Discover the Metz Christmas market in Lorraine - French moments (2023)

FAQs

What is special about Metz France? ›

Metz has a rich 3,000-year history, having variously been a Celtic oppidum, an important Gallo-Roman city, the Merovingian capital of Austrasia, the birthplace of the Carolingian dynasty, a cradle of the Gregorian chant, and one of the oldest republics in Europe.

The Christmas market in Strasbourg is the oldest market in France, dating back to 1570 so it's no surprise that the city considers itself the 'Capital of Christmas'. This year Strasbourg Christmas market 2022 runs from 21 November to 23 December 2022, so get planning now.

During the Advent season, the little stalls made of wood (called chalets) offer decorations, local produce and craftsmanship. Without forgetting “vin chaud” (mulled wine), Christmas cakes, biscuits and gingerbread. Read more about Strasbourg Christmas Market and the Christmas trail across the streets of the old town.

The first Christmas market actually dates back to the late 12th century – well before 1570. Records show that Strasbourg held a Klausenmärik (Saint Nicolas market) on 6 December each year. The famous Christkindelsmärik (Christmas market), as it's known today, came into being when Alsace switched to Protestantism.

Metz is the perfect site to enjoy a peaceful visit, admire the large chestnut trees reflected in the still water, and get caught by a seductive light that bounces off beautiful and colored architecture with a Gothic and medieval aura.

You can easily see most of the main sights in one day, but if you want to add in some museum visits, two days in Metz is the right amount of time to get to know the city more.

The largest Christmas market and one of the most well known is the Vienna Christmas World on Rathausplatz, near the Rathaus, Vienna's historic city hall.

Colmar. The old part of Colmar is one of the most enchanting villages in France, located in eastern France in the Alsace region, near the German border. The Christmas market in Colmar is like an enchanted fairy tale and is always on the top of the list of the best Christmas markets in France.

Just like turkey is to Thanksgiving, a French Christmas main dish is almost always a large roasted “dinde” (turkey). A French Christmas turkey is traditionally made with a chestnut stuffing, and served with roasted potatoes, chestnuts and sometimes cooked apples around it.

Paris and Strasbourg top the list of the best cities in France to enjoy the magic of Christmas. In addition to its dedicated Christmas markets and events, the French capital sets up, as it does every year, outdoor ice rinks to allow both locals and tourists to enjoy winter sports within city walls.

Which of these French cities is famous for it's Christmas market? ›

Known in France as Marché de Noel, the big three Christmas markets in France can be found in Paris, Lille and Strasbourg.

Striezelmarkt Christmas Market in Dresden is not only one of the most beautiful and biggest Christmas markets in Germany (and perhaps Europe) but it is almost certainly the oldest in the world.

Christmas customs, originating in the Middle East, were introduced to France by the Romans. Reims was the site of the first French Christmas celebration when, in 496, Clovis and his 3,000 warriors were baptized. Bishop Rémi had purposely chosen the day of the Nativity for this ceremony.

Metz is a lesser-known French city with a touch of German culture. Part of the Grand-Est Region, in northeast France, it is possible to reach Metz by TGV train in only one hour and a half. Most people who travel to Metz from Paris visit the Centre Pompidou-Metz, a satellite museum of the famous art museum in Paris.

As its name suggests, Champagne-Ardenne is the birthplace of bubbly and one of the most beautiful regions in France. The area is covered with idyllic valleys and vineyards, of course, but also ancient castles, chateaus, and abbeys.

Visit a museum and relax on a mini tourist train or a solar boat. We suggest you the discovery of the Musée de la Cour d'Or or the Centre Pompidou-Metz. Then, add some urban exploration by boarding an electric mini tourist train, or enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Moselle on one of the solar-powered boats.

The average price of a 7-day trip to France is $1,127 for a solo traveler, $1,750 for a couple, and $2,256 for a family of 4. France hotels range from $50 to $235 per night with an average of $84, while most vacation rentals will cost $150 to $450 per night for the entire home.

Over 120 stands line up on Münsterplatz and are open this year until December 22nd. Opening days: November 22 to December 22, 2021, open daily from 10:00 to 20:30.

Intercity Bus

Isi Lines (Transdev) operates intercity buses to all parts of France and beyond. They connect Metz's Gare Routière (bus station, on the northeast side of the Gare de Metz-Ville train station) with Paris (Gare de Bercy, Gare Routière Gallieni, CDG & Orly Airports) and many other cities throughout Europe.

You might find cheese, butter, eggs, bread, dried fruits, olives, nuts, fish, meat, flowers, and plants. Some markets might also have prepared and ready-to-eat foods (rotisserie chicken, hot meals, sandwiches), preserved products (jams, honey, foie gras), or practical items (baskets, caddies, clothes) to purchase.

What is the Christmas Capital of France? ›

From around the magnificent Cathedral to the city's most beautiful squares, Strasbourg, Capital of Christmas, invites you to share in the most marvellous of all the holidays.

Wiener Christkindlmarkt, the world's largest Christmas market, is famous for its 100+ stalls selling everything from souvenirs to wonderful Viennese specialties like kaiserschmarrn (sweet, fluffy, ripped-up pancakes), glühwein (mulled wine), and bauernkrapfen (donut-shaped fried pastries).

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland (stylized Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland) is a retail store in Frankenmuth, Michigan, that promotes itself as the "World's Largest Christmas Store".

Many people in France put up a Christmas tree, visit a special church service, eat an elaborate meal and open gifts on Christmas Eve. Other activities include walking in the park, participating in city life and sharing a meal with family and close friends.

Everyone's favourite meal of the year

And in France, as with present-giving days, the big Christmas meal is often eaten on a different day, as well. The prevailing tradition in France is for everyone to sit down together and feast on the 24th December for a long, often luxurious meal called a réveillon.

Rovaniemi, Finland

Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, has become synonymous with Christmas and Santa Claus. The town of Rovaniemi is known as "the official hometown of Santa Claus" and visitors to the charming Santa Claus Village can meet St.

Marché de Noel

The marchés de Noel, or Christmas markets, are an important part of the French Christmas tradition. Beginning usually the last weekend of November and continuing until Christmas Day or into the New Year, little wooden stalls pop up in the center of villages and cities all over the country.

Bûche de Noël Yule Log Cake

Traditionally shaped to represent the real wood log placed in the fireplace on Christmas eve, bûche is often made of garnished swiss roll topped with buttercream or ganache and decorated with tiny figurines.

La buche de Noël – the Yule log.

The “buche de Noël” is a must for dessert. No French Christmas dinner is complete without “la buche”, which is a yule log-shaped sponge cake filled with a butter cream. The Yule log was a Christmas tradition even before it became a dessert.

What is Santa called in France? ›

Santa Claus is called Père Noël in French or Father Christmas.

Strasbourg has been holding Christkindelsmärik around its cathedral since 1570, making it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe.

Metz was an important cultural centre during the Carolingian Renaissance. Gregorian chant was created in Metz during the 8th century as a fusion of Gallican and ancient Roman repertory, and remains the oldest form of music still use in Western Europe.

You could even say that Vienne is the most beautiful French city that no one has heard of.

Talk. Although Metz is close to Luxembourg and Germany, locals are not fluent in German and speak French as in any other French city. The local dialect (Platt) is spoken in some parts of northern and eastern Moselle but spoken in Metz infrequently.

German: from a short form of the female personal name Mechthild, composed of ancient Germanic maht 'might, strength' + hild 'strife, battle'.

Metz derives its name from the Mediomatrici, a Gallic tribe who made it their capital. It was fortified by the Romans. In the 3rd century it was evangelized, and it became a bishopric in the 4th century. After being plundered by the Huns in the 5th century, the city passed under Frankish domination.

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Metz Cathedral / Age (c. 1550)

What is the largest cathedral in the US? ›

The United States is, according to some measures, home to the largest cathedral in the world: the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Episcopal) in New York City.

It originally comprised two separate churches oriented at right angles to one another. The nave is very high and Rayonnant in style. The cathedral possesses a large expanse of stained glass windows, dating from the 14th through 20th centuries (those by Marc Chagall).

The state with the largest proportion of people identifying as having French ancestry is Maine, while the state with the largest number of people with French ancestry is California. Many U.S. cities have large French American populations.

One: Marseille

With an overall crime index of 64.65 and a safety rating of 35.35, Marseille has a crime rate five times higher than most other cities in France.

Lorraine is famous worldwide for its quiche, macarons, Mirabelle plum and madeleine. It is home to more than 2,3 million inhabitants (Lorrains and Lorraines). For many years, the region was synonymous with coal, iron and steel industries and was in the 1960 the 3rd economical region in France.

Alsace is not Germany, but not quite France either

Even though Alsace is part of France, it is sometimes perceived as a cultural exception, in part due to its long periods spent under German influence. In 1871, Alsace was annexed to the new German Empire following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War.

Contemporary Languages In Alsace-Lorraine

Today, Alsace is shaped by bilingualism, with French is the official language of government, commerce and school instruction. The German dialects and Standard German are still spoken, albeit in sharp decline and mostly used by older generations and people in rural areas.