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It's hard to put words to the spirit of Paris during Christmas time. The city shines, from the lights along the Champs-Élysées to the multi-colored trees at Galeries Lafayette to the most decked-out window exhibitions in the world. When you're not enjoying the outside sights and festivities, you'll find things indoors at restaurants, tea salons, and pastry shops that are big on Christmas pageantry too.
They are some of the most mesmerizing sites for celebrating Christmas in Paris, a city that's already magical all year round.
A Christmas market is set up at Les Halles in the center of town, brimming with some 30 wooden cabins selling knick-knacks and mulled wine, a 65-foot decorated Christmas tree, and even Santa Claus's house. On the other side of the river, you can find Square Viviani.
What's more, across Notre Dame is an intimate market with about 30 exhibitors selling hot chocolate, regional food, and handmade crafts. You wouldn't want to miss out on these delicious treats!
The pure delight that ice skating in Paris can bring in the world's largest indoor rink is an experience worth having. There's a reason to brave the lines for gliding underneath the glass-canopied nave of the Grand Palais. It's the last year you'll be able to skate here for four years since the museum and event space will close for renovations.
During the day, natural light will escort you as you skate across the 32,000square-foot rink. After the sunset, disco balls and dance-floor lights make their appearance for late-night skaters.
Le Grand Palais des Glaces kicks off on December 16 and runs till January 9. For a more intimate experience, there's an open-air rooftop rink at Galeries Lafayette, which is now open until New Year's Eve. The best thing about skating here is the feeling of soaring across Paris with unparalleled sights of the Opera Garnier and Eiffel Tower in the background.
For the second year, the most storied boulevard in the capital has been done up in an eye-catching red hue for its yearly holiday light installation. Fittingly called Flamboyance, around 400 trees, running from the neon-hued Ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, strung with sparkling LED lights, brighten the entire avenue in red.
The sites mentioned above are truly worth a visit, particularly during December. Why not check Paris off your Iconic World Cities Bucket List at the most wonderful time of year?
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