I can’t quite remember how we first heard about 🎄 Noël au Château de Coppet – a delightful Christmas market, located between 🇨🇭 Geneva and Nyon, on 💦 Lac Léman in Switzerland. But I’m so glad that we did, as we had a lovely experience there a few years ago!
What makes this 🎄 Christmas market so special?
- 🏰 its location within the grounds of a castle ( a manor house from the 19th century );
- ❄️ the festive atmosphere;
- 🎁 the quality of the goods for sale;
But I think that for us, one of the facets that we enjoyed the most, was the facility and comfort for us with a toddler in a buggy and a nearly 5 year old! We were able to move around easily, without fear of someone getting lost or feeling overwhelmed in the crowds!
Marché de Noël au Château de Coppet – what will you find there?
The 🎄 Christmas market at Coppet has distinct zones within the castle grounds – an indoor zone selling gastronomic goods, another indoor area selling artisan goods (Christmas decorations and more), 🌲 a zone selling Christmas trees . . . and an outdoor area with ☕️ foodtrucks for lunch and snacks . . .
And there are also 🎨 workshops and events for little ones:
- 🎨 Christmas animations & workshops for children;
- 🎼 concerts and singing;
- 🎅 visits from Santa and his donkeys;
- 🏰 museum open from 14h until 18h;
Patinoire de Terre Sainte (ice skating rink)
On our visit, our then 4 year old was excited ⛸ to ice-skate at the patinoire, and then decided against it, leaving Daddy to skate on his own while I stayed with 💤 a snoozing baby and his big brother!
address: rue de la Gare, 1296, Coppet
🏰 Château de Coppet – a little history
Over the Christmas market weekend, you can visit the castle !
The village of Coppet and its 🏰 original castle (only the remains of the circular tower remain) were founded around 1280 by Humbert IV of Thoire et Villars, and together were referred to as a « maison forte ». The final siege to take place on the castle was in 1536 (there was much fire damage), when the Pays de Vaud was conquered by the Bernese, and then the castle subsequently passed through the hands of several different families, and was rebuilt and modernised over the centuries: from Prussian owners, to banker to Louis XV of France, Jacques Necker (1732-1804). Jacques Necker’s daughter, Germaine Necker (also known as Mme de Staël), exiled to the castle by Napoléon, contributed to the celebrity of the castle; she held literary salons, especially for the Groupe de Coppet, and other illustrious intellectuals, cultural and political figures of the time. During her time in exile here, she hardly changed a thing at the 🏰 Château de Coppet, but when she left the castle in 1809 to her son Louis-Auguste de Staël (1790-1827), he developed the domain into a modern residence for the age, and also had an incredible empire library built, and developped an experimental farm.
The 🏰 Château de Coppet is today private property, a place of national cultural importance, a monument historique since 1966; and since 2008 run by Fondation Othenin d’Haussonville. It is occasionally open to the public: Mme de Staël’s living quarters are open to the public from April until October, from 14h until 18h (except Mondays).
Coppet village
Built on medieval foundations, Coppet village stretches down to 💦 Lac Léman and has some grand abodes, in addition to the castle: a temple, the old church of the Dominicans, and the Le couvent ou la Maison de Mézières.
It is lovely to wander through the village down to the water’s edge.
. . . and down to the lakeside . . .
Practical Information
FB page address: Château de Coppet, rue de la Gare 2, 1296, Coppet, Switzerland getting there: Gare de Coppet (train) or 🅿️ car parks on-site
Mont Blanc Family Fun 