Nantes Christmas Market

Nantes is an important French city located near the sea along the Loire valley. Nantes is the capital of the Loire region. In the Middle Ages the city was part of the Duchy of Britain, before passing under the kingdom of France in the 16th century. In the 18th century, Nantes became the most important port in France, thanks to the slave trade and the one with the American colonies. The city went down in history for the famous edict of Nantes which in 1598 granted freedom of worship to Protestants and in doing so put an end to the wars of religion which had bloodied France between the middle and the end of the 16th century. The city has many architectural highlights – mainly dating back to the eighteenth century – among the most interesting ancient buildings we find the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany and the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, both built in the fifteenth century. Among the city’s museums, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is worth mentioning, with a rich collection of paintings from various European schools ranging from the 13th century to the present day. The Nantes Christmas Market is the main event of the Advent period.

NANTES CHRISTMAS MARKET

1) Nantes Christmas Market (Marché de Noël). Nantes is the largest Christmas market in Western France, the wooden houses fill the place Royale and the place du Commerce, in the center of Nantes. The stalls are usually over 100 and present both French products and products from other parts of the world, offering interesting ideas for Christmas gifts.

Numerous events are organized in Santa Claus’ house with stilt walkers, creative and make-up workshops, where children can create their own Christmas decorations, greeting cards and garlands.