Caen attracts two kinds of visitors: those who are there specifically for the D-Day Landing Beaches and all things World War II…and those who land here after the Channel crossing…and leave immediately to drive furiously to whatever destination they’re making for. Here’s a guide to Caen to persuade you to make this a short break.

Having written extensively on D-Day both here (see my list/links at the end bottom of the article) and been the co-author of the Bradt D-Day Landing Guide, I well understand the former.

But those who just see Caen as a jumping off port are missing out on this delightful, lively city where visitors who defy the usual practice and make it a destination stop are well rewarded.

A Little History of Caen

William and Mathilda

2027 is an important year for Normandy – and Europe. It sees the international celebration of William the Conqueror and Caen is the perfect place to start their colourful story.

Two of the main buildings in Caen are associated with William the Conqueror (c. 1028-1087) and Mathilda of Flanders (c. 1031-1083), so please excuse this very short history (or scroll past).

William was known as William the Bastard, being the illegitimate son of unmarried Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress Herleva. William’s chosen wife was the aristocratic Mathilda – granddaughter of King Robert II of France. Her reply to his declaration was pretty curt – she would not marry a bastard. The story then goes into Mills and Boon territory. William either rode to Bruges, forced himself into her bedroom and beat her. Or he dragged her from her horse and presumably declared his undying resolve in the mud.

Apparently fascinated by such a manly response, Mathilda consented. Historians, naturally, dispute this version, but let’s not get in the way of a good story.

William and Mathilda were married  in 1051-2 (probably in Rouen Cathedral), despite Pope Leo IX banning the union on the grounds of consanguinity – the couple were third cousins once removed. Four or five children later, Pope Nicholas II granted a dispensation after the couple agreed to found two churches as penance, the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames.

Top Sights in Caen

Château de Caen

Begun by William the Conqueror in 1060 and fortified by his son Henry Beauclerk in 1123, it retains enough of the old buildings to show its size and importance. A walk over the moat into the citadel shows you how difficult the castle would be to attack. The greatest damage was done when Caen was bombed in 1944. Since then restoration work has brought the castle back to life.

A walk up to the ramparts reveals the city below, the church of St-Pierre and in the distance the Abbaye aux Hommes.

I’d advise you to start, if possible, with a visit to the Exchequer, a handsome stone building from the late 11^th century. Inside it’s empty but wait for the immersive show. The doors close behind you; the lights dim to blackness and the great salon is filled with the sounds and sights of A Journey through the 1000-year history of Caen based on the 2025 commemorative year.  It brings to life the history of the ancient city, taking you back into the lives of long distant ancestors, through the industrial era, on to World War II and beyond.

There’s plenty to see in the extensive grounds: the Musée de Normandie takes you at a gallop through the story of the region; the Fine Arts Museum takes you on a whistle stop tour of art through the ages and you can visit the sinister tower of Queen Mathilda.

If you can allow at least half a day.

Abbaye aux Hommes

The magnificent building, with glorious flowering gardens in front, is impressive. To one side stands the Church of Saint-Etienne, one of Normandy’s greatest Romanesque buildings. Don’t miss this out; it’s imposing and atmospheric. The west front is a wonderful mix of Romanesque; with three tiers in different styles flanked by two ornate towers.

The vast interior is plain, with an 18^th-century organ standing proud at the west end. At the east end you’ll find the tomb of William the Conqueror, though after the church was sacked by the Hugenots in the 16^th century, his remains were scattered. All that remains of him is a femur, which is buried beneath the stone.

The main building in the complex, designed in the 18^th century, is a wonderful example of the neo-classical style. Today it’s the town hall, but it also has a good exhibition space and cloisters which in their feeling of serenity and privacy take you away from the stresses of everyday life. Don’t miss the Chapter Hall where the monks originally gathered daily to listen to one (just one) of the 73 chapters of the life of St Benedict. Today it’s the wedding room of the city hall.

Abbaye aux Dames

Founded in 1062 by Queen Matilda and consecrated in June 1066, it stands about 1 mile away from the Abbaye aux Hommes. Step inside the Eglise de la Trinité, mostly built in the 11^th century in Romanesque style. Queen Matilda is buried here which I find rather sad; William and Matilda were a devoted couple. The building is a smaller version of the Abbaye aux Hommes; the grand façade looking more welcoming, the cloister smaller and more intimate. It was occupied by Benedictine nuns until the French Revolution then followed the usual path of such buildings. It first became a barracks, then housed beggars and the homeless, became a hospital in 1823, then a hospice in 1908 and today houses the Regional Normandy Council.

Take a guided tour to see the whole building, including the crypt. It’s surrounded by a large park with lovely views over Caen.

Walk the City

Caen is an easy city to walk around and the tourist office (in the Hotel d’Esceville), conveniently located south of the castle, is a good place to start from.

Walk down rue St Pierre, now mainly a shopping street with bland modern buildings…except for two half-timbered buildings at 52 and 54, stand out, rather incongruously.

If you’re feeling energetic and have time, take a left down rue Paul-Doumer to the Place de la Republique, laid out as a public garden. Then walk past the 17^th-Century Notre Dame de la Gloriette to Place Malherbe and into Place St Sauveur.

Stop for a coffee in Place Saint Sauveur and sit and look at the 18^th-century houses that march down the sides. Or shop at the market on Friday mornings for local Normandy cheeses, breads, meats and more. It’s all presided over by a statue of Louis XIV depicted as a Roman emperor rather than the Sun King. When I was there he was encased in a wooden box, decorated with some dubious Bacchanalian figures. You could see the regal figure but you could also see the back wooden wall as well. Hopefully it was temporary and he has now been restored to his real glory.

Then you are at the Abbaye aux Hommes.

Jardin des Plantes et Jardin Botanique

The collection was started in 1689 from the private garden of Jean-Baptiste Callard de la Ducquerle. Today there’s an impressive main building and acres of plant-filled gardens. You can grab something to eat here. While it’s popular with locals for its advice, lessons and information on plants generally, it’s also a delightful place for visitors o wander through. Check opening times and ticket prices here.

Where to Stay in Caen

We stayed at The People Caen, which is an upmarket hostel. Being of a slightly greater age than your normal hostel person, we were a little nervous. But it’s a fabulous place for people of any age and filled with families with the odd grandparent in tow.

Bedrooms are comfortable, light and airy though not large; bathrooms are good. There’s a rooftop bar with great views, good pizzas to order in the evening and the odd market inside selling all sorts of colourful, sometimes over-the-top kind of fashion that only suits somebody under 21.

Added to this, there’s a garage next door (though beware of using foreign credit cards; we spent a couple of hours with the very helpful receptionist trying to pay before succeeding). Once your car is safely stowed away, tram T2 starts its route here at Presqu’Île. There’s also a free shuttle bus taking you around Caen. The one from here goes through the centre of town ending up at the Palais des Sports.

There are plenty of hotels in Caen, from budget accommodation to luxury.

Where to Eat in Caen

Vaugueux is the district to make for. It’s an area of small streets just east of the Chateau with a whole pedestrianised street of excellent restaurants and bars. We walked there from the hostel, about a 20 minute pleasant stroll. Our destination? Horace.

Horace is a delightful restaurant located in one of the old houses that fill the district. We ate on the outside terrace, a people-watching magnet. The menu is traditional using local ingredients. An excellent €24 and €28 menu takes in crispy camembert with apple and Normandy sausage, mains such as confit of duck, salmon and pasta for vegetarians. Desserts might included warm chocolate cake with passion-fruit sorbet and almond cake with lemon and vervain. The €42 menu includes the likes of oysters, sea bream ceviche and duck foie gras for starters, scallops, sirloin steak and more.

Horace
15 rue du Vaugueux 
14000 Caen
Tel: +33 (0) 2 31 93 50 7
Open Thursday to Monday 12noon-1.30pm & 7-9.30pm

Le Carlotta
Located on the Bassin Saint Pierre quay, Le Carlotta is a delightful Art Deco brasserie, complete with all the glorious over-the-top decorated glass, mirrors and plush red seating you expect to see in a traditional brasserie. Take advantage of the seaside location and order seafood – from oysters to a groaning fruits de mer plateau (€49 or €70). Those after turf rather than surf might go for duck confit parmentier (with a potato topping), or a generous steak. It’s not the cheapest restaurant in Caen but it’s gracious, well positioned and serves excellent meals.

Le Carlotta
16 quai Vendeuvre
14000 Caen
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 86 68 99
Open Monday to Friday noon-2.30pm & 7-11pm

How to Get to Caen

By Sea

Like most Brits we went on Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth, one of the best ferry companies. The Guillaume de Normandie, the second of their Hybrid-LNG ships, takes ferry crossings up another level. If you go overnight take a comfortable cabin with a good bathroom. And eat if you can, in the Bella Riva restaurant rather than the casual café to keep the cruise feeling. There are allergy free and pet friendly cabins as well. Public spaces are roomy and it’s remarkably quiet compared to the diesel engine ferries.  

Top Tip:
We travelled by day, landing at Caen around 10pm. We got through fairly fast (if you can take the right-hand lane exiting the ferry which gives you two control points. But with the new 2026 restrictions it might take longer to get out of the French port. With our late arrival we booked at the Hotel du Phare. It’s a basic 2-star hotel, with a charming staff. We arrived too late to have a drink in the bar, but the manager brought us glasses and biscuits as we opened the bottle of Calvados we had bought on board. Rooms are fine for a quick overnight stay; there’s a good breakfast and you can park right outside the hotel. If you take a front view room you can see the port and the ferry, a 2-minute drive away.

Hotel du Phare
10 Place du Général de Gaulle
Ouistreham 14150
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 97 13 13
Normandy Tourism Website information on Le Phare
Rooms from  €75 a night

Caen and World War II

Caen was the great objective of the D-Day Landings in June 1944. But it took far longer for the Allies to take than originally planned. On June 7, on their way from the Normandy landing beaches, the British and Canadian Divisions ran into the formidable German 12^th SS Panzer Division, the infamous Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth). Fighting in the villages all around Caen took an extremely heavy toll and there are memorials in all these areas. You’ll find Commonwealth War Graves Commissions graveyards, places kept beautifully where the ages of those killed make you weep. There are memorials like the one dedicated to the Typhoon pilots, a dramatic black marble monument shaped as two arrows meeting, commemorating the 151 Typhoon pilots killed in Normandy between May and August 1944. And the emotive Abbaye d’Ardenne, where the Canadian Massacre memorial in a small peaceful garden is witness to the 15 Canadian prisoners of war murdered on June 7.

If you want to see these, and a whole lot more, then (excuse the blatant advert), please buy a copy of the book I wrote with Alastair McKenzie, D-Day Landings, A Travel Guide to Normandy’s Beaches and Battlegrounds. It‘s published by Bradt Travel Guides and you can get it in bookshops or through Bradt Travel Guides website, or Amazon.  

Mémorial de Caen 

If you have just one museum to visit outside the centre, make it the Mémorial de Caen. It covers both world wars in detail, but is particularly strong on World War II. Superb themes, artefacts, videos and more will really bring history to life. But be warned, some of the story is very uncomfortable. The museum moves from One War to Another, through France in the dark years of the 30s, from European to World War and more to finish with, through Genocide, and propaganda to the end of the war…and what impact it had. There’s an excellent section on the D-Day Landings which I recommend you see before setting off around the sites around Caen. It ends with a 19-minute film.

The museum then continues to the Cold War and more. Don’t miss General Richter’s Underground Bunker which is a separate building.

Le Mémorial de Caen
Esplanade Général Eisenhower
CS 55026
14050 Caen Cedex 4
Tel : +33 (0) 2 31 06 06 45
Website
Opening times vary during the year so check the website. But mainly the museum is open daily 9am-6pm.
Tickets: Adult €20.80; child and seniors €18.50; Family €53. Other rates valuable.
Combined tickets with other attractions also available.

More about Normandy

Normandy Impressionist Festival 2026
Normandy and Impressionism – A general overall look at the great Impressionist art movement and what to see in Normandy
Guide to the Impressionist Painters
Normandy Travel Guide – What to see and Do in Normandy
Getting to Normandy

World War II in Normandy

D-Day Landing Beaches from Utah to Sword

Caen Tourism Website

The post Guide to Caen in Normandy appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

You’ll come across flea markets and brocante fairs all over France. The French have all sorts of different brocante fairs: vide-greniers, dépôts-vente and braderies. Their brocante is our bric-a-brac and going to a flea market or brocante sale is part of a summer holiday. The only slight drawback? You’ll have to be pretty quick to pick up the kind of fabulous bargain you might have found in the past.

The French have discovered the attractions of those old tins, quaint farm implements and Art Nouveau china. Everything is here, including items you don’t even know exist. Browse stalls from antique and Art Deco to tin signs and breakfast bowls, from china to old books, jewellery to glassware.

But don’t worry; flea markets and brocante fairs are great fun and you can pick up the odd bargain. If you see something you fall in love with and it’s a bit more than you budgeted, well go for it anyway. You may never see such an item again.

Flea markets and brocante fairs are all-year round affairs but come high summer and they’re joined by vide-greniers (literally emptying the attics) when whole villages become one glorious rummage sale.

Paris Flea markets (Marchés aux Puces)

These Paris flea markets are world famous, and very crowded in high season (and pretty busy all year round). They take place at weekends, and the major ones are on the Boulevard Périphérique ring road. 

Saint Ouen

The big daddy of them all is Saint Ouen, better known as the Clignancourt Flea Market or Puces de Clignancourt. Founded in the 19^th century, it’s an enormous site. 14 distinct markets offer, well…everything from paintings and tapestries to antique musical instruments, from old photographs to vintage garments.
If you haven’t been there before, go to Rue des Rosiers where most of the markets are set up. Be prepared for crowds; this is the 4^th large tourist attraction in France.
It’s open Sat, Sun 9am-6pm; Mon 11am-5pm.
Metro: Porte de Clignancourt (ligne 4) / Garibaldi (ligne 13)

Puces de Vanves

Puces de Vanves is less famous and smaller, occupying two streets. It’s easier to navigate but if you want the best and the bargains get there early, around 7.30am. There are plenty of places to pick up a coffee and croissant. Around 350 stalls set up in Avenue Marc Sangnier and Ave Georges Lafenestre, Paris 14.
It’s open Sat and Sun 7am-2pm.
Metro: Ligne 13 to Porte de Vanves

Puces de Montreuil

Puces de Montreuil is more of a flea market where 500 stalls are piled high with a mixture of objects and quality. It’s not as popular with tourists as the other flea market, so you might be able to find a bargain. Alongside antiques are second-hand clothes, and designer copies, hardware and the odd gems like posters and prints.
It’s open Saturday to Monday 7am-7.30pm.
Metro: Ligne 9 to Porte de Montreuil

Vide-greniers

Many small towns and villages hold vide greniers in the summer. Some are good; some not so good. But they’re always fun. They’re usually a mix of locals emptying their attics or barns, and professional brocante dealers. It’s easy to tell which is which – the dealers have large vans, renovated furniture, better items and the best spots. Families often have children selling their toys and parents getting rid of well…pretty much everything.

I’ve found many bargains (or what I think are bargains) in my local vide grenier at Paulhaguet in the Auvergne: bistrot glasses, a whole slew of lovely mismatched plates and crockery, and old kitchen equipment that given a quick clean and polish now takes pride of place in my house.

A week or two before, you’ll come across hand made signs on the roads around the villages announcing their vide greniers, which often come with very local festivals, and the odd rustic dance and fireworks. Or go to the local tourist office which will have information on the sales in your area.

There’s also an excellent French vide-greniers website giving most of the sales by department so they are easy to find. It also gives local Christmas markets and special brocante fairs.

Dépot-ventes

The French flock to dépot-ventes, shops or warehouses where you can buy second-hand goods. They exist all over France; just look for the signs outside buildings. Many of them are commercial ventures, individually owned, but there are a couple of organizations that fall into the depot-ventes category with outlets throughout the country.

Emmaus

We came across an Emmaus store in Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne but there are Emmaus outlets all over France.

The international Emmaus Movement was founded by L’Abbé Pierre (1912-2007), a French catholic priest who was a member of the Resistance in World War II then became a politician. Emmaus helps the poor, the homeless and refugees. The shops collect donations and then sort, sometimes repair/renovate the items and sell them on.

The shops are run by volunteers and can be pretty chaotic. They can yield the odd treasure, but can also be depressingly full of junk. You just have to take a chance. Having said that, I’ve bought collections of cutlery for a couple of euros, a collectable small Pernod jug, and a chair that may be full of woodworm but which is very beautiful.

You’ll need to check with the local tourist office for locations of the Emmaus shops. The website advises you in French about your local store, but it’s not an easy site to navigate.

Troc.com

This is another organization with depots all over France. Again, you take pot luck. You have to sort through an awful lot of stuff and they take new items from bankrupt shops or stock as well.

My latest haul included a wooden cradle with basket, a set of butchers’ hooks which double as coat hooks and a wooden spice rack. I rejected a rather battered wooden statue of Serge Gainsbourg in his early years looking pretty disheveled and have regretted it ever since.

Check the nearest troc.com at the local tourist office or search online for your nearest. Their website is more geared up to buying/selling on line and not very helpful.

Annual Brocante Fairs

Brocante fairs have become famous in France. The best known is the 36 hour market in Lille, but there are brocante fairs in Amiens and the rest of France as well. Check them out, with their dates, in the Best Brocante and Flea Market Fairs.

Looking for antiques in Normandy

Le Perche in lower Normandy is a lovely area and less well known to visitors. But if you’re an antiques lover you must visit the area. It’s full of brocante shops so there’s a good choice. You’ll have competition; it’s a favorite area for Parisians who are always on the lookout for chic old items.

A really useful source for antiques in Normandy and Pays de la Loire is this facebook group. Lots of information on where to buy, what people are stocking etc. It was started by Cider Barn Brocante in Le Housseau-Brétignolles in Mayenne. Read the story about the founder and her move to France and a new life here.

Bellême has good antique shops and also holds an antiques and brocante fair each weekend. Check the shops at the tourist office.
Mortagne-au-Perche and Nogent-le-Rotrou have a good selection of antique shops.

Take the D923 south west of Nogent-le-Rotrou for 6.5 kms/4.8 miles and you’ll come to La Brocante de Brigitte. It’s one of the roadside barns full of tempting items in the area.

If you’re doing a serious antique shopping expedition to Normandy, take the car! Check out how to get to Normandy here.
More about Normandy
As you travel around France you’ll come across many more flea markets and brocante fairs, not to mention local vide-greniers. Happy rummaging!

More Shopping in France

Here’s information on discount and outlet shopping, as well as annual sales in France.

Provence Food Markets are some of the best in the world

More things to do in France in the summer

Events in France in July
Events in France in August

The post Guide to Flea Markets and Brocante Fairs in France appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The best Christmas markets in north France are just a short ferry ride across the English Channel, then there’s a great choice in the region from Lille down to Le Touquet. You can just do a short day trip to the nearest, but if it’s possible it’s much more fun to stay over. Take your car, visit any of the best Christmas markets in north France, eat a good meal and stay overnight. Then come home packed with goodies.  
Please Note: Hotel prices are from the low season, but that suits a Christmas Market trip!

Here you’ll find details on the markets, dates, how to get there and that all-important detail…where to stay.

Amiens in Picardy

Amiens has France’s largest Gothic cathedral. At Christmas it is transformed by its spectacular son-et-lumière show. It makes the perfect backdrop to the annual market.

Amiens’ Christmas market is big with over 130 chalets selling food, drink and gifts from all over France, but also from further afield and places like Canada and India. There are special Christmas-themed rides for children (don’t miss the train), and a Big Wheel for the older ones. It takes place in the center of the city in Place Gambetta and the surrounding streets.

Amiens Market Dates: Nov 21-Dec 30, 2025 from 10:30am (except Monday morning) to 7:30pm (9pm Fridays and Saturdays).

More about Amiens

How to get to Amiens from the UK

Where to Stay in Amiens

Hôtel Le Prieuré et La Résidence is a chic 3-star hotel in two different buildings. The main 3-star hotel is in a former residence of a canon of the cathedral. It’s right in the old centre of town, has a range of 12 beautifully decorated rooms from the saintly and traditional to the fu

0.nky and modern.
Rates: Double/twin room from €77. Breakfast €12.50.

The 5-star Hôtel Marotte is at the top end of the range, and well worth the money. Set in a Flemish-style former house, this boutique hotel is now an Art Deco lover’s dream. It’s right in the action, has a wine and Champagne bar and tea room, and a spa. There’s a separate modern extension with spectacular huge suites.  
Rates: Double/Twin from €295.

Arras

If you can, come when St Nicholas abseils down the belfry on 6 December. There are bands playing on Fridays.

Arras Christmas Market information

Arras Market Dates: Nov 28-Dec 30, 2025

More about Arras

How to get to Arras from the UK

Where to Stay in Arras

Check into what was once a 17^th-century Jesuit monastery. Gone is the austerity; in its place the Hôtel de l’Univers offers 38 large, prettily decorated rooms just a few minutes away from the main action. It has a restaurant, and is family friendly.
Rates:  Doubles inc breakfast from €102.

Béthune

Béthune is another one of those places that you normally pass by. But stop there and you’ll say ‘Wow; why haven’t I been here before?’ Most of the centre was destroyed in World War I. But standing in the square and looking at the 14^th-century belfry, still extraordinarily intact after surviving the destruction, you wouldn’t know. The pretty houses around the square are a wonderful mix of baroque, Art Deco and…’what period is that one’ style?

So a visit to the Christmas market is doubly worthwhile. Over 50 chalets sell all the goodies you could want; there’s a carousel, big Big Wheel, sparkly Christmas tree, childrens section, special train and large covered ice rink.

Béthune Market Dates: Nov 28-Dec 28, 2025

More about Béthune and its market

How to get to Béthune from the UK

Where to Stay in Béthune

Le Vieux Beffroi is simply decorated and good value. And it is just steps away from the main square. It has a restaurant and bar.
Rates: Double/Twin room from €67. Breakfast €9.90.

Boulogne-sur-Mer

The Christmas market might only be one weekend in December, but it’s such a great market and such a great city that I thoroughly recommend you go here for your Christmas shopping.

The market is held in the delightful vielle ville  (old town) which many visitors miss. Rue de Lille in full of chalets selling local delicacies (don’t miss the herrings!) and lovely gifts. There’s plenty of street theatre going on as well with elves cavorting (in the nicest possible way), and knights on wooden hobby horses entertaining you and the family. At the end of the rue de Lille stands the great, rather bombastic cathedral. The priest who had it built wanted something like St Peter’s in Rome; there’s nothing wrong with ambition.

Boulogne-sur-Mer Market Dates: Dec 12-14, 2025

More about Boulogne-sur-Mer

How to get to Boulogne-sur-Mer from the UK

Where to Stay in Boulogne-sur-Mer

To be near the market in the old town (and the château, museum, gardens, restaurants etc.,) and for a really interesting and pretty place to stay, try the upmarket L’Enclos de l’Evêché. The bed and breakfast has 3 bedrooms, all delightfully decorated in different styles. There’s a bar and a good breakfast.
Rates: Double/Twin rooms from €100 inc breakfast.

For a really great experience, check into the 4-star, 35-roomed La Matelote. It’s on the seafront and right opposite Nausicaá – the excellent Centre National de la Mer. Rooms are comfortable though some can be on the small side. For the best, book a room with a terrace looking out to sea. There’s a Michelin-starred restaurant with excellent set menus (very good indeed), and a spa with swimming pool. It’s family owned and it shows with the friendly welcome.
Rates: Double/Twin room from €134.

Calais

Calais enjoys Christmas and does it very well. The Christmas Village takes over the large Place d’Armes and from 25 November, there’s also a forest of Christmas trees and a Nativity Creche to see.

There’s a Christmas letterbox open from the start of December (and Santa will answer!). There are all the usual jolly stalls, plus a 1900s 2-tier carousel and a skating rink you can whizz around. There are plenty of carol concerts, late openings in the shops and special offers.

If you’re in Calais don’t miss the great Calais Dragon as he huffs and puffs his way around town. He can take up to 50 passengers and lives on the Calais seafront so you often see him as you come in by ferry.

Calais Christmas Market Dates: Nov 29, 2025-Jan 5, 2026

More in my Guide to Calais

More about Calais and the Christmas Market

How to get to Calais from the UK

Where to Stay in Calais

The 3-star Hôtel Meurice is one of Calais’ two rather splendid old-fashioned hotels. It’s next to the very good Fine Arts Museum, and has been welcoming guests (many of them British) since 1771. Its large rooms are pleasantly decorated; there’s a good restaurant and a bar which is distinctly British and club-like. It’s a 10-minute walk from the train station.
Rates: Double/Twin room from €79. Breakfast from €8.

Hôtel Métropole is another of those old-fashioned hotels that offer no surprises but comfort and good value. 40 rooms are well-sized; there’s a bar and the breakfast really satisfies. It’s a 5-6 minute walk from the train station and central Calais.
Rates: Double/Twin rooms from €79.

For a good, modern option go for the Ibis Styles Calais Centre. It’s in central rue Royale, has good, simply decorated rooms and a jolly breakfast area. It’s about 6 minutes from the train station and in the same street as one of my favourite Calais restaurants, Histoire Ancienne (at number 20). Children 15 and under stay free with an adult.
Rates: Double/Twin from €88, breakfast included.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk (Dunkerque) is a small town well worth visiting, quite apart from the World War II Operation Dynamo sites. Their Christmas market opens in Place de la République, Place Jean Bart, and Place Charles Valentin. 50 chalets with good gifts; a big wheel, a Christmas forest complete with elves of course, a free ice rink and a whole lot of extra events. Santa Claus arrives in style to be welcomed to his castle (the town hall) at 5.45pm on 6 December (TBC).

Dunkirk Christmas Market Dates: 2025 Dates to be confirmed. Nov 27-Dec 27,2024

More about Dunkirk

How to get to Dunkirk from the UK

Where to Stay in Dunkirk

Try the good value, simple All Suites Apart Hôtel by the water. There are useful kitchenettes and good sized rooms.  
Rates: Double/Twin from €72. Breakfast €12.50.

Licques

You may not have heard of Licques. But this small town just 21 kms south of Calais rates pretty highly in French folklore at Christmas. For one weekend in mid December the town offers a great regional Christmas food market. So far, so good. What makes Licques stand out is the Fête de la Dinde. The turkey festival sees a gaggle of well-fed birds running through the town herded on Sunday morning by the Confrerie de Licques, the local bigwigs. It’s a competition for the best bird, and boy is it competitive. You’re offered a glass of the local liqueur, Licquoise, and you can then choose which bird you’re going to buy for the Christmas meal. The weekend ends with a dinner dance.

Licques Market and Turkey Parade Dates: Probably Dec 10 to 12, 2024 (Turkey parade on Dec 12).

More about Licques from the nearby Tourist Office

How to get to Licques

Where to Stay in Licques

Base yourself in Calais

La Longère d’Ecottes is a pretty bed and breakfast in Licques. It’s a pretty house with a terrace and garden. But it is closed in winter, opening in April 2026.
Rates: Double/Twin room €90 including breakfast.

Lille

Lille is one of my favourite cities and I’m not alone. Its Christmas market in Place Rihour has around 90 wooden chalets selling gifts from around the world. There’s a big Big Wheel and a huge Christmas tree while festive lights twinkle all over Lille.

Lille Christmas Market Dates: Nov 19-Dec 30, 2025.

How to get to Lille from the UK

Where to Stay in Lille

The 3-star Hôtel de la Treille in the heart of old Lille was built in 1988 but is decorated in classic style. So you get modern comfort with old-fashioned elegance. It’s friendly and welcoming.
Rates: Double/Twin rooms from €125, breakfast €10 to €14 according to type of package.

Please note: The hotel operates a 2-night only booking basis at busy times of the year.

The Brueghel is a constant favourite. The hotel in a 19^th-century Flemish-style building is tucked away down a side street. Rooms are simply but well decorated with antiques throughout, and it’s just 200 metres from the Grand Place.
Rates: Double/Twin rooms from €134. Breakfast from €12. Breakfast is included in more expensive rooms.

Le Touquet Paris-Plage

Fashionable, stylish with a great history connected to Britain, Le Touquet Paris-Plage (to give it its formal name; most people just refer to Le Touquet), is a favourite seaside resort. Its a good place for presents and food. It takes place in the lovely covered market so you won’t have to worry about the weather.
There’s lots going on in Le Touquet, starting on the weekend of 25, 26 November with lights being turned on, a jazz band, fireworks and more. Father Christmas drives through the streets on certain days when you can give him your letters. Events, many at the weekends, continue to 1 January with a New Year swim. Here’s the programme.

Le Touquet Christmas Market Dates: Nov 28, 2025-Jan 4, 2026

More about the Christmas market in Le Touquet

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage renamed its airport in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. More on that here.

How to get to Le Touquet from the UK

Where to Stay in Le Touquet

The splendid L’Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster takes you back to a bygone, elegant age. It’s been recently refurbished and is very splendid indeed. Behind its Art Deco façade, you’ll find a Spa Nuxe, Michelin-starred restaurant, Art Deco brasserie and indoor pool.
Rates: Double/Twin rooms from €253.

Stay just outside the centre in the splendidly traditional golf hotel Le Manoir. It’s set in the leafy, forest-like part of Le Touquet, is very comfortable and near the excellent golf course. If you’re a golfer they have special packages.
Rates: Double/Twin rooms from €119.

Saint-Omer

Saint-Omer is a delightful town, known for its excellent food market. So this is a good place to visit at Christmas when the main square, Place Foch, gets covered in red carpet for the carousels, a big wheel and stalls selling mulled wine for parents. It’s a small market but particularly good for young children with special stalls like the one offering fishing for ducks. Find the artisan stalls on the smaller square, Place Victor Hugo.

Saint-Omer Christmas Market: Nov 28, 2025-Jan 1, 2026

Saint-Omer Tourist Office

How to Get to Saint-Omer

Where to Stay in Saint-Omer

L’Industrie has just 6 rooms, located above a well-known and popular restaurant in the centre of Saint-Omer.

Rates: Double/Twin Rooms from €80; Breakfast €13.50.

Ibis Saint-Omer is a good hotel with a popular restaurant; it’s part of the Mercure chain.

Rates: Double/Twin from €95.

So which are your best Christmas markets in north France? Please do send me your comments, so I can add your favorites.

Check out my article on the Best Christmas Markets throughout France from the North to Avignon.

Hauts-de-France region has wonderful food, so wonderful in fact that it was awarded the 2023 European Gastronomy Award.

Best Restaurants in north France (not always the most expensive!)

Here’s the story of food in Hauts-de-France.

And if it helps…here’s a bit more information

How the French celebrate Christmas

Festive Christmas Food in France

Events in France in November 2025

Events in France in December 2025

Food Festivals in France

French Public Holidays

More about getting to France from the UK

Most of the towns have cheap hotels. Check the budget hotel chain options.

The post Best Christmas Markets in North France in 2025 appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Visiting the glorious Christmas markets in France is one of the great joys of the holidays, for both the French and for foreign visitors. These wonderful Christmas marchés de Noël fill cities, towns and villages throughout France from the end of November through December with some going on for a few days in January 2026.

Here’s my pick of some of the best Christmas markets in France. They run from Caen in Normandy to Avignon in the south. And in the east, the oldest Christmas market of all, in Strasbourg. If you know of a Christmas market you think I should include, please do tell me.

I have included times when I have them. Check with the local tourist office for more information. Christmas markets are closed on December 25 (except for Colmar and Toulouse); many finish early on Dec 24 and Dec 31. Some continue into the first few days of January 2026.

Here you’ll find the best Christmas markets in North France . The north France article also covers accommodation which I check regularly. So I hope you’ll find it useful. One of my favourites is in Amiens where France’s oldest Gothic cathedral provides the perfect backdrop.

North France

Normandy

Caen

Caen is a wonderful city to visit but it’s too often used only as a ferry entry port for holiday makers going south and visitors miss its glories. The Christmas market adds a great reason to visit Caen in the winter. Over 60 wooden chalets fill Place de la République and Boulevard Maréchal Leclerc, with the lit up château on the nearby hill providing the right backdrop. Traditional French items from nativity figurines to pain d’épices (gingerbread), and a grotto with Father Christmas. Eat good snacks, and take a glass of mulled wine (or Calvados – you’re in the heart of the area!)

On Saturday 6 December around 5.30 pm when it’s dark, the theatre company Les Quidams takes to the streets. The actors become ivory horses, prancing and dancing through the city centre with Santa Claus.

Caen Christmas Market Dates: Nov 29-Dec 28, 2025.
Closed Dec 25 and closes on Dec 24 and 31 at 4pm.
Caen Market Information

Rouen

The ancient city of Rouen and capital of Normandy always pulls out the stops. 82 wooden chalets sell all the great French goodies in the Place de la Cathédrale with the magnificent backdrop of the cathedral as an illuminated backdrop.

Skating rinks and Santa’s Grotto feature at Rouen Givré (Frosty Rouen). There’s plenty of street entertainment taking over the city’s historic streets (including of course the place where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake).

Rouen Christmas Market: Nov 21, 2025-Jan 5, 2026
Open Mon 2-8pm; Tues-Thurs 11am-8pm; Fri 11am-9pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-8pm.

Rouen Tourist Office

Champagne

Reims

Christmas is the time for bubbly and Christmas so it’s appropriate that Reims, capital of Champagne, holds one of the biggest fairs in the region and it’s one of the best Christmas markets in France. It takes place at les promenades Jean Louis Schneiter, in front of the station and on the esplanades port de Mars. But you’ll also find a lot of smaller markets throughout the city offering gourmet experiences, children’s entertainment more. 150 chalets offer good quality gifts, glass, ceramics, food and wine.

Reims Christmas Market: Nov 26-December 28, 2025
Mon 2-8pm, Tues-Thurs 10.30am-8pm; Fri, Sat 10.30am-9pm; Sun 10.30am-8pm. Monday Dec 20 & 27 10.30am-8pm.

If you’re here visit one of the great Champagne houses in Reims.

And try to make the great Champagne and Christmas weekend in Epernay. I had a wonderful time at Les Habits de Lumière as the second city of Champagne lets its hair down in spectacular fashion. This year it’s Dec 12th to 14th.

Paris

You’ll find Christmas markets all over Paris. There are between 15 and 20 of them!

Paris Christmas Markets

Notre-Dame Cathedral Market

Nov 28-Dec 25, 2025
The Christmas market beside Notre-Dame promises an exciting mix of stalls selling arts and crafts and some very good gourmet delights. The great medieval cathedral of Paris re-opens on Dec 8, 2024 so time your visit later to see how far the restoration has got.
6 Parvis Notre-Dame
Pl. Jean-Paul II
Paris 1
Metro:  Hôtel de Ville

La Magie de Noël (Jardin de Tuileries)

Visit the Tuileries Christmas market just by the Louvre, where 100 or so stalls offer all the right treats. There’s a huge Big Wheel, plus carnival rides, an ice skating rink, and a Champagne bar if you’re fed up with mulled wine. It glitters and sparkles with all the magic of the season.
Nov 15, 2025-Jan 4, 2026

Jardin de Tuileries
Place de la Concorde
Paris 1
Metro: Tuileries or Concorde

East France

Alsace

Alsace first introduced Christmas markets into France from Germany so it’s a particularly rich region for the festive season.

Colmar

Colmar has 6 different markets in the old city. It’s mainly pedestrianised so you can stroll around them easily. 60 wooden huts in the Place des Domenicans sell decorations and gifts. In the Place Jeanne d’Arc you can stock up on local food and drink from cured meats to wines and eau-de-vie spirits. 50 more surround the Schwendi fountain by the canal. The indoor market in the medieval Koïfhus sells local artisans’ works. After you’ve bought to your heart’s content here, drop into the Decapole Hall for more in a museum setting.

A children’s market takes over Petite Venise where you can let the children loose on the merry-go-round before they post a letter to Father Christmas. Don’t miss the evenings when children sing carols from boats moored on the canal. There are skating rinks and many of the nearby shopsare open on Sundays during the Market.

Colmar really pushes the boat out with carol concerts and choirs all around the city as well as special events. The city describes itself as an ‘open-air theatre’ and for once, it’s true.

Colmar Christmas Market: Nov 25, 2025-Jan 4, 2026
Mon-Thurs 11am-7pm; Fri-Sun 10am-8pm. Dec 24: 10am-5pm; Dec 25, 26: 11am-7pm.

Metz

Metz is another of those fabulously popular and top Christmas market in France, rivalling Strasbourg. 5 different markets stretch out with over 120 chalets , from Place de la République with its huge lit up tree to the gourmet train in Place de la Comédie. Christmas tasting specialities are in Place Saint-Jacques; a big wheel in Place d’Armes that looks over the cathedral, and local arts and crafts in Place Saint Louis.

Metz Christmas Market Nov 24-Dec 30, 2024  
Place Saint Louis/Saint-Jacques/d’Armes/la Republique
Sun to Thurs 11am-9pm; Fri, Sat 11am-10pm.

Place de la Comédie Sun to Thurs 5pm-11pm, Fri, Sat 11am-11pm. 

Mulhouse

Make your way to the Place de la Réunion in the old city centre overlooked by the lovely city hall. Here you find around 90 wooden chalets, all decorated in a special fabric designed each year. It’s an appropriate thing to do; the Museum of Printed Textiles has the largest collection of textile images in the world. The textile industry, which enriched the city from the 18th century, began in 1746.

Again the city has special markets and events like the opening of the Advent calendar on December 1, concerts of Christmas music and bric-a-brac days.

Mulhouse Christmas Market: Nov 21 to Dec 27, 2025
Sun-Thurs 11am-8pm; Fri 11am-9pm; Sat 10am-9pm. Dec 24, 27 10am-6pm; Dec 26 noon-8pm.

Strasbourg

It all began, so the story goes, in Strasbourg in 1570. Today, the biggest city in Alsace welcomes around 2 million visitors to its Christkindelsmärik.

300 stands spread out from Place Broglie and Cathedral Square to other parts of the city. The highest Christmas tree in Europe occupies Place Kleber with a further two trees erected in Place des Hall, lighting up daily at 5pm. Over 300 stalls fill the streets with all sorts of goodies.

This is one of the great European Christmas markets and the city responds with a spectacular light display. Walk through the illuminated entrances on either end of the Grand rue. The rue des Tonneliers is appropriately decorated with 22 twinkling barrels. You can skate outside the cathedral and follow the Nativity Trail from the Bishop’s place in Rue Brulée, in windows of shops along Rue des Juifs, and the Place du Chateau. 

Strasbourg Christmas Market: Nov 26 to Dec 24, 2025

Franche-Comté

Montbéliard

Les lumières de Noël transform this delightful town into a glittering Christmas event. 180 stalls cluster around Saint Paul and the surrounding streets, selling high quality artisan good and gifts. There are exhibitions, concerts and street spectacles. For something different the good fairy Aunt Airie accompanies Father Christmas.

Montbéliard Christmas Market: Nov 22-Dec 24, 2025
Mon 2-8pm; Tues-Sat 10.30am-8pm; Fri 10.30am-9pm; Sat 1-am-9pm; Sun 10am-9pm except Dec 24 when it closes at 6pm.

South of France

Avignon

The Cour Jean Jaurès has 20 wooden chalets selling food and drink from the region and beyond. Stock up on chocolates, truffles, sausages, olives and more either here and in the Place de l’Horloge.

Or take home designer items like olive wood spoons and boards, jewellery and textiles, particularly Provençal fabrics. You won’t have to go far to find santons, little painted terracotta nativity figures. The best artisan ones are expensive, but will last a lifetime.

The town hall has an astonishing nativity scene. You’ll find jazz, concerts, exhibitions and more at the various museums and attractions throughout the city.

Midnight Masses and Nativity celebrations take place on Dec 24th and 25th.

Avignon Christmas Market: Nov 28-Dec 28, 2025
Daily 10am-7pm

Toulouse

Held in December in the centre of this lovely pink city, the market has a bit of everything from gourmet region food specialties (of course) to local artisans’ stalls. Over 100 stalls are in the spacious Place du Capitol square.

Toulouse Christmas Market: Nov 27-Dec 28, 2025
Sun-Thurs 10.30am-8.30pm; Fri, Sat 10.30am-10pm; Dec 24 10.30am-7pm; 25 2-8.30pm; 26 10.30am-7pm

French Atlantic Coast

Bordeaux

If you’re on the French Atlantic coast, the Bordeaux Christmas market is a definite must. Over 150 stalls sell great gifts, food and of course mulled wine. It mostly takes place in the Allées de Tournay but there’s also the Darwin Christmas Market which features socially and environmentally conscious artisans environmentally-conscious artisans there. This year try the new organic chocolate stand where they make and sell chocolate. The boat has its floating Christmas market; there are great light shows, a Christmas circus, concerts by candlelight and more.

Bordeaux Christmas Market: Nov 28-Dec 28, 2025
Daily 11am-9pm

Guide to Glorious Bordeaux
And while you’re there, don’t miss the Cité du Vin

If you’re in the Loire Valley or Paris, visit one of the châteaux that dress themselves up so beautifully over the Christmas holidays. A Christmas Châteaux.

And if it helps…here’s a bit more information

The best Christmas Markets in north France

How the French celebrate Christmas

Festive Christmas Food in France

Events in France in November 2025

Events in France in December 2025

Food Festivals in France

French Public Holidays

More Practical Information

More about Getting to France from the UK

Most of the towns have cheap hotels. Check the budget hotel chain options.

The post Best Christmas Markets in France 2025 appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Cité du Vin stands beside the Garonne River in the Bacalan district. The tall building has been described in so many different ways. To some it looks like a sailing vessel; to others a lookout post, or a lighthouse. Or how about the coiled growth of a vine, or wine poured into a decanter?

Whatever you may think of the building, there’s no doubt about its importance. Not only is it an inspiring place to learn more about wine and enjoy tastings, it’s been given one of those designations that the French so delight in (and let’s face it, they do so well). It’s part of Make it Iconic. Choose France campaign, along with the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame-de-Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel.

Cité du Vin was started in 2008 and opened in 2016. Its completion marked the beginning of a huge expansion of the Bacalan area, the formal commercial port. It’s now a vibrant and exciting part of Bordeaux.  

The Permanent Exhibition

Once you’re past the ground floor, with its shop, wine shop, conference space, The Latitude Brasserie and café, terrace, gardens, tickets and restrooms, you go up to the exhibition. It’s beautifully designed with spaces that meld into each other, separated by tall wooden columns that whisper to you of a cathedral, or a wooden wine bottle.

The Story Begins

Huge screens fill the the initial Vineyards of the World space with spectacular images. Landscapes vary from Tahiti to the slopes of Mount Fuji. You learn a lot on the way: in the Moselle Valley vines are planted on very steep slopes to get the most of the sun; in Santorini they train canes of vines into wreaths to protect the grapes from the harsh sandy winds of the island. The vines of Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes in Argentina, capture the water that runs down from the glaciers; Finland is the most northerly country producing wines.

The Winemaker

This section is for those interested in the process. Even I, not so much interested in this, lingered over the terroirs that produce different flavours and the year in the life of a winemaker, which according to the poetic captions…’means living to the rhythm of the plant’s growth…trembling before the vagaries of the weather. Will June rain destroy the flowers? Will it bring disease?…It also means pruning, pulling away the canes, pruning again, attaching, debudding…’ and so on.
You come out feeling nothing but admiration for the winemakers.

Through the Ages

The Gallery of Civilisations is where I lost myself and spent the most time. Wine has been part of humankind’s life since 6,000 B.C. but the story really begins with the ancient Greeks. The gallery covers thousands of years in a few galleries and does it with style and humour.

‘There is no moment more delightful in life than that when guests, sitting around a well-laden table, lend their ears to a minstrel while the cup-bearer, drawing wine from an amphora, fills every cup!’ And there you have it – Homer in 8 B.C.

You’re taken through the taverns of Pompeii (particularly debauched), into the world of the ‘heavenly wines of the Pharoahs’ who took wine into the afterlife, to the first wines mixed with sea water (courtesy of the Greeks), medieval wines ‘as clear as an eye’ to Pasteur whose research into the fermentation of wine and its effects made him the progenitor of modern oenology.

Stories are told in this series of delightful small rooms with pictures and quotes. As Galileo wrote: ‘Wine is the sunlight held together by water’.

The Art of Living

Here you get all sorts of fun things to do, like sniffing different smells and trying to identify them. And listening to what the great and the good, and sometimes the pompous and the mad, have said about wine with more videos and clips from films that feature wine.

‘A real connoisseur does not drink a wine but tastes its secrets.’ Salvador Dali (1904-1989).

I particularly like the quote by Nikoloz Doborjinidze, founder of Georgia’s Space Research Agency in 2019: ‘Our ancestors brought wine to Earth so we can now do the same to Mars’.

You look at maps, and realise that in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and many international vineyards are mainly located along waterways. It’s partly because water tempers the harshest weather but mainly because of navigation. Until railways took over in the 19^th century, rivers and canals offered the best way to get your wine to market.

Guide to Bordeaux Wines

And of course there is a large, fascinating section about the wines of Bordeaux. The section takes you out of the city into the great surrounding wine-growing regions of Médoc, Graves and Sauternes, Blaye and Bourg, Saint-Emilion Pomerol and Fronsac, and Entre-Deux-Mers.

Via Sensoria

The prospect of an immersive wine tour where ‘sensory experiences and tastings meet in the heart of unique dreamlike spaces…’ filled me with dread. In typical French hyperbole, Via Sensoria promises stimulating the senses, a physical and emotional transition. And to get to the pre-booked experience, I had to give up seeing more of the permanent exhibition which I was hugely enjoying.

So I was delighted when the Via Sensoria turned out to be fascinating…and different. Our small group was taken into the space by the sommelier. We sat down, gentle lights came on and images filled the space we had been ushered into. My shoulders relaxed and I felt cautious optimism.

The sommelier takes you through four seasonal pavilions. Each one has a different seating and mood; each is decorated with glass panels depicting the season you are in. At each season, there’s a brief description from the sommelier as we do the tasting.  

Spring gives you ducklings, fresh buds, rising sap, the sun rising and… a lovely yellow Sauvignon Blanc with a whisper of fresh grass. This wine is from the Loire where the lack of water leads to the roots going deep down. There’s a touch of grapefruit in the taste.

Summer brings a wine which is served in black glasses so you have to use your nose not your eyes. It’s a Clairet from Bordeaux, half way between a deep rosé and light red. It’s light and fresh with hints of strawberry and blackcurrant.

Autumn takes you to Georgia where wine is stored in big terracotta barrels. The pavilion evokes the wind blowing, the trees stripped of their leaves, and harvest. The wine, made from the Saperavi grape variety is rich; and we also taste a cassis syrup of blackcurrant berries.

A little autumn wind has come to whisper
languid rustlings in the ear of summer
He came blowing through the trees first
September is here, he can do as he pleases.

French author and AI expert, Nami Moukheiber.

Winter and we enter the fourth and final space with winter images, Northern lights, kids in warm clothes. And we were served a honeyed Hungarian Tokay that took us straight to warm firesides and dark chocolate after a day in the snowy landscape.

It is the shortest day
Counting down
until the twilight
That comes a little too early…
It’s the hemisphere tilting
And shredding its skin…

As you can see, I was thoroughly seduced and taken over by the experience and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Food and drink at the Cité du Vin

Brasserie Latitude20, a wine and snack bar is on the ground floor; it’s ideal for lunch, drink or dinner.  It has a top wine list reasonably priced.
Lunch Mon-Fri: Starters €9-€21; mains €21-€26; desserts ; cheese €12
Wine Bar: Sun-Wed: 3pm to 7pm Thurs-Sat: 3pm-10pm
Boards of different charcuterie, or smoked salmon: €9-€28
2-course lunch €22,50, 3 courses €27.50
Open: The Snack bar: everyday from 10am to 5pm
The Brasserie: everyday from 12pm to 3pm
The Wine bar: Sunday to Wednesday from 3pm to 7pm and Thursday to Saturday from 3pm to 10pm.
Tel: +33 (0) 5 64 31 0550

Le 7 looks out from the 7th floor and offers cooking as spectacular as the view. This is a restaurant for serious dining.
A la carte: Starters from €21 to €25; mains from €31 to €37; desserts from €10 to €16.
Mon-Fri lunch menu starter and main €32; 5 course dinner menu €70; childrens menu 3 courses €16 (free on Wednesday except school holidays).
Open: Every day from 10am to 11am for breakfast (by reservation)
Lunch Mon-Sat 12pm-3pm; Sun 12pm-4pm
Sweet snacks: Mon, Tues, Sun 3pm,-4pm; Wed-Sat 3pm-7pm
Dinner Wed-Sat from 7pm-9.30pm (last orders 9.30pm)
Tel: +33 (0)5 64 31 05 40

The Belvédère. On the 8^th floor of the Cité du Vin, the Belvédère offers a 360 degree view of Bordeaux along with tasting one, or several, of the many wines stocked here. Buy a ticket here.

More Information

Cité du Vin
134 Quai de Bacalan,
33300 Bordeaux
Website
Opening hours and Ticket prices

How to get there

By Tram line B: The nearest tram stop, La Cité du Vin, is a 2-minute walkBordeaux Tourist Office

By Bus: Bus 7, 25, 27 to La Cité du Vin

By Car: There is paid parking nearby.

The Bordeaux Tourist Office can help with all your queries, from hotel bookings to guided tours.
12 cours du XXX juillet
33080 Bordeaux
+33(0) 5 56 00 66 00
Website
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am-5pm

Guide to Glorious Bordeaux

Getting to Bordeaux

From Paris by train: The TGV is direct and takes 3 hours from Paris.
From the UK: By plane: BA, Easyjet and AirFrance fly from London and regional cities to Bordeaux.

Take the tram from the airport to city centre

Getting around Bordeaux

The city centre is very walkable with pedestrian areas throughout. The tram system runs throughout Bordeaux, using a unique ground power system so you’re not distracted by overhead wires. It runs from 5am to midnight or 1 a.m. depending on the day. There are regular buses.
Bordeaux Tourism website

More about the Bordeaux Region

The French Atlantic Coast
The Glorious Vendée Department

AND...
Great Rivers of France
Food Festivals of France

The post Cité du Vin in Bordeaux appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

Bordeaux is a glorious city. The gracious and elegant capital of the Aquitaine region is rich with classical buildings, formal squares, tucked-away quartiers where you can wander the streets and find individual shops and boulangeries, cafés and bars, and some unusual and stunning attractions. The city stands proudly on the grand Garonne river on the French Atlantic coast.

Victor Hugo was an admirer: ‘Take Versailles, add Antwerp and you have Bordeaux…Add to that, my friend, the magnificent Gironde, bustling with ships, the delightful backdrop of green hills, a fine sky and warm sun, and you will fall in love with Bordeaux, even if you only drink water.’

I recently spent three days in Bordeaux and despite a punishing schedule missed out quite a few of the city’s attractions. Next time I’ll take a week.

Start with this guide to Bordeaux to make the most of your time here.

Bordeaux – A City Devoted to Wine and the Cité du Vin

Bordeaux sits at the heart of one of the world’s great wine-producing regions. Anyone with even a passing interest in the noble grape should schedule a visit to the Cité du Vin.

“It’s going to be my Guggenheim” declared Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux in 2006 when the project was born. It’s a pretty extraordinary piece of architecture: its undulating shape and its distinctive curves have been described as evoking a sailing ship…wine poured from a decanter…or swirling around a wine glass.

Make of the outside what you will; inside you’ll find a fascinating series of exhibitions telling you the story of mankind’s great drink. I’d advise at least half a day for a visit, and if you can, eat here at Le 7, restaurant that looks out over the Garonne and Bordeaux.  

Article about the Cité du Vin

Don’t Miss: The Bordeaux Wine Festival, normally takes place in June. But next year it coincides with the Tall Ships Race. The race starts in Bordeaux and runs from July 7-11, 2027, the same dates as the Bordeaux Wine Festival.

Les Bassins de Lumière

Step inside Les Bassins de Lumière in the same quartier as the Cité du Vin (and conveniently near) for extraordinary annual changing exhibitions. This is the world’s largest digital art centre, offering an experience which will entrance, sometimes frighten, and always impress.

Housed in the former World War II German submarine base in Bacalan, the sound-proofed insulated spaces, some up to 8m high, are filled with 360° images that slowly change. I stood mesmerised in the first gallery, then walked over footbridges into more galleries with different dream-like images.

There are six spaces in total, all very varied. Take in the art shows and a huge mooring bay built over the water. As you look, the gates appear to open and submarines seem to enter the base, moving towards you at a menacing speed. There’s an area where you can sit in tiered stages to watch the show from different heights, and a museum space with the history of the building. And of course, a very good shop at the end.

I was there for the 2025 exhibition (which runs to Jan 6, 2026). Egyptian Pharaohs from the Old Kingdom of Khéops to the New Kingdom of Ramsès II (c. 2589 BC to 1213 BC) taught me more about this ancient history than any book I have read. We were brought more up to date with The Orientalists exhibition which focuses on the French Orientalist painters: Ingres, Delacroix and Jean-Léon Gérôme. We were there during the week; on Sundays the place must have been full of families watching The Little Prince come to life with Saint-Exupery’s images blown up to fantastic proportions.
Les Bassins de Lumière website

Tip: If you’re here in the Bacalan district, try shopping at Les Halles de Bacalan for regional and local foods and products. It’s a great place to put together a picnic, or eat a casual lunch at one of the stalls. Open daily except Mondays.

Walk the City’s Old Quartiers

Bordeaux is a great city for walking, particularly through its small compact historic areas. If you have time, pick one and spend a minimum of a couple of hours exploring. If time is limited, take a guided tour. Bruno Coiffard, a Bordeaux guide, took us around different areas, taking great pleasure in pointing out the superiority of Bordeaux over Paris.  Bruno Coiffard (+33 6 08 28 65 26). At the end of our two tours we agreed with him (sorry Paris!).

Tip: If you’re feeling peckish as you walk around, pop into one of the Cassonade Cannelés & Spécialités cafés for a coffee and a speciality of the city, a cassonade – a delicious caramelized cake that comes in a distinctive shape.

Port de la Lune (Port of the Moon)

This romantically named quayside doesn’t denote a district as such, but is the heart of old Bordeaux. It’s a crescent-shaped bend in the river, originally the source of Bordeaux’s wealth. In the Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul district, the Port of the Moon was the heart of the global trading center between Africa, Europe and the Americas.

From the noisy, crowded and dangerous quays, ships carried the precious commodities of coffee, cocoa, cotton, sugar and indigo from to the rest of Europe. By the 18^th century, with its dominance as a wine-exporter, Bordeaux was the second busiest port in the world after London.

The port has long disappeared but in its place stands the Place de la Bourse and in front of it the Miroir d’Eau, between the Place and the river. The largest water mirror in the world spouts water from the fountains during the day and magically reflects the illuminated, semi circular buildings at night.

If you want to see a superb example of French neoclassical architecture, this is it. The warm stone buildings facing the river in the Place de la Bourse have a wonderful symmetry, fanning out from the centre in two arcs that follow the banks of the river. The Place (Stock Exchange Square) took from 1730 to 1775 to build, replacing the medieval crowded muddle of Bordeaux which was breaking out of the old city walls. The north building was the original stock exchange (now the Chamber of Commerce); the Hôtel des Fermes to the south was built for the local customs authority. It now houses the Musée Nationale des Douanes, reopened in Spring 2025. It’s well worth a visit. We might think that customs and excise is a pretty dull subject, but avoiding taxes has always been an ingenious pastime. A wooden stool opens up to become a salt store. It was designed so the lady of the house could firmly sit on it, hiding the heavily taxed commodity under her voluminous skirts. And such handsome hats.

Find out more about the Musée Nationale des Douanes on Mechtraveller.

Les Chartrons

The Chartrons district that housed the wine merchants of the 17^th and 18^th centuries lies south of the Bacalan. Stone buildings line the streets, the front rooms housing the living quarters of the Lynches, the Bartons, the Johnstons and other English and Irish families who dominated the lucrative trade. At the back lay their large wine warehouses.

It was a bustling, noisy district, housing barrel makers, the glass bottle factory of an Irishman, Pierre Mitchell, which belched out smoke day and night, label printers and heavy carts that transported the barrels to the harbour. According to the excellent Bruno, this was where capitalism was born.

Today it’s a delightful area of antique shops, art galleries, and small boutiques, interrupted by cafés whose pavement tables and chairs are always full. Walk along Rue Notre Dame for its churches, then turn north into the Place du Marché des Chartrons which hosts events and exhibitions. Look out for pretty houses covered in ivy or flowering bushes, that occupy the streets and hidden alleys.

We came across the small but delightful Musée du Vin et du Négoce, housed in one of Bordeaux’s oldest buildings, an Irish merchant’s house of 1720. The crowded museum takes you through vaulted cellars that, with maps, images, models, artefacts, oak barrels and wine bottles, tell the story of the city’s lucrative wine trade in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, plus the role of the négociant (merchant trader).   

America’s First Consulate

Along the river you’ll come across the old American Consulate, the first such consular post in US history, established in 1778. It’s easy to spot – a plaque commemorates Joseph Fenwick, appointed in 1790. With the French Revolution just starting in the late 18th century, Bordeaux was deemed to be a far safer and more stable city than Paris.  

Fenwick’s family had Maryland and South Carolina connections – vital for the US and its trade of Carolina gold rice, sea island cotton and raw indigo dye, shipped from the port of Charleston to Europe.

The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is the centre of Bordeaux, certainly for the Bordelaise, stretching between the Allées de Touray, Cours de l’Intendance and Cours Georges Clemenceau.

This is the area for shopping in the glass Galerie des Grands Hommes, and admiring the grand 18^th and 19^th century buildings.

The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux

In the heart of the Golden Triangle, this imposing building is a real statement of power. The ‘Temple of the Arts and Light’ was commissioned by Marshal Richelieu (grand-nephew of the famous Cardinal), and designed by the architect Victor Louis, and inaugurated on April 7, 1780. Its distinctive exterior feature is the Corinthian columns running along the façade. Other such buildings have 8 columns; the Bordeaux theatre has 12. Topping the columns 12 statues look out over the city – the nine Muses plus the Roman goddesses Juno, Venus, and Minerva.

A century later the architect Charles Garnier visited Bordeaux. He was so impressed by the very grand staircase, that he copied the design for his 19th-century grand Paris Opera. You can visit the building and see the staircase. Better still is to get to a performance of the Bordeaux opera or ballet. The acoustics are superb; and for history buffs, the theatre remains one of the oldest wooden framed opera houses still active, having survived fire and rebuilding.

Francisco Goya in Bordeaux

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes left Spain for Bordeaux in 1824, 78 years old, completely deaf and at odds with the Spanish monarchy. He died in 1828; his funeral was held in the city and he was first buried in Cimetière de la Chartreuse.

A bronze plaque marks his house at 57 Cours de l’Intendance where he lived for the last years of his life. The Spanish connection continues: the building now houses the Institut Cervantes which promotes Spanish language and culture.  

In 1888 Goya’s body was exhumed and repatriated to Spain. And here begins the mystery and the stories that Bruno tells with relish. “Goya skeleton without a head,” wrote the Spanish consul in Bordeaux to his Spanish colleague. “Please instruct me.”

Goya’s headless body was taken to the San Antonio de la Florida chapel in Madrid where it now resides under the frescoes in the dome which Goya painted in 1798.  

The skull was most possibly acquired by a phrenologist who believed that the secrets of a person’s character lay in the skull. Bruno recounts that it turned up in a local bar and became an object of pilgrimage by the painter’s admirers.

Bordeaux vs Paris

There is (again according to Bruno), a healthy rivalry between these two grand cities of France. Baron Haussmann was a prefect in Bordeaux from 1851 to 1853 and it was here that he first stamped his style. He employed town planners to create grand boulevards leading to spacious squares, transforming the centre. He left Bordeaux to transform Paris.  And once the architectural similarities are pointed out, you see the evidence everywhere.

Place des Quinconces

The Place des Quinconces is one of the largest squares in France, today the location for big fairs (the brocante fair in late April/early May is one of the best in France. At one end stands the Monument aux Girondins, a giant column commemorating the victims of the Terror during the French Revolution. It’s topped with a statue of Liberty Breaking her Chains.

Also unmissable is the extraordinary fountain, with its bronze horses pulling chariots and allegorical figures that represent liberty, justice and the Dordogne and Garonne.

The Garonne River

Bordeaux is the major port on the mighty Garonne River and marks the point where the river flows into the Gironde estuary and from there into the Bay of Biscay. The city sits between the two major wine-producing areas of Entre-deux-Mers to the east and Médoc to the west.

For centuries it marked the division between the rich on the left bank and the poor opposite. Today, as the city expands, the right bank is developing fast and has become the trendy alternative place to live, work and play.

Crossing the River to the Right Bank

We took the Bat ferry , which runs along the Garonne from the Pont de Pierre to Lormont with stops at Stalingrad, Quinconces, Hangars Médoc, and Cité du Vin. It’s as good as a mini cruise (very mini; it just takes 25 to 35 minutes to travel between its endpoints along the 25-kilometer route). It costs the same as tickets used on buses and trams. 1 trip: €1.70; 2 trips: €3.00; 10 trips: €13.70.
Check the website for detailed information.

Darwin ecosystem

Darwin ecosystem, housed in a former barracks, takes up much of the right bank. It’s a large area with restaurants, bars and cafés, a skatepark and a handful of very cool shops. Veja cleans, repairs and recycles its old shoes; go to Shop Sauvages for clothes which you have to be seen in (if aspiring to be casually chic); librairie La Géolibri sells books, posters and more, and Bric à Brac Emmaüs is the place for recycled items.

There are events and street performances all year round, so keep an eye on the Darwin website for up-to-date information.

And of course there are plenty of places to eat, many of them offering organic ingredients.  We had lunch at la Belle Saison, sitting outside and looking over to the left bank. Good value, excellent service and delicious food.

Tip: Try to avoid Mondays when many shops are closed.

Bordeaux UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2007 Bordeaux, The Port of the Moon, was given the world’s highest award for the unity of its exceptional urban heritage. Created in the 18th-century age of the Enlightenment, Bordeaux has more than 350 listed Historical Monuments. Most striking is the sheer size of the UNESCO perimeter: 1,810 hectares in total, amounting to almost half of the city’s surface area. In total Bordeaux has more protected buildings than any city after Paris.

UNESCO also recognised the history role Bordeaux has played as a city enjoying an exchange of cultural values for over 2,000 years…particularly highlighting the commercial links with Britain and the Low Lands (Holland and Belgium) from the 12th century.

Bordeaux and Britain

In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet bringing Bordeaux under English rule. For Bordeaux it was significant, heralding the start of the dominant trade of Bordeaux wine to England, helped by the special privileges that Henry offered. With 25% of the total Bordeaux output going to England, ‘claret’ (as Bordeaux red wine was called) became a staple and has remained a favorite ever since.

For more about the Plantagenets and the English connection, visit…Le Mans! It comes as a surprise (and it certainly did to me) but Le Mans has one of the largest medieval preserved quarters in France.

Where We Stayed in Bordeaux

We stayed at Villas Foch, a 5-star privately owned boutique hotel with just 12 rooms and eight suites. Housed in two adjoining 19^th-century classical stone buildings, it’s been beautifully restored and has quirky modern touches, like the spectacular chandelier that hangs in one of the grand staircases.

There’s a cosy Le Ferdinand bar, a spa and pool and a great breakfast room. Bedrooms are light and airy with impeccable bathrooms. A portrait of Foch in each room follows you around, which I found rather companionable. Villas Foch is just a few minutes from the Place des Quinconces, so it’s pretty central but feels tucked away. Rooms from €550.

Restaurants in Bordeaux

Bordeaux is one of France’s great culinary cities, up there with Paris and Lyon. You’ll find restaurants for every budget and style, but here’s a small selection of ones I have enjoyed.

Le 1925 Brasserie

Come to Le 1925 Brasserie as much for the brasserie style as the cooking which is classically based: pig’s trotter, snails, oysters and some of the best heritage tomatoes I’ve come across for starters. Mains range from prawn risotto to duck breast, beef tartare or pork confit shoulder, all served with extra favourites like French fries, home-made mash, green salad. And desserts? Chocolate mousse, sorbets or…where else can you find this these days? Crêpes Suzette flambé Grand Marnier which is prepared dramatically at your table. And the wine list is superb, selected by the owner who invariably will appear to chat to his customers.
Starters from €10 to €28; mains €25 to €35; desserts €10 to €15 (for that flaming fabulous crêpes Suzette)

Le 1925 Brasserie
4 Place des Quinconces
Tel: +33 (0)5 56 52 84 56
Website

Le 7

At the top of the Cité du Vin on the 7^th floor, the restaurant offers spectacular views over the port and beyond along with top regional cooking. Creamy burrata with sautéed artichoke, piquilio pepper sauce and basil oil was followed by slow-cooked chicken supreme then an After Eight dessert (go there to discover this one). And of course, a great wine list of 500 wines from 50 countries, with a selection of 32 wines by the glass.

Starters from €21 to €25; mains from €31 to €37; desserts from €10 to €16.
Mon-Fri lunch menu starter and main €32; 5 course dinner menu €70; childrens menu 3 courses €16 (free on Wednesday except school holidays).

Le 7
Cité du Vin
Esplanade de Pontac
Tel: +33 (0)5 64 31 05 40
Website

Le Chapon Fin

The word ‘historic’ is often over-used. But Le Chapon Fin is a restaurant that can rightly claim the description.
Le Chapon Fin opened in 1825 when much of central Bordeaux was being rebuilt in the classical style by Haussmann. In 1900 Le Chapon Fin was renovated. Perhaps renovation isn’t not the right word; an adventurous owner and equally adventurous architect brought the outside in with a rocky scene at the and a lot of plants.

The restaurant became the place to go. The Spanish King Alphonse XIII kept a private cellar here; diners included the Sultan of Morocco, the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) and artists like Sarah Bernhardt and Toulouse Lautrec as well as George Clemenceau and a host of politicians.   
Today its reputation, particularly for its wines, is in the capable hands of owner Sylvie Cazes who comes from a family of wine makers. She was very much involved in the Cité du Vin, and jointly owns the famous Château Lynch-Bages and Château Chauvin vineyards, and the company Bordeaux Saveurs which tailor makes visits to vineyards.
This is not a restaurant to go to on a casual basis; the cooking, based on the south west, includes dishes like field and garden tomatoes with various different oils, followed by chicken breast, crispy breadcrumbs and roasted broccoli. Or be more ambitious and taste a bit of history with Alphonse XIII pigeon with tobacco leaf, corn and vanilla.
Menu Marché: from 35€ to 45 €. Or make it a special occasion with the historic menu whose dishes are inspired by significant dates from 1825 to 2024.  €78 to €98 .

Le Chapon Fin
5 rue Montesquieu
Tel: +33 05 56 79 10 10
Website

Getting to Bordeaux

From Paris by train: The TGV is direct and takes 2 hours from Paris.
From the UK: By plane: BA, Easyjet and AirFrance fly from London and regional cities to Bordeaux.

Take the tram from the airport to city centre

Getting around Bordeaux

The city centre is very walkable with pedestrian areas throughout. The tram system runs throughout Bordeaux, using a unique ground power system so you’re not distracted by overhead wires. It runs from 5am to midnight or 1 a.m. depending on the day. There are regular buses.
Bordeaux Tourism website

Bordeaux Tourist Office

The Bordeaux Tourist Office can help with all your queries, from hotel bookings to guided tours.
12 cours du XXX juillet
33080 Bordeaux
+33 (0)5 56 00 66 00
Website
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm; Sunday and public holidays 10am-5pm

More about the Bordeaux Region

The French Atlantic Coast
The Glorious Vendée Department

AND...
Great Rivers of France

Food Festivals of France

The post Guide to Glorious Bordeaux appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The Tour de France is the world’s greatest cycling race. The 112^th race takes place from Saturday July 5, 2025. It starts in Lille, in the Nord region and ends on Sunday July 27, 2025 in Paris.

The Tour de France attracts over 12 million spectators a year lining the roads. 3.5 million TV viewers in 190 countries tune in on a typical day’s coverage. I love watching it, as much for its high drama as for the glorious views of the French countryside both from the road and from helicopters and drones high above the race.

Founded in 1903 by Henri Desgrange, the editor of L’Auto newspaper, it’s the third biggest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games and the FiFa World Cup.

The Tour de France 2025

The Tour de France is gruelling, exciting and dramatic. Discover the main stages, riders, facts, distances and some fun facts in this guide to the Tour de France 2024 – the 111th race.

The Tour de France 2025 Stages

The 2025 Tour de France is made up of 21 stages. It covers a total distance of 3,320 kilometers (2,063 miles).

The route includes eight flat stages for the sprinters, seven mountain stages (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pl d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 4 hilly stages, 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

Out of a total of 39 towns, these are the ones appearing for the first time: Lauwin-Planque, Bayeux, Chinon, Ennezat, Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, Bollène, Vif, and Mantes-la-Ville.

The Tour de France 2025 Route

In 2024, the great British cyclist from the Isle of Man won his 35th title. In homage to the now-retired British sprinter’s Tour de France stage wins, Châteauroux unofficially becomes ‘Cavendish City’. Châteauroux saw three of his wins. The town hosts a Tour de France finish for a fifth time on Monday July 13.

Teams for the Tour de France 2025

There are eight riders in each of the 22 teams. In total (and in theory as there are sometimes very last-minute drop-outs due to injury or illness), 176 riders will take part.

Tour de France 2025 Official Teams and Riders

Here are the teams. The nationality of the team and the riders is in parentheses after every name. But last-minute changes might occur!

Alpecin-Deceuninck (Belgium): Mathieu van der Poel (NED); Jasper Philipsen (BEL); Sylvan Diller (SUI); Kaden Groves (AUS); Xandro Merurisse (BEL);  Jonas Rickaert (BEL); Gianni Vermeersch (BEL); Emil Verstrynge (BEL)

Arkéa B&B Hotels (France): Amaury Capiot (BEL); Ewen Costiou (BEL); Arnaud Démare (FRA);  Raoul Garcia Pierna (SPA); Matisse Le Berre (BEL); Cristian Rodriguez (SPA) Kévin Vauquelin (FRA); Clement Venturini (BEL)

XDS Astana Qazaqstan (Kazakstan):  Davide Ballerini (ITA); Cees Bol (NED); Clément Champoussin (FRA); Yeveniy Fedorov (KAZ); Sergio Higuita (COL); Harold Tejada (COL); Mike Teunissen (NEL); Simone Belasco (ITA)

Bahrain Victorious (Bahrain): Phil Bauhaus (GER);  Santiago Buittrago (COL); Jack Haig (AUS); Kamil Gradek (POL): Lenny Martinez (FRA); Matej Mohoric (SLOVENIA); Robert Stannard (AUS) Fred Wright (GBR); 

Red Bull – BRORA – hansgrohe (Germany): Florian Lipowitz (GER); Jordi Meeus (BEL);  Gianni Moscon (ITA);  Laurence Pithie (NZ) Primoz Roglič (SLO);  Mick Van Dijke (NEL); Danny van Poppel (NED); Alexsandr Blasov (RUS) 

Cofidis (France):  Alex Aranburu (SPA); Bryan Coquard (FRA); Emanuel Buchmann (GER); Ion Izaguirre (SPA); Alexis Renard (FRA); Dylan Teuns (BEL); Benjamin Thomas (FRA); Damien Touzé (FRA)

 Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale (France): Bruno Armirail (FRA); Clement Berthet (FRA); Stefan Bissegger (SYU); Felix Gall (AUT); Oliver Naesen (BEL); Aurelien Paret-Peintre (FRA); Callum Scotson (AUS);  Bastien Tronchon (FRA)

Team Picnic PostNL (Netherlands):  Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN); Warren Barguil (FRA); Pavel Bittner (CZE); Sean Flynn (GBR); Niklas Märkl (GER); Tim Naberman (NEL); Oscar Olney (GBR); Frank van den Broek (NED) 

EF Education – Easypost (USA): Vincenzo Albanese (ITA); Kasper Asgreen (DEN); Alex Baudin (FRA); Ben Healy (IRE); Harry Sweeny (AUS); Neilson Powless (USA);  Michael Valgren (DEN); Marijn Van den Berg (NEL)

Groupama–FDJ (France): Lewis Askey (GBR); Cyril Barthe (FRA); Romain Gregoire (FRA); Valentin Madouas (FRA); Guillaume Martin (FRA); Quentin Pacher (FRA); Paul Penhoët (FRA); Clément Russo (FRA)

Ineos Grenadiers (Great Britain): Thymen Arensman (NED); Tobias Foss (NOR); Filippo Ganna (ITA); Axel Laurance (FRA); Ben Swift (GBR); Connor Swift (GBR); Samuel Watson (GBR); Geraint Thomas (GBR)

Intermarché-Wanty (Belgium): Louis Barée (FRA); Vito Braet (BEL); Biniam Girmay (ERITREA); Hugo Page (FRA); Laurenz Rex (BEL); Jonas Rutsch (GER); Roel Van Sintmaartensdijk (BEL); Georg Zimmerman (GER)

Israel-PremierTech (Israel): Pascal Ackermann (GER); Joseph Blackmore (GBR); Guillaume Boivin (CAN); Mats Louvel (FRA); Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ); Krists Neilands (LAT); Jake Stewart (GBR); Michael Woods (CAN)

Jayco AlUla (Australia): Eddie Dunbar (IRE); Luke Durbridge (AUS); Dylan Groenewegen (NED); Luka Mezgec (SLO); Ben O’Connor (AUS); Luke Plapp (AUS); Elmer Reinders (BEL); Mauro Schmid (SUI)

Lidl-Trek (USA): Simone Consonni (ITA); Jonathan Milan (ITA); Thibaut Nys (Bel); Jasper Stuyven (BEL); Quinn Simmons (USA); Mattias Skjelmose (DEN); Toms Skujins (LAT); Edward Theuns (BEL)

Lotto-Destny (Belgium):  Jasper De Buyst (BEL); Arnaud De Lie (BEL); Jenno Berckmoes (BEL); Jarrad Drizners (AUS); Sébastien Grignard (BEL); Eduardo Sepulveda (ARG); Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL); Brent Van Moer (BEL)

Movistar (Spain): Will Barta (USA); Pablo Castrillo (SP); Ivan Garcia Cortina (SP); Enric Mas (SPA);  Gregor Mühlberger (AUS); Nelson Oliveira (POR); Ivan Romeo (SP); Einer Rubio (COL)

Soudal Quickstep (Belgium): Mattia Cattaneo (ITA); Pascal Eenkhoorn (NED); Remco Evenpoel (BEL); Tim Merlier (BEL); Valentin Paret-Peintre (FRA); Maximilian Schachmann (GER); Bert Van Lerberghe (BEL); Ilan Van Wilder (BEL)

TotalEnergies (FRA): Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA); Steff Crass (BEL); Alexandre Delettre (FRA); Thomas Gachignard (FRA);  Emilien Jeanniere (FRA); Jordan Jegat (FRA); Anthony Turgis (FRA); Matteo Vercher (FRA)

Tudor Pro Cycling Team (SUI): Julian Alaphilippe (FRA); Alberto Dainese (ITA); Marco Haller (AUT); Marc Hirschi (SUI); Fabian Leinhard (SUI); Marius Mayrhofer (GER); Michael Storer (AUS); Matteo Trintin (ITA)

UAE Team Emirates (UAE): Tadej Pogačar (SL); João Almeida (POR); Stian Fredheim (NOR);  Jonathan Narvaez (ECU); Nils Politt (GER); Pavel Sivakov (FRA);  Marc Soler (SPA);  Tim Wellens (BEL);  Adam Yates (GBR) 

UNO-X Mobility (Norway): Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR); Magnus Cort (DEN); Alexander Kristoff (NOR); Markus Hoelgaard (NOR); Anders Halland Johannessen (NOR); Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR); Andreas Leknessund (NOR); Søren Wætrnskold (NOR); 

Visma Lease a Bike (Netherlands): Edoardo Affini (ITA); Tiesj Benoot (BEL); Victor Campenaerts (BEL); Sepp Kuss (USA); Jonas Vingegaard (DEN); Wout Van Aert (BEL);   Matteo Jorgenssen (USA); Simon Yates (GBR)

British Cyclists

There are 10 British cyclists in the Tour de France 2025: Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious); Sean Flynn & Oscar Olney (Team PostNL); Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ); Ben Swift; Connor Swift; Samuel Watson; Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers); Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates); Simon Yates (Visma Lease a Bike).

Australian Cyclists

There are 11 Australian cyclists in the Tour de France 2025: Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck); Jack Haig & Robert Stannard (Bahrain Victorious); Callum Scotson  (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale); Harry Sweeney (EF Education – Easypost); Luke Durbridge, Ben O’Connor, Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla); Jarrad Drizners (Lotto-Destny); Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team).

North American Cyclists

The Americans have three riders in the Tour de France 2024: Neilson Powless  (EF Education-Easypost); Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike); Sean Quinn (EF Education Easypost).

Winners and Losers in the Tour de France

Previous winners

2024 Tadej Pogačar
2023 Jonas Vingegaard 
2022 Jonas Vingegaard 
2021 Tadej Pogačar
2020 Tadej Pogačar
2019 Egan Bernal
2018 Geraint Thomas
2017 Chris Froome
2016 Chris Froome
2015 Chris Froome
2014 Vincenzo Nibali
2013 Chris Froome
2012 Bradley Wiggins
2011 Cadel Evans
2010 Andy Schleck

Five riders have managed to win the Tour five times:
Jacques Anquetil (France) 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974
Bernard Hinault (France) 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985
Miguel Induráin (Spain) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995
Chris Froome (GB) 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017

Three riders have won three times:
Philippe Thys (Belgium) 1913, 1914, 1920
Louison Bobet (France), 1953, 1054, 1955
Greg Lemond (USA) 1986, 1989, 1990

The record number of wins ever was seven by Lance Armstrong of the United States (1999-2005). But after being found guilty of doping by the USADA in 2012, he was stripped of all of these titles.

Other disqualifications after the winner has been caught out:
In 1904 the winner, Maurice Garin, was stripped of his title after it was discovered that he had caught a train for part of the event
In 2006 Floyd Landis of the United States was found to have raised testosterone levels
In 2010 Alberto Contador was stripped of the win after investigations into his drug use.

And what about…

How do riders in the Tour de France pee? This seems to be a popular question which makes sense. A cyclist can just stop to pee, if possible making sure they are fairly far to the front.
The usual convention is when the leader (rider in the yellow jersey) decides where a pee spot will be, preferably in a remote part of the race. The TV cameras do not film them and riders are not allowed to take advantage of this to improve their position. Sounds very fair to me!

What the jerseys mean and prize money

A total of over 2.3 million Euros will be awarded overall, including €500,000 to the overall winner of each individual classification.

The Yellow Jersey (maillot jaune) is the overall winner of the race up to that point, awarded after each stage.
The Green Jersey is for the best sprinter. Points are awarded at the finish of each stage, and for an intermediate sprint in all normal stages.

Here’s the official website for the Tour de France 2025
Cycling News has excellent up-to-date information on the Tour de France 2025 (and is good on cycling generally). Procycling news is another good source.

Here’s the Le Tour Facebook link
Instagram link
Twitter link

Major events in July 2025 in France

More geographic information about France

More about the regions of France
More about the departments of France
More about the mountains of France

The post Guide to the Tour de France 2025 appeared first on Mary Anne's France.

The best brocante and flea markets in France offer some real bargains (and a great day out as well). They’re very popular with the French so there’s hefty competition for those bargains. Visiting one of the most popular and well-known markets requires some canny forward planning. Savvy visitors book hotels in advance, arrive with an empty car and leave triumphantly overladen.

Best Brocante and Flea Market Fairs in North France

North France is a particularly good hunting ground for brocante and flea market fairs which is good news if you’re in the UK and can get over the Channel easily. Many of the towns have two fairs a year – in Spring and Autumn. Here’s how to get to France by ferry.

Apr 19, 2026: La Grande Réderie d’Amiens, Picardy, Hauts-de-France. This is north France’s second largest fair with around 2,000 exhibitors and over 80,000 visitors coming to snatch up bargains. It started in 1909 and is always held on the second last Sunday in April and the first Sunday in October. It takes over 51 streets in the town and starts around 2am when the real bargain hunters turn up. 
If you’re driving there,  leave your car at the Parking du Coliseum in the centre of Parking du Port d’Aval around a 5-minute walk from the market.

Jun 21, 2026: Brocante de Maroilles. Maroilles, Nord, Hauts-de-France is known more for its smelly cheese than its brocante and flea market, but do try to come to this one. Over 600 stalls attract nearly 80,000 visitors who come for good antiques and bric-a-brac. There’s also a Salon Artisanale for local crafts over the weekend, and a lot of street entertainment.

July 14, 2026: Montreuil-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France. Charming  Montreuil-sur-Mer adds to the celebrations on Bastille Day with its annual brocante fair. It’s a small affair compared to its big brothers, but there’s still plenty to buy here from the approximately 500 stall holders who fill the streets, and with fewer crowds it’s less manic. Then there’s plenty to see at around 10.30pm, as fireworks shoot off into the sky from the Citadel.

Sep 5-76 2026: La Grand Braderie de Lille, Lille, Nord, Hauts-de-France. This is north France’s largest fair with over 10,000 exhibitors displaying pretty well everything you could imagine and a whole lot more. It opens at 8am on Saturday and goes on all night then finishes at 6pm on Sunday. There’s a great tradition in Lille: during the fair people eat moules frites then pile up the shells outside the restaurant. It’s a local, unofficial competition to see which restaurant has the largest pile. 
If you’re staying at a hotel inside the central area, take note: you cannot move your car between 7pm on Friday and 6am on Monday.
Official parking arrangements

Best Brocante and Flea Market Fairs in the rest of France

Central France

Chatou, Yveline, Île-de-France
Mar 13-22, 2026: Foire de Chatou.  Originating from a centuries-old Ham Fair, it then became the Foire à la Brocante et aux Jambons (Flea Market and Hams Fair) in 1840. It still features food (and pork and ham) as well as oysters and wine but its main purpose is antiques, offered by over 700 dealers to 35,000 visitors. It’s one of the biggest, and most popular, antique fairs in France. It’s on the Ile des Impressionnistes, north east of Paris
Entrance €10 (free for under 15 years).

Houilles, Yveline, Île-de-France
Oct 4, 2026: La Braderie de Houilles is a major event, hosting around 2000 exhibitors and 300,000 visitors over 6 miles of stalls. Brocante items and a lot of ordinary household items from old kitchen appliances to toys.
Free entry; 7am-6pm.

Durtal,  Maine-et-Loire, Anjou
Sep 27, 2026: Brocante de Durtal is held around the château. The large outdoor fair has around 450 sellers offering everything old and antique to 20,000 or so enthusiasts. 
Free entry; 7am-7pm.

West France

Nantes, Loire Atlantique, Pays de la Loire
End of September/Early October 2026: Antique shops line rue Jean-Jaurès and there’s a great brocante market every Saturday in Nantes, but the annual October market is something else. The Grande Brocante de la Place Viarme in Nantes attracts over 160 dealers selling everything, but being Nantes on the Atlantic coast, look out for nautical items and Quimper ceramics among the furniture, textiles, glasses and more.
Place Viarme; 9am-7pm
The date is not yet fixed for the annual big event.

Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Apr 24-May 10, 2026: Foire à la Brocantes de Quinconces  is the oldest flea market and antiques fair in the region. Over 200 exhibitors and 180,000 visitors flock to the centre of the gorgeous city of Bordeaux for the fair which offers everything from top to bottom, plus 8 places to eat. 
Free entry; 10am-7pm. Tramway B and C to Quinconces stop.
Guide to Glorious Bordeaux

South of France

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Vaucluse, PACA
Apr 2-6, 2026: La Foire internationale Antiquités & Brocante is probably the best known (and the best organised) in France, welcoming bargain hunters from all over the world. The 3rd largest market in Europe has 200 exhibitors exhibiting in Gautier Park, on the quays of the Sorgue river. There are experts on hand to authenticate (or not) what you might be about to spend hundred, possibly thousands, or more likely 20 or 30 euros on. The stalls augment the 300 permanent antiques and second-hand shops set up in the town. Check out the Village des Antiquaires de la Gare, a former watermill now housing over 100 permanent dealers.

Pézenas, Herault, Occitanie
May 3, 2026: The two fairs called the Grand Déballage (Great Unpacking) take place on the first Sunday of May and the second Sunday of October each year in the town with around 100 antique and brocante shops. The fairs attract over 200 dealers who arrive with everything from pictures to glassware, old linen to African art. 
Free; 8am-6pm.

Jul 19, 2026: Les Puces Ligneronnaises in Saint-Christophe-du-Ligneron takes place each third Sunday in July. The largest flea market in the Vendée sees around 250 exhibitors selling all kinds of antiques and bric-a-brac. The event Arts & Saveurs takes over the second Sunday in August, combining crafts with food products.

Toulouse – Not to be missed

Every First Weekend of the Month: From Friday to Sunday, La Brocante des Allées flea market sets up in Toulouse, in Allée Forain-Francois Verdier. Browse from around 100 professional stallholders, antique and second-hand dealers for an inspiring mix. A knowledgeable reader alerted me to this one. But if you’re in Toulouse, well worth a quick look.

More about Bargain Buying in France

Other rather grander antique and brocante fairs take place all over France throughout the year. Many of them are in the main exhibition centres of the towns and cities. One of the best is in Rouen which takes place in January and October each year. 1

Jan 16-18, 2026: Puces Rouennaises takes place in the Parc des Exposition in Rouen; entrance is €6.80 and it lasts 3 days.

Such markets around France usually have experts on hand to check authenticity. They aren’t quite as much fun as the open-air markets with their bustle and camaraderie, but they do attract genuine collectors as well as antique dealers with their own shops.

Shopping for Antiques…and Bargains

Flea Markets and Bargain Shopping in France
Discount, Outlet Shopping and Sales in France
Check out the Top Markets in Provence

Geography of France

Regions of France
The Departments of France

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Puy du Fou is quite simply, according to many (and to myself), the world’s best theme park. It’s a romp through French history, a spectacular dip into the Viking raids, Roman chariot races, gladiators, young maidens defending France – against the English of course, and Verdun. Puy du Fou showcases birds of prey, introduces you to those famous Musketeers and a whole cast of other swashbuckling characters from the past.

The park is huge, with medieval cities and villages, forests, a fort and a town. Then there are separate shows, each of which run for around 40 minutes (well, who could compete all day long in chariot races or persuade vultures to do their elegant swoops and circles?).

Oh boy, forget Disney, this is something else.

But take note, there are no rollercoasters, rides or neon flashing lights. This is a trip into French history, particularly of the Vendée region.

Puy du Fou opens on April 5 and closes on Nov 2, 2025.

Outdoor Shows at Puy du Fou

Four outdoor shows take you at a gallop through the story it is telling. Each show lasts around 40 minutes and takes place 3 or 4 times a day. All put you in a swashbuckling mood – and from the way I have written this, you’ll see how swashbuckling I found Puy du Fou.  

And don’t worry – no animals are hurt in these shows.

Please Note: All these shows are very popular; at busy times in high season you need to get to them at least 30 minutes before to ensure entry.

La Signe du Triomphe

Being Puy du Fou, La Signe du Triomphe (Sign of Triumph) takes place in a 7,000-seat Roman Coliseum. The 35-minute show depicts the dastardly Romans forcing the heroic French Gauls to fight what seems to be a pre-destined Roman victory. But no! The chariots, each pulled by four horses, thunder around the ring, narrowly missing each other, spurred on by the excited onlookers (that’s us, the audience). And guess what, yes, the valiant hero wins!

Les Vikings

Sit in tiered seats facing a lake at 9^th-century Saint-Philbert-le-Vieil. A wedding is about to take place on an island full of houses, a tall tower, and jolly, peaceful people, The couple ride in…but…wait for it! A Viking longship descends down a waterway to the left. Peace become chaos; the villagers retaliate, and then sacré bleu! A second Viking ship appears, rising out of the deep waters, its crew leaping off and joining the fray. And what a fray – buildings are pulled down; people are dragged behind galloping horses; fires break out. But don’t worry, the appearance of Saint Philbert himself puts a peaceful, and of course, happy, end to the story.

Le Secret de la Lance (The Secret of the Lance)

More dastardly doings…by the English of course, during the Hundred Years War, a particular event which the French even today remember with gusto. Joan of Arc has left for Orleans; a young shepherdess is left to defend the castle. What could go wrong? I’ll leave the story for you to find out, but that’s irrelevant. What’s great is the horse riding, the charging with lances at wooden staves; the leaping on and off galloping horses by young riders. Quite turns your head, it does!

Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantomes (The Dance of the Phantom Birds)

A large amphitheater surrounds a ruined castle, a pond and stones in the sandy centre. Around the top of the seating, large wooden boards are painted with coats of arms around the circular walkway. The story is told in the centre, but as so often with Puy du Fou, that’s not the point of this show. Birds of prey, around 330 of them, are the real stars. Owls, vultures, eagles, kites, spoonbills, a huge, bizarre secretary bird and more (some launched from a hot air balloon high in the sky), circle around the amphitheatre, controlled by a series of 36 professional falconers who stand at the top of the walkway. It’s an extraordinary show.

And…More Puy du Fou Shows

The four immersive experiences are amongst the best I have ever seen. Each one is dramatically different; each has both live performers and models.

Le Premier Royaume (The First Kingdom)

This delves into the 5th-century past, the time of Clovis, the first King of the Franks. It then takes you into Norse mythology.

Le Dernier Panache (The Last Plume)

The Last Plume tells the story of François-Athanase Charette de la Contrie, luckily for us just known as “Charette”, a hero of the American War of Independence. It’s set in 1793, is told through a series of 20 scenes on six stages and is performed in a 360° theatre. The stages are static; it’s the 2,400-seat auditorium that moves. It’s spectacular.

Le Mystère de La Pérouse (The Mystery of La Pérouse)

Go on board La Pérouse’s ship, La Boussole, to follow Lieutenant Augustin de Mont who set off in 1785 from Brest to explore the high seas. It was a heroic venture. But the maritime expedition led by Jean-François de La Pérouse was ill-fated .

This was one of my favourites; it was both entertaining and gave a very real sense of being on board. You walk through the ship, past the cabin where an office plays a violin (remember Master and Commander?); experience terrifying storms while the ship rocks back and forth (I didn’t see anyone being seasick; it’s a moderately gentle rock!). You see how the cooks worked, look at some of the discoveries the crew made; witness how the ship was navigated, and end up…with a ship of ghosts. The ship just disappeared; it has remained a very real mystery.

Les Amoureux de Verdun (The Lovers of Verdun)

The World War I story brings home the horrors of trench warfare. In the winter of 1916 a soldier writes to his wife about his experiences, based on over one hundred actual letters soldiers wrote to their families. The soldier’s letters describe queuing up for soup, seeing the wounded in the medical bay, and freezing from the cold air blowing through gaping holes. But happily, being Puy du Fou, you’re spared…It ends with a (fictional) Christmas truce.

Le Mime et l’Étoile (The Mime and the Star)

This was another of my favourites. You walk into a film set built for a black-and-white movie in 1914. Technicians work the machines, sometimes with disastrous results, while the lovers, the mime artist and movie star, are introduced. The story is told with a moving black-and-white backdrop that sets the scene while a travelator on the floor takes the actors along past the shifting scenes. It’s technical wizardry and fascinating.  

Apart from the shows what else does Puy du Fou offer?

Four Villages

The park is designed to take you into four different villages. They range from Font-Rognou where in the medieval streets you can see stonemasons and wood turners at work in their shops, to 18^th-century Chasseloup with more shops, places to sit and gardens, all centered around the 16-metre-high Carillon that towers over the village and plays to you.

Night time and the Blockbuster Shows at Puy du Fou

Les Noces de Feu (The Fire Wedding)

As night falls, a love story takes place on the old lake of Puy du Fou. The water is still…then at one end, the Pianist Virtuoso (complete with piano), and the Muse Violinist rise up out of the limpid waters. It’s magical, with romantic music to stir the heart and a series of small spectacles rising up before you to enchant. All the magic is reflected in the lake: a bandstand; a coach pulled by swans; tall columns with divers; dancers.  It lasts just half an hour, and is free with the entry ticket, and is not to be missed.

La Cinéscénie

This is what many people regard as the greatest show on earth; it’s certainly the biggest night show in the world.

Get there as early as you can to choose your seat in the 13,000-capacity panoramic grandstand, looking out over the lake to the Puy du Fou castle.

Various warm-up acts keep your attention before the 90-minute show begins. It tells the very French story of the Maupillier family from the Middle Ages to World War II. The story is confusing to anyone who isn’t French, so concentrate on the spectacle which really will take your breath away. Taking part are hundreds of animals (many of which you’ll recognise from the day shows), and 2,550 actors as well as autonomous drones. They perform on a stage that spreads over 23 hectares…and in the sky above. There’s 3D video mapping, a 360° sound system and fantastic fireworks. I guarantee you will never have seen anything quite like this.

Where to Stay at Puy du Fou

Which particular era of the past would you prefer to experience? You could go for the Gallo-Roman Villa, or perhaps one of the marquees of the Field of the Cloth of Gold (Le Camp du Drap d’Or) and live out your fantasy of being King Henry VIII of England or François I of France. Otherwise it’s the classical Le Grand Siècle, the castle-like La Citadelle, or one of the four suites in Le Logis de Lescure.

You may be living the past but rest assured, all modern comforts are built in.

Or Les Îles de Clovis, a delightful medieval-style hotel where we stayed. Small houses have two apartments, all with balconies looking out onto the calm waters at the back. Well at least mainly calm; one night we were woken by a terrific banging, and decided in the end that it was a large fish who was flailing around the water under the house.

But don’t worry, these splendidly medieval-looking cottages come with great showers, tv, comfortable beds, and a delightful balcony overlooking the small lake.

A self-serve breakfast is in a large dining room and is good as long as you got there fairly early.

Book your hotel directly on the Puy du Fou site. Prices vary according to the season, but here’s an idea of rates. All the main hotels have rates from one to four nights, and each hotel room can take up to four people which is great for families.
Rates depend on the number of days you stay (rooms take up up to 4 people). The price includes 1 night in the hotel and breakfast and 1 entrance to the Park. When the Noces du Feu or Cinéscénie are on, that is included as well.
Les Îles de Clovis
£144.79 to £354.12
La Villa Gallo-Romaine
£130.99 to £317.54
La Citadelle
£145.09 to 4 £354.84
Le Camp du Drap d’Or
£106.73 to £311.10
Le Grand Siècle
£167.13 to £406.25
Le Logis de Lescure
Takes up to 3 people. From £220.09 to £398.80

Where to Eat in Puy du Fou

Apart from the restaurants in each hotel, there are two main restaurants (don’t worry about getting a table, both are huge). Le Café de la Madelon provides a meal and theatre show; Le Relais de Poste offers more drama in an informal inn-like setting.

Plenty of good fast-food outlets are dotted around the park.

New for 2025

L’Épee du roi – The King’s Sword. This new show is appearing in 2025; it’a rip roaring tale about the Knights of the Round Table.

Practical Information

Park Tickets per Day per Adult:
1 day from £32.75
2 days from £38.14
3 days from £24.60
4 days from £19.69

Child ticket per day age 3 to 13
1 day from £27.36
2 days from £22.80
3 days from £17.13
4 days from £13.89
Pass Emotion: £24.91. Reserved seats in the stands at the 7 major shows per day

Puy du Fou Map

The map is essential as it has all the details you need from show schedules to where to eat. Printed daily and freely available the map shows what you can enjoy that day. There’s also a smaller amount of information on the following day’s events.

Puy du Fou App

If you possibly can, download the app which is even more useful. It has the same information as the paper map but follows you in time so will tell you when the next shows are, which ones have closed their entry gates, how long it takes you to get there, and which direction to walk in.

It also has a live translation so you can follow the shows in English, Spanish, German or Dutch. Essential as this very French park’s shows are only in French.

A Bit of Vendean history to help with the very Vendean shows!

You might now know much Vendée history (don’t worry – not many outside France do, nor do some in France), but here are a few things to take note of. This was a region with a substantial number of influential Protestants in the 16^th century, including Jeanne d’Albret – the mother of Henry IV of France. Many Protestants fled after the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and the Catholic church came down hard on the Vendeans.

A century later in 1793, the Vendeans revolted against the new Revolutionary government after military conscription was imposed. A massacre of Vendean republicans led to full-scale guerrilla warfare. It ended in 1796 and cost more than 240,000 lives. The Vendeans continued to support the monarchy and in 1815 when Napoleon escaped from Elba for his Hundred Days, the Vendée refused to recognise him and stayed loyal to King Louis XVIII. The Vendée still has a fierce sense of independence, though it’s less revolting than in the past.

More Articles

Guide to the Glorious Vendée Department

The French Atlantic Coast is a glorious region to visit. And here are some of its attractions:
Ile de Re
Guide to St Nazaire
Ile d’Aix where Napoleon spent his last days in France
Regions of France
Departments of France

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Bullecourt 1917, Jean & Denise Letaille Museum, is a small museum but therein lies its charm. You have time to read and see the very well-written stories (in both French and English) of the battles of Bullecourt and, particularly, of the soldiers who played such a tragic part in World War I in this part of Pas de Calais.

The Battles of Bullecourt

On April 11 1917, the Australian 1st Anzac Corps of the British Fifth Army attacked the Hindenburg Line, the major German defensive line of defence that ran from Arras to near Soissons on the Aisne river. The offensive was part of the attack that included the Battle of Arras (9 April to 16 May 1917) further north.

The Australian and British attack on the German position was a shambles. A lack of communication and the late arrival of tanks led to 3,289 Australian casualties, including 1,166 taken prisoner by the Germans. It was the largest number captured in a single battle during the whole of the Great War. The Germans suffered 749 casualties. 

A second battle which lasted from May 3 to 17 led to more than 7,000 Australian and 8,119 British casualties.

British divisions like the 5th (London) Division and the 62nd Division (volunteers from Yorkshire), were largely inexperienced; the 7th Division was experienced; it had been fighting in the war since 1914.

It’s not a well-known story outside the immediate area, partly because it was such a badly run campaign by the generals and partly because it gets caught up in the better known story of the Battle of Arras at the Wellington Quarry.

Bullecourt 1917 Museum and Jean Letaille

You’ll find Bullecourt 1917 located in the now renovated barn and stable that originally housed the museum. The inspiration came from the former Mayor of Bullecourt, Jean Letaille and his wife Denise. He was a farmer and over the years had discovered that his fields yielded a rich selection of wartime artifacts, of rusting machinery, old guns, helmets, barbed wire, unexploded shells, scrap metal,  bits of uniform and more…relics and reminders of the battles of World War I. 
While Jean Letaille was Mayor, he created a small museum in the Town Hall before relocating them to his barn and stable in 1995.

The Bullecourt 1917 Museum Revealed

The museum is divided into two rooms.

The Battle Room

In the middle of the long room lies a display of those relics of World War I, many of them found by Jean Letaille: rusty tank remains, mortars, boxes of shells. The story is told in panels around the room and here it becomes fascinating. 

Exhibits describe – and illustrate – everyday life at the Front which was nasty and brutish and often short. Nights were particularly hard when in the dark and cold, the stench of decaying bodies and fear of attack took over the imagination. Soldiers wrote letters, made ornaments, played cards. The sight of air battles overhead broke the monotony and bets were made on the outcome. Keen souvenir hunters took extraordinary risks to take rare objects from their enemy, and later sold them to those waiting to be called forward.  Water was brought from the rear often in drums that had held petrol…imagine the peculiar taste.

There are pictures of Australian soldiers playing pitch and toss where they threw a coin as close as possible to a given target in the sunken road near Noreuil. Others heat up tea over candles in trenches. 

You see medical equipment like a shell dressing in a canvas bag. You see images from the advanced medical station where the nurses’ lips were stained brown from using their teeth to remove the corks from bottles of antiseptic iodine tincture. And who knew that camphor or caffeine injections were used as a cardio stimulant?

It’s these small details that fascinate and make this one of the World War I museums you should put on your list. I have been retelling the story of the nurses’ brown lips with great success!

Early cemeteries were created, like the Quéant Road Cemetery in Buissy. Of the 2,377 commonwealth soldiers buried there, 1,441 bodies are still unidentified. Of the 995 Australians, only 299 are named. The search, and the story, goes on. In 1995 the remains of Sergeant John (Jack) James White were found in a field nearby and identified. He died on May 3, 1917. In 1995, 77 years after his death he was buried here. Inscribed on his gravestone are the words:  Deep Peace Of The Quiet Earth So Far From The Land That Gave You Birth.

The Tribute Room – The Dead, The Missing, The Survivors

Black and white photos line the walls of the second room with the name, fate, date of death and age below of the face that stares back at you. The Australians are in their characteristic ‘digger’ hats; others in army hats; some are bare-headed; a few are in civilian clothes. Most of them sport moustaches or small beards – it was the fashion then but it also recalls the difficulties at the front of washing and shaving in precious water. Below the photos stand cases of more war items.

Again it’s the stories behind the photos that bring home the harsh reality of war. 

Private Christopher Douglas Elphick of the Honourable Artillery Company was killed on May 15, 1917. His remains were found in a field in Bullecourt in 2009 with 8 other bodies. He was identified by a ring with his initials, and was buried at Ecoust-Saint-Mein at the HAC cemetery in 2013. There’s a picture of him and a photo with his wife and child. One of the eight buried along with him is Lieutenant John Harold Pritchard, identified by his silver identity bracelet. 

Both were discovered by Didier Guerle, an elderly farmer who unearthed one of the soldiers’ gas canisters. He dug a little deeper to remove the canister and discovered the soldiers’ remains.

It took 3 years to trace the named soldiers’ relatives after they were identified.

More surprising is the story of rifleman Léon Pageot. Born in Dijon in 1891, the young French citizen moved to London to work as a jeweller. While there he designed the Royal emblem of the Postal Service, still used today on red post boxes. Married and the father of 2 children, he entered military service in 1916 and was killed at Bullecourt on  May 21, 1917. He has no known grave.

After the Battles of Bullecourt

Bullecourt was a small village, with just 396 inhabitants in 1911. At the end of the war it was classified as being in the ‘Red Zone’ (totally destroyed) along with other nearby villages. In 1920 the inhabitants returned and began rebuilding Bullecourt as a farming village. Inevitably as the land was ploughed up, discoveries were made. 

On withdrawal from the Hindenburg Line Germans left behind booby-traps. On March 25 1917, the town hall at Bapaume was destroyed by a delayed-action bomb left by the Germans. About 30 men were sleeping in the building. 5 were brought out; 25 were killed including 9 Australians and 2 French MPs.

Memorials to the British and Australian soldiers

At the village church you’ll find the Slouch Hat memorial to the British and Australian soldiers who lost their lives at Bullecourt. Next to it is a small brick memorial dedicated to the tank crews of the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps (HBMGC) who died here. The corps was the first unit in the British Army to use tanks in combat.

Just 900 metres away on the Rue des Australiens, you’ll come across the Australian Digger Memorial Garden. This was the front line, occupied by the Australians in their attack on Bullecourt. The statue in the garden is of the ‘Bullecourt Digger’, wearing the insignias of all four Australian infantry divisions who fought in Europe. 

Two hundred metres further along, a cross stands just beside the road with a collection of individual memorial stones to the soldiers who died here.

The Australian Remembrance Trail

The ART is a 200 km (124 mile)-long commemorative trail running from Ypres in Belgium, through Fromelles, Bullecourt and Pozières to Villers-Bretonneux, east of Amiens where you’ll find the Sir John Monash Australian Centre. The trail, which includes battlefields, cemeteries, memorials, and museums, commemorates the experiences of the Australian soldiers between mid 1916 and late 1918 in France and Belgium.

More about Australians on the Western Front

More about the two World Wars in Pas de Calais

The Wellington Quarry in Arras

World War II Sites in Pas de Calais

Guide to Calais (I have to admit, one of my favourite cities).

Declaration: I travelled to France courtesy of DFDS from Dover to Calais on a self-driving press trip as a guest of Pas-de-Calais Tourisme.

More Information on Ferries to France including DFDS details.

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