Don’t you just love the magic of Christmas?
Discover a few of the sensational Christmas markets to be found close to Evian Les Bains.
Listen carefully and you might just be able to hear the jingle of Christmas bells, the Ho, Ho, Ho of a battalion of Santas, and the occasional chorus of angels. Yes, it’s Christmas! Well, not really, it’s only November, but it’s never too early to start to get into the Christmas spirit.
As the temperature drops and snow begins to fall in the mountains, villages, and towns around Lake Geneva are switching on their Christmas lights (LED’s of course) and opening their Christmas markets.
photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels
Looking for the perfect Christmas present?
Where better to find presents for all those hard-to-buy-for friends and relatives? You know the ones I mean? The ‘Oh, I don’t want anything this year’ or the ‘I’ve got everything I need, don’t get me anything’ type of person…yes… you know who you are. So, if you’re like me and can’t bear the thought of wrapping an empty box then Christmas markets are for you.
photo by Pixabay
From hand-carved marmots to embroidered vests, from knitted waistcoats to gilded soap, you can find beautiful, original, and often quirky gifts made by local artisans, and at prices, even an elf can afford.
Let’s not forget the mulled wine, the warm mince pies or the Savoyard equivalent, the freshly baked gingerbreads, the melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon biscuits, and of course, the tartiflette and the bratwurst…
Here are a few of my favourite Christmas markets
Thonon Les Bains and Les Féeriques
Last year’s ‘Les Féeriques’ was a huge success and this year’s Christmas festivities are even bigger and better. With over 700 Christmas trees spread around the town, it promises to have oodles of atmosphere. The market is hosting 60 traditional chalets selling artisanal gifts and locally produced specialties at the ‘Belvedere’, which has stunning views overlooking the lake.
The ever-popular ice rink is being enlarged and a Christmas-themed ‘Son et Lumiere’ will illuminate the impressive façade of the town hall. Close to the town hall, you can also find the magical walkway, the ‘Enchanted Forest’ to add to that festive season experience.
There’s no time like the present
photo by Humphrey Meluba on Pexels
Concerts will be held at the market on 16th December and, low and behold, Santa himself will arrive on 17th December. Despite being incredibly busy at this time of year he’s managing to find time to stay in his chalet at the market until 24th December.
Running from 1st December until 1st January this is one not to miss. There’s also a Xmas funfair at Luna Park, Place de Crete, Thonon in case you haven’t had enough fun. (I can hear the groan from my other half already). Moving swiftly on….
Magnificent Montreux
The daddy of them all.
Montreux puts on a spectacular show at Christmas and has one of the largest and most atmospheric Christmas markets.
photo by Darcy Lawrey on Pexels
Whether you go during the day when Montreux is framed by majestic snow-capped mountains, or in the evening when the twinkling Christmas lights are reflected on the surface of the lake beneath the star-studded sky. It’s truly magical.
Dear Santa ….
There’s a large covered indoor market with plenty of traditional eateries, stalls, and activities for children of all ages. There are also over 150 small chalets, festooned with fairy lights, selling everything from scented candles to marzipan fruits. Crackling fires roast sweet-smelling chestnuts, a Swiss favourite.
Strung out like tinsel beneath the pine trees (and the occasional palm tree) the stalls stretch for a kilometer along the lakeside promenade.
When you’re shopped out there are plenty of small cafes. You can curl up on the sheepskins or huddle beneath warm blankets for a cinnamon-scented hot chocolate or a spicy mulled wine.
Undoubtedly the highlight of this market is the famous ‘Flying Santa’. Complete with reindeer, sledge, and a sack load of presents Santa makes a dash above the lake three times a day until December 24th. Hopefully, by then he’ll have got my address right and will be dashing to the other side of the lake!
There’s also an ‘Elves Workshop’ in the grounds of the Montreux Casino just in case you need to check that he really did get your letter this year.
photo by M.V. Jantzen
If you’re looking for a Christmas market that guarantees a heart-warming, fuzzy feeling then this is the one. It would be hard not to find the perfect present here.
Photo on Pixabay
The Montreux market is open from November 18th – December 24th, 2022, and from 11 am – 8 pm on weekdays and to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It opens at 10 am at weekends.
Santa’s Mountain Workshop – Rochers de Naye
If all that excitement isn’t enough for you then there’s always a visit to Santa’s Mountain Top Workshop. Situated at the peak of the snow-covered Rocher-de-Naye it’s accessible only by mountain railway from Montreux. You can find more details here.
Photo by Pixabay
Return fares for adults are CHF 32 and CHF 19 for children (6-16). depart Montreux hourly from 9:17 am to 3:47 pm. Booking in advance is recommended.
Dreaming of a white Christmas
Medieval Christmas at Château Chillon
The magnificent Château Chillon, close to Montreux, is celebrating a mediaeval Christmas this year. With a forest of Christmas trees, donkeys, and rabbits, there’ll be choral music and dancers. There’s also an opportunity to make your own figgy pudding (or medieval equivalent) and a fairly lethal mediaeval spiced wine drink. There’ll also be candle-making workshops and heaps of other activities for the children.
Discover more about the mediaeval Christmas at the château here
Three weekends 3-4, 10-11, and 17-18 December 2022
Evian Les Bains and the ‘Flottins’
Photo by Georges Ménagers on Flickr
Every year the small lakeside town of Evian in the Haute Savoie welcomes the ‘Flottins’. These mythical elves wash down into the lake from their homes in the mountains during winter storms. Lake Geneva is full of floating wood at this time of year.
Photo by Georges Ménagers on Flickr
The ‘Flottins’ collect the wood and create a temporary village in the main square in Evian for the festive season. Its floodlit mythical beasts, wooden dens, intricate towers, and fantastical animals are made from the flotsam of the lake. It’s a place of wonder and excitement for young and old.
Each day the Flottins gather around small fires and tell tales of magic and mystery to wide-eyed children. Adults can sip their hot wine and enjoy an Elixir des Flottins. Listening to music from a piano suspended over the village.
This year’s theme is ‘Monstres Lacustres et Autres Poiscailles’, definitely fishy, with sculptures of sardines suspended over the lake, and sharks, whales, and sirens adding to the fun.
Father Christmas will arrive on 14th December at 18h00. He leaves again on 24th December at 17h30, just in time to get those presents delivered.
The Flottins return to their snow-covered mountain homes in style on 2nd January. They wave goodbye from on board the old sailing ship, the Savoie.
There are many other wonderful Christmas markets, large and small, in the villages and towns around Lake Geneva. As there’s far too many to tell you about here I’ve highlighted the ones I really love.
I hope you have the chance to enjoy them this year too.
