Toulouse may not be a winter city but it definitely knows how to get festive for Christmas. The historic center is decorated with hundreds of beautiful lights covering anything from trees to buildings and fountains.
Every year, Toulouse is also hosting one of the biggest and more impressive Christmas markets in the Southwest of France. If you’re planning a trip to France in December, Toulouse is definitely worth checking.
In this article, I created a list of the best Christmas markets to take place in and around Toulouse in 2022. If you’re also planning to stop by Bordeaux on your trip, here are the best Christmas markets to take place this year in Bordeaux.
If you’re looking for more information about Toulouse check out my articles about How to spend the best weekend in Toulouse and about the best districts to visit and stay in Toulouse.
Best Christmas markets in Toulouse
Marché de Noël de Toulouse
The main Christmas market of Toulouse is taking place on Place du Capitole! This shouldn’t come as a surprise of course, given that it’s the biggest and most beautiful square Toulouse has to offer.
More than 100 wooden cabins with gifts, local products, and food adorn Place du Capitol and its impressive buildings. If you’re looking for Christmas gifts, you will find everything from jewelry, kids’ toys, cosmetics, chocolates, local wine, and more.
Some stalls are dedicated to all the “Christmas musts” like vin chaud (mulled wine), crepes, churros, and Christmas decorations. If you’re in the mood to taste something more regional, try Aligot, Tome cheese blended into mashed potatoes.
It’s probably not the most original Christmas market you have seen in your life, but it definitely captures the Christmas spirit. And if you’re planning to visit Toulouse in December, this market is definitely a must!
Another great feature of the market is the ice skating ring, which your kids will surely enjoy!
This year the market is taking place from November 25 to December 25 on Place du Capitole. See all the details here.
Marché de Noël Artisanal et Solidaire
Another interesting market is Marché de Noël Artisanal et Solidaire taking place on Allées Jules-Guesde (next to the Grand Rond). This community market brings together craftsmen and ethical local producers for three weeks of Christmas celebration. The market will take place daily on December 3 – 24, from 10 am to 8 pm. See more details here.
Rosalie, marché de créatrices
Rosalie is a creators’ Christmas market where all the exhibitors are female creators. This year the market will host 50 stalls with a huge variety of products from decoration, well-being, jewelry, and more. The market will take place on the weekend of December 10-11 at Allées Forain-François Verdier in Toulouse.
See all the details here.
Le petit marché de noël
If you’re looking for a more intimate and chic market, this is the one for you. This market takes every year at a pop-up store in the chic Les Minimes neighborhood in Toulouse.
The market hosts a small selection of talented craftsmen and designers and is a perfect place for original gifts. This year the market will take place on November 25-27. The market is located at 157 rue de Chaussas, 31200 Toulouse. See all the details here.
Christmas Markets around Toulouse
Carcassonne celebrates Christmas
Carcassonne is one of the most celebrated destinations in Occitanie and during the Christmas season, it’s getting even more magical! Every year the town gets decorated with hundreds of Christmas lights and offers many surprises for the winter holidays.
The Christmas events in Carcassonne are called la Magie de Noël which include a market, the big wheel, ice skating rings, and more.
The festivities will be spread in four different locations in the city: Square Gambetta, Place Carnot, Square André Chénier, Place du Général De Gaulle and of course at the Medieval city. All the events will take place on December 3- 31, see more information here.
Carcassonne is located about an hour’s drive from Toulouse, so definitely something to put on your list if visiting during Christmas vacation.
Marché gastronomique et artisanal de Noël
Albi is hosting its annual Christmas market from December 3rd to January 2nd. It’s called the gastronomic and craft market and includes plenty of cabins with original artistic gifts, Christmas decorations, toys, and more. Throughout the month of December, this lovely town will also host 20 spectacles for kids, video screenings, a truffles market, and more. The events will take place at Pace du Vigan and Jardin national.
Albi is located about an hour’s drive from Toulouse. See all the details about the Christmas-related events in Albi here.
Festival des Lanternes in Montauban
Well, this one isn’t really a Christmas event, but it’s beautiful, full of lights, and takes place in December so I decided to put it on my list anyway. This year the big lanterns festival is moving to Montauban (about 50 km from Toulouse). Around 80 talented artists from the province of Sichuan in China will present their monumental sculptures. This event will take place every evening on Cours Foucault from December 1st to February 5, 2023 (from 6 pm to 11 pm). See all the info here.
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