part of the holiday season… the opportunity to browse for hours and hours! Over the past few years, Bordeaux has become more and more attractive as a shopping destination, not just with the opening of Promenade Sainte-Catherine a couple of year ago (a new collection of famous shops and fast food chains), but also with the smaller shops found on the small streets that run from the historic Saint-Pierre quarter south towards Place de la Victoire. A word to the wise: only go down the main shopping street on Saturday if you’re feeling very brave in the run-up to Christmas. On Saturday the city is heaving with eager shoppers, looking to fill their bags and empty their pockets, so if you must go, make sure you go in the morning.
BARS
The plethora of bars that Bordeaux has to offer tend to spruce up nicely when December comes, decorating with trees and lights, and many of them serve mulled wine; you’ll know immediately from the smell of cinnamon when you walk inside!
As you can see, while this isn’t the main wine season for obvious reasons, there is still plenty to tempt visitors to the city!
