There are some beautiful light shows au Pays du Mont-Blanc and in 🇫🇷 neighbouring France, 🇨🇭 Switzerland and 🇮🇹 Italy, and every year they seem to get more innovative : mapping, son & lumières . . .

Mostly these light show take place over the winter holidays and in January and February, and light up villages, towns and cities (and in one case a forest!) on the short winter days, when the dark arrives so early !

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Colour code for listings

Pays du Mont-Blanc

Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc

🇫🇷 Further France 

🇨🇭 Switzerland 

🇮🇹 Italy 

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A special mention first of all for the bewitching light show ✨ Alta Lumina, which runs throughout the year, over the holidays, when it is dark !

✨ Alta Lumina (Les Gets) – over the main holidays

 ” Un parcours nocturne enchanté par-delà les montagnes ” . . .

Conceived by Moment Factory, and brought to you by Les Gets Tourisme and Auvergne Rhône Alpes Tourisme,  Alta Lumina is a unique immersive night time stroll in the forest of Les Gets. The immersive trail tells the story of a music-making colporteur (a peddler), who with his mongolfière (hot air balloon), wants to share  his melodies beyond the Alps and to faraway lands. As a spectator, you follow the colporteur on his travels, and you’ll be fully immersed – through storms and more tranquil settings – on  an enchanted, sparkling son et lumière night-time journey through  the forest.

[ ⇒ to read about MBFF’s 2022 visit to  Alta Lumina in the snow, see separate article here ]

FB page & website

address: 736 route du Lac, 74260, Les Gets;

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PAYS du MONT-BLANC

There are some very impressive ✨ village lluminations and light installations organised 🏔 au Pays du Mont-Blanc (and a little beyond) over the advent and Christmas period . . . and also light-filled défilés and spectacles . . .

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

Every year, in late January, Saint-Gervais treats us to :

✨ « Lumières Saint-Gervais » (Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc) – end of December

For the last week in December, you can enjoy ✨ « Lumières Saint-Gervais », inspired by, and originally directed by ✨ Lyon’s « Fête des Lumières » (the first edition was in 2016!). ✨ Several light installations and mapping works are placed around town (the church, Place du Village, Maison Forte de Hautetour, Esplanade Marie Paradis).

when? evenings, from 17h until 21h (and Christmas Eve, until midnight);

🇫🇷 FURTHER FRANCE

🇫🇷✨ ANNECY’s Noël des Alpes – December

There are street illuminations and mapping in the old town . . .

🇫🇷✨ EVIAN holiday illuminations – December 

This pretty lakeside town, is all the more spectacular with ✨ winter lights a-sparkling, the majestic Palais Lumière all illuminated (and recounting the history of this spa town!), and Evian’s very own holiday event : Le Fabuleux Village ou la Légende des Flottins.

🇫🇷✨ Thonon holiday illuminations – December

A Christmas market and a parcours illuminé (see below), the Hotel de Ville all lit up . . . Thonon sparkles for the event Thonon les Féeriques in December.

🇫🇷✨ Fête des Lumières (LYON) – early December

This very ✨ special light festival in Lyon is actually steeped in history (which you can read about here), and there are new parcours and installations for each new edition!

It does get busy in Lyon over the weekend during the light festival, so you should book well ahead.

I dont’ think I’d want to head to a busy event like this with young chilren or with a buggy!

website & FB page

🇫🇷✨ Festival des Lumières Sauvages (Safari, de Peaugres, ARDECHE) – December ⇒ March 

✨ « Festival des Lumières Sauvages » is a beautiful light festival that is on display in the largest animal park of Rhône-Alpes: le Safari de Peaugres.

At nightfall, 500+ luminous sculptures of animals and plants, all made by hand in the traditional Chinese way, light up the trails of the animal park!

website & FB page

🇨🇭 NEARBY SWITZERLAND

🇨🇭✨ Festival Lausanne Lumières (Lausanne) – late November ⇒ December 

Every year, (re) discover ✨ Lausanne in ” another light “ during this light festival . . . ” des oeuvres XXL développée exclusivement pour le Festival par de talentueux artistes seront projetées sur plusieurs bâtiments iconiques de Lausanne. Tous les soirs, le centre-ville verra ses plus belles façades tapissées d’illuminations flamboyantes et dynamiques. ”

✨ projections 2022 : Palais de Rumine – Cathédrale de Lausanne . . . and more locations !

[ good to know: the lovely Christmas market Bô Noël runs alongside this event ]

website & FB page

🇨🇭✨ Carouge Magique : les illuminations (CAROUGE)

As part of the winter event 🎄 Carouge Magique, there are beautiful illuminations in Carouge! And there are also guided tours of the illuminations!

❤ coup de cœur – if you have never visited Carouge, then Christmastime is a lovely time to head there and explore . . . Carouge is considered as the ” Greenwich Village ” of Geneva, with architecture showing its Sardinian roots (terraces, passageways) and boutique shops, lovely cafés and restaurants.

Ville de Carouge website, Incontournable Carouge website & FB page

🇮🇹 AOSTA VALLEY  (ITALY)

🇮🇹✨ Luci di Forte di Bard (Aosta Valley, Italy) – December

Every evening from 17h (and for a duration of 10 miutes each hour) you’ll be treated to a fairytale 360° light mapping show at this impressive fortress in the Aosta Valley!

website

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LIGHT SHOW & ILLUMINATIONS in January and February

🇨🇭✨ « Morat Festival de Lumières » ( « Murten Licht-Festival » ) in MORAT – late January

During this light festival, the old town of Morat transforms into a ” spectacle lumineux de tous les superlatifs. Les rues, monuments et remparts illuminés plongent le visiteur dans un monde magique “, with both regional and international light artists.

Every evening, there is a spectacle son et lumière.

There is also Circuit Secret Morat Lumières: ” au cours d’une visite comprenant six salles interactives en ville, les visiteurs sont emmenés à travers un voyage mystérieux et passionnant. Dans ces lieux extraordinaires, les invités entrent dans un monde poétique autour du thème de la lumière. Les diverses projections lumineuses et animations créatives interagissent avec les visiteurs présents. Une expérience particulière qui éveille des émotions et vous donne envie d’en voir plus ! “.

website & FB page

🇨🇭✨ Festival Geneva Lux (centre of Geneva) – January & February

Just after the holiday season, you can still enjoy another light festival in Geneva ✨« Festival Geneva Lux ». It was conceived and developped by conseiller administratif Guillaume Barazzone, and was started in 2014.

Light installations from Swiss and international artists are dotted around the beautiful city . . .

website & FB page