At 🎄 Christmastime we are spoiled 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and beyond) with 🎄 fabulous Christmas & holiday events !

In this article, you will find information about :

• 🎄 the lighting of town and village CHRISTMAS TREES ( illuminations du sapin ) in December;
• 🎅🎄 local Pays du Mont-Blanc Christmas events – Santa’s arrival, workshops, spectacles, storytelling etc . . .;
• ✨ dazzling holiday light shows & illuminations;
• 🎄 big Christmas events further afield;

[ ℹ️ MORE INFORMATION: be sure to check local tourist offices and their website agendas for up-to-date information! ]

---

Colour code for listings:

Pays du Mont-Blanc

Chamonix Valley (Chamonix, Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz & environs) and Vallorcine 

Passy & environs 

Sallanches, Combloux, Cordon & Domancy 

Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc, Le Fayet, Saint-Nicolas de Véroce & environs 

Megève, Praz-sur-Arly & environs 

Les Contamines-Montjoie & environs 

🇫🇷 Further France

🇨🇭 Switzerland 

🇮🇹 Italy

---

It’s always fun to go along to the 🎄 lighting of the large Christmas tree in our local villages and towns . . . here are a couple of the bigger lighting spectacles to look out for au Pays du Mont-Blanc :

🎄 Soirée Lancement des Festivités & Illumination du Sapin ( Place Charles Albert, Sallanches ) – when? Saturday 2nd December from 18h ! / déambulations and spectacles too !

🎄Illumination du Sapin ( Place du Village, Megève ) – when? Saturday 2nd December at 19h30 ! / a Christmas tree in the Place du Village is a tradition that has been taking place for more than 50 years in Megève!

---

There is now a website dedicated to events a-happening au Pays du Mont-Blanc, with ideas for Christmas animations and an AGENDA too !

website

Here are some of the bigger programmes – for many of the children’s workshops, you’ll need to reserve . . .

CHAMONIX VALLEY

A Village de Noēl in Chamonix and marchés de Noēl in the smaller communes, and plenty of animations and déambulations . . .

website & FB page

SALLANCHES

🎄🎅 Noël à Sallanches (Sallanches) – from 2nd December 2023 ⇒ 7th January  2024 – Sallanches offers lots of super activities and events at 🎄 Christmastime: a parcours illuminé, a Marché de Noēl, an outdoor ice–skating rink, and lots of ateliers . . .

website & FB page

SAINT-GERVAIS

A 🎄 Marché de Noēl, and a super light festival : ✨ « Lumières Saint-Gervais »  from 27th December 2023 ⇒ 3rd January 2024

agenda

MEGEVE

✨  La Féerie de Noël (Megève) – from 23rd December 2023 ⇒ 5th January 2024 – déambulations, workshops, concerts . . . and for young skaters, don’t forget the ⛸ outdoor patinoire in Megève !

website

LES CONTAMINES-MONTJOIE

A 🎄 Marché de Noēl, a fabulous ice-skating rink with lots of events, déambulations . . .

---

There are some very impressive ✨ village lluminations and light installations organised 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc over the advent and Christmas period . . .

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to go and ✨ wander in one of our magical villages at night?

[ ⇒ for more information about ✨ larger light shows and illuminations over the holiday period, see separate MBFF article LIGHT SHOWS & ILLUMINATIONS au Pays du Mont-Blanc ( and beyond ) ]

✨ Sallanches illuminations – from 2nd December 2023 / as well as the sapin, l’église will be illuminated again this year, and there is a parcours illuminé!

In my opinion, Saint-Gervais is one of our prettiest mountain villages, and the centre of town is pedestrianised over the Christmas holidays, making a visit even more enjoyable !

In addition, you can enjoy ✨ « Lumières Saint-Gervais » ( from 27th December 2023 ⇒ 7th January 2024 ) – inspired by, and originally directed by ✨ Lyon’s « Fête des Lumières » ( the first edition was in 2016 ! ). ✨ Several light installations are placed around town ( the church, Place du Village, Maison Forte de Hautetour, Esplanade Marie Paradis ) / when? evenings, from 17h until 21h;

website

✨ Megève village illuminations – the perfect chocolate box cute village to explore over the holiday season!

Not too far from the Pays du Mont-Blanc is the pretty medieval lakeside village of 🇫🇷 Yvoire, and it is even prettier with its ✨ winter lights a-sparkling !

---

Whether residing 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc or visiting as a tourist over the festive Yuletide period, there are plentiful holiday events and parks for little ones . . .

🇫🇷 Le Grand Parc d’Andilly ( ANDILLY & MONT-SION )

Two parks that are perfect for families, especially with young children . . . be sure to reserve, as these spots fill up before the holidays !

🇫🇷🎅 Le Hameau du Père Noël ( SAINT-BLAISE, MONT-SION )

Here you can visit: the home of 🎅 Santa, 🧝‍♀️ the elves’ workshop, you can see 🛷 Santa’s sleigh, maybe his 🦌 reindeer . . . and let’s not forget La Maison du Père Fouettard ( Santa’s grumpy brother, FYI anglophones! ) . . . and there is ✉️ a post-box for letters to Santa, and a little Christmas shop!

good to know : 

• 🎅 Le Hameau du Père Noël is probably most suited for a visit with small children, while they are still full of the magic of Christmas! It’s possibly not the place to head if your children are edging towards the age of ” disbelief “, as more questions might arise . . . “ why is Santa here sleeping and not in the North Pole? ”;
• 👶 buggies – are not permitted inside the houses, for safety reasons; you will have to leave them in the buggy park;

website & FB page

address: Le Hameau du Père Noël, 75 rue des Alouettes, 74350, Saint-Blaise / tel: 04 50 32 73 64

. . . and don’t forget to visit 🐑 La Ferme du Père Noël, to see the farm animals, located 200m from the 🎅 Le Hameau du Père Noël . . .

FB page 

address: 376 allée des Alouettes , Saint-Blaise / tel : +33 6 16 58 25 16

&

🇫🇷🎄 Le Grand Parc de Noël ( ANDILLY )

Set across 5 hectares, the summer park becomes ” un parc aux couleurs de Noël où se mêlent de nouveaux lieux de visite, mais aussi des activités de plein air, des animaux . . . ” over the winter holidays !

website & FB page

address: 374 chemin de Grand Parc, 74350, Andilly

🇨🇭🎄 Montreux Noël ( SWITZERLAND ) ⇒ 24th December 2023

🎄 Montreux Noël is more than the Christmas market along the lakeside . . . it is also:

• 🎅  La Grotte du Père Noël up at Rochers-de-Naye ( above Montreux, at 2042m altitude, you can reach this by cobble train! );
• 🏰  Noël au Château de Chillon;

[ ⇒ for more information about the 🎄 Marché de Noel de Montreux- Noël, see separate MBFF article here ]

🇨🇭 La Grotte du Père Noël ( Santa’s Grotto ) at Rocher à Naye

Travel on the 🚂 cogwheel rain up the mountain to 🎅 Santa’s Grotto in Rochers-de-Naye (situated at 2,042m!) . . . meet Santa, get a certificate, see the 🌟 magical decorations . . . be sure to RESERVE !

website

🏰  Noël au Château de Chillon – weekends in December

The castle will be beautifully decorated for Christmas, and there will be medieval costumes and animations, withplenty of Christmas aromas, workshops, storytelling, spectacles and festive music!

[ good to know – dress warmly, as a medieval castle next to a lake is extra-chilly in December! ]

website & FB page

🇨🇭🎄 Cirque de Noël de Genève ( Plainpalais, GENEVA ) – until 7th January 2024

An annual circus at Plainpalais in Geneva . . .

website

🇨🇭🎄 Noël à Barryland ( Barryland, MARTIGNY ) – Sunday 10th December 2023

A special Christmas event with the lovely Saint-Bernards at this fabulous museum in Martigny !

🇫🇷 Le Fabuleux Village ou la Légende des Flottins ( EVIAN ) – 15th December 2023 ⇒ 7th January 2024

This is the holiday event for those that aren’t so keen on Christmas markets . . .

Evian comes alive over the holidays with Le Fabuleux Village ou la Légende des Flottins – MBFF went a couple of years ago, and we absolutely loved it! It’s a legend of fairy folks from the Alps ( les Flottins ), washed up on driftwood in Evian, and also a legend involving Santa paying them a visit – 600 driftwood sculptures, animations, street performers . . .

FB page

🇫🇷🎅 Le Père Noël habite aux Gets – 23rd & 24th December 2023

You can visit Santa in the centre of town, with a chasse au trésors planned . . . combine with a visit to the wonderful Alta Lumina . . .

website

---

A 🎶 Christmas concert is a fine way to get into the spirit of the holidays . . . there are 🎶  concerts and choir singing events planned in churches and chapels 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc in December . . .

For dates, check with local Tourist Offices and also on the AGENDA of Noël au Pays du-Mont-Blanc

🎄 Bonnes Fêtes ! 🎄

🎄

🎄🎄🎄

🎄🎄🎄🎄

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

🎄🎄