Reims Christmas Market: Your Ultimate Guide

ByStephanie Rytting Posted on

Reims is home to one of the largest Christmas markets in France, with hundreds of chalets, glowing lights, and a festive atmosphere that fills the entire city.

This is actually the third largest Christmas market in the country, and it completely transforms Reims into a holiday wonderland. While the main market is the star of the show, Christmas decorations and charming festive displays pop up all over town, adding to the magic.

Beyond its Christmas market, Reims is a city with serious historical and cultural significance. Located in the heart of the Champagne region, it’s the place to sip world-class bubbly straight from the source.

It’s also home to Reims Cathedral, a breathtaking Gothic masterpiece where multiple French kings were crowned.

All of this makes for a really magical experience visiting Reims at Christmas. Let’s get into what to see, do and eat in the city during the holiday season.

Reims Christmas Market at Les Hautes Promenades

Reims’ Christmas market is held at Les Hautes Promenades, a long, rectangular park in the city center.

Until just a few years ago, the market was held in the square in front of Reims Cathedral, which made for an incredible backdrop.

However, it was moved to this larger park a few years ago as the market grew and the square became too small. While the trade-off makes sense, losing the ambiance of the cathedral backdrop is a shame.

Still, the Reims market is a great one. 150 chalets create a massive perimeter around the square. Food and drink stalls are concentrated at one end, while the other is packed with a huge variety of high-quality gifts.

Lights and decorations fill the center of the square and are draped above the pathways, creating a festive atmosphere.

Besides food and shopping, there are a few other fun activities at the market. For example, the Enchanted Forest is a section of the promenade lined with illuminated pathways and decorations.

Santa regular appears for meet and greets, and musical entertainment take place on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

While Reims may not be internationally famous for its Christmas market, locals absolutely turn out for it, and crowds can be intense. During our Sunday visit, it was packed shoulder to shoulder for most of the day. Consider visiting mid-week to have a little breathing room.

Food and Drink at the Reims Market

Hot drinks flow freely at French Christmas markets, and Reims is no exception. You can find vin chaud (mulled wine), chocolat chaud (hot chocolate), champagne, and other alcoholic drinks available throughout the market.

Like all French Christmas markets, Reims serves its hot drinks in its own themed Christmas market plastic cup (instead of a mug, like many other European markets). You can return the cup after you’ve enjoyed your drink to get your deposit back, or keep it as a souvenir.

I thought the Reims cup was *adorable*, with the cathedral in a little snowglobe. We definitely saved this cup to add to our collection.

There are tons of options for foods to enjoy at the market in Reims – these are some of the most common options:

Churros
Chocolate covered fruit on a stick
Paninis
I’m kicking myself for not writing down the name of this dish, but it was a delicious meat-in-sauce recipe that we devoured
Sausages + choucroute (sauerkraut)
Crepes
Tartiflette (sliced potatoes cooked in cream, onions, and bacon)
Waffles
Savory tourtes filled with a variety of mixtures (e.g. chicken, tomatoes, and mushrooms)
Pretzels, including cheesy-baked pretzels
Raclette on baguette

Shopping and Gifts at the Reims Christmas Market

As mentioned above, there are well over one hundred vibrantly decorated stalls in the Reims market selling all sorts of interesting and artfully made gifts. These are some examples of the types of things you can find in Reims:

Candied fruits
Many styles of candles
Locally produced chocolate
Gingerbread
Locally produced jams and spreads
Hand bound journals
A huge variety of ornaments
Wooden toys
Winter clothing and accessories
Locally produced wine and champagne
Chocolate covered marshmallows
Jewelry
Leather goods
Traditional local cookies

Reims Cathedral Light Show

Stopping at the Reims Cathedral is a must-do when coming for Christmas, for several reasons.

First, the cathedral is truly stunning. The interior is soaring, with beautiful windows and intricate stonework. Interestingly, the stained glass windows behind the alter were created by different artists, including Marc Chagall, a famous Russian artist who spent much of his life in France.

Second, there are some really nice lit decorations around the building (which are best appeciated after dark).

Third, on Friday and Saturday nights during the holiday season the cathedral puts on the Regalia, a light and sound show on the cathedral facade. This show starts at 8pm, lasts 15 minutes, is free, and is incredible! Lights and colors move across the facade as it recounts the history of the building.

The King’s Fair

From December 7 to January 5, Reims also holds the Christmas and King’s Fair at the Chaussée Bocquaine, a fun fair-like festival with rides for people of all ages to enjoy.

Place Drouet d’Erlon

After the Christmas Market itself, Place Drouet d’Erlon has the most holiday decorations and festive spirit in Reims. This long, skinny square has a lot to see and enjoy.

At the south end is an enormous Ferris wheel, which goes high above the buildings and offers an incredible bird’s eye view of the Reims Cathedral.

Trees all along the square are lit up, with decorations and lights hung above the walkway.

At the far north end is a beautiful decorated Christmas tree.

Place de l’Hotel de Ville

Place de l’Hotel de Ville, which is the Town Hall Square, also has some nice lights and a Christmas tree decoration.

I’ll also mention that there is a fabulous boulangerie on the corner of the Place de l’Hotel de Ville (location).

Place Royale

Finally, Place Royale also has a small pine forest surrounding the monument to Louis XV.

Practical Information

How to Get to Reims at Christmastime

Metz is very well-connected to other major European cities, making it easy to travel by train to come to the market.

By train, it’s:

  • 1h15 min from Paris
  • 2 hours from Strasbourg
  • 2 hours from Metz
  • 3 hours from Lille
  • 3.5 hours from Brussels
  • 3.5 hours from Luxembourg City, Brussels, or Basel

Dates and Hours for the Reims Christmas Market

The 2024 Christmas Market opens on Wednesday, 27 of November and closes Sunday, 29 December, 2024.

Hours for the market in 2024 are:

  • Monday: 2pm to 8pm
  • Tues – Thurs: 11am to 9pm
  • Friday: 11am to 10pm
  • Sat – Sun: 10am to 8pm

How Much Time Do You Need in Reims?

I’d recommend spending a full day seeing and experiencing the Christmas festivities in Reims. You should also have some time to do a little sightseeing as well – definitely stop by to visit the cathedral. If you just want to visit the Christmas locations, you could make do with a half-day.

Other Helpful Tips

  • There are no entrance fees to visit the Christmas markets.
  • People in Reims speak French, but you will find that most people interacting with tourists speak at least some English.
  • There are some stands that will accept card, but many places will just take cash, so make sure you have cash on hand.
  • As mentioned, weekends are very busy, so if you can, visit on a weekday.

Stephanie is obsessed with everything having to do with France, and she's visited the country 10 times (including a 3 month stint when she lived in Paris). She draws on her extensive knowledge of the country to bring you detailed and helpful guides, from the perspective of a fellow traveler.