Light Festival Lyon - December 5-8th 2008

There are many talents that can qualify people from Lyon, the city of French gastronomy, and one is that they are brilliant when it’s about entertaining us with light shows. The whole story started back in 1850 when a contest was launched to build a statue. The celebration of the new monument at the top of the hill was postponed to December when people were finally so happy that they decided to put candles at windows and to share their enthusiasm in the streets. Since then every first week-end of December, the city remembers and celebrates light outside: The Fête des lumières has born.




I have heard for a long times about this traditional celebration of light in Lyon, second largest city in France. I have never been there until last year December 7th for a week-end of celebration. First of all, I was amazed by the number of people defeating the cold to gather in the streets. Everybody went eating out in one of the numerous excellent restaurants the city has, waiting for the night show to start. Suddenly, the first colors decorated the historical buildings following the music like an open door opera of light. They use fantastic techniques to give life to churches or palaces. One of the most spectacular attractions you see this year are at the Saint-Nizier church, the Jacobins square, the Celestins square, the Hotel-Dieu Hospital, the Saint Jean Cathedral, and Fourvière hill and many more… These shows occurs in the city center, in the inlet between Bellecour square and the City Hall (Hotel de Ville) and usually starts at 6pm and last untill 1 am.


If you want to be transported in this magical world of music and scenic entertainment, don’t look further and take the chance to visit the city of Lyon early December and discover this amazing attraction, you won’t regret it.

• tips and advice: Book your hotel room far in advance meaning 6 months at least!! Lyon has a metro so you can easely consider booking a hotel nearby a metro station rather than in the city center (Bellecour). Bellecour, Cordeliers or Hotel de Ville are where you want to stop for attending the Light Festival. Special bus/metro tickets are available. More buses and metro will be running during the festival.

Christmas market season has started in Alsace

Christmas slowly comes into our houses. Red and green decorations starts to flourish all over the cities and shops reminding us that Christmas is not only a traditional event when families gather to celebrate the sacred newborn but also the time to think about presents and sweet delicate food to treat ourselves. There are those who stress with the idea of having Christmas back again, and those who are waiting for it to embrace the joy of celebration, the colorful lights at night and the excitement of finding the right Christmas decoration for the tree. I belong to the second category that is why I want to share my penchant for the traditional Alsatian Christmas markets.

Strasbourg: Everybody should experience once in a lifetime the “Christkindelsmarik”, the 439 years old Christmas market of Strasbourg. First of all, the location is fantastic, on the foot of the gigantic Cathedral. This Christmas market is not only a place to discover wonderful and unique handmade Christmas decorations but also a place where smells of cinnamon and warm spicy wine transmit this incredible energy of sharing cheerful moments with your family and friends around delicious Christmas sweets and beverages. When comes the night, light all over the city turn it into a magical fairy tale bubble. From November 29th till December 31st, you can enjoy hundreds of enlightened market sheds all days until 8pm (9pm on Fridays and Saturdays). There’s a skating rink on Place du Château and a huge Christmas tree on Place Kleber. Music is not forgotten in Strasbourg where more than 50 concerts appear across town in churches and even the cathedral, an experience not to be missed.

• Tips and advice: be aware that more than a million people pace the streets of the Christmas markets of Strasbourg every year and you should expect lots of folks there. Avoid week-ends if possible. The main advice would be to arrive by train, but if you come by car, don’t even try to park in the city center, but park outside the city for free in the P+R and get a Bus or Tram return ticket for 2,8 euro for all people sharing the car

Colmar and surrounding villages: Not to forget other wonderful Christmas markets in Alsace where many events are occurring in a magical Christmas atmosphere. Those are less busy than in Strasbourg but still as much lovely and enthusiastic as in the capital of Alsace. Colmar, Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, Kaysersberg and Eguisheim to just name a few are fairy tale cities and villages all the year round. Colmar developed a great night light decoration you will enjoy during or after visiting the different Christmas markets organized in the historical city center. Beside, the city organizes a contest of the best decorated houses. Many surprises and imagination are expected in the lovely streets of the town. Like in Strasbourg, Colmar as well as in the villages around propose many Christmas concerts in churches usually for free.
For those who like to taste wine and Christmas traditional cookies, some cellars organizes special activities around wine tasting and Christmas, some for free some with a fee and advance booking. The list of events in Colmar and surrounding villages is available in English. Here are more details on a selection of Christmas markets organized in the area of Colmar:

COLMAR Nov 22nd-Dec 31st : Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 7pm - Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 8 pm - Closed on Dec 25th.

EGUISHEIM : Dec 5th-14th, 19th to 23th, and 27th-29th from 9am to 7pm.

GUEBWILLER : Dec 13th-14th, 20th-21th from 10am to 7pm.

KAYSERSBERG : Nov 28th-30th, Dec 5th-7th, 12th-14th, 19th-23th from 11am to 8pm.

MUNSTER : Nove 28th-30th, Dec 5th-7th, 12th-14th, 19th-23th.

OBERNAI : Nov 29th-Dec 31st, closed on Dec 25th.

RIBEAUVILLE : Dec 6th-14th from 10am to 6pm.

RIQUEWIHR : Nov 29th-Dec 21st from 10am to 7pm.

• Tips and advice: Be aware that the Christmas markets in the villages are not all open every day.