Bordeaux Christmas Market 2024: Best Mulled Wine in France

Bordeaux’s Christmas market is held at the beautiful Place des Quinconces this year due to construction at the regular spot.

This guide covers everything you need for your 2024 visit, including dates, opening times and regional specialities.

Bordeaux Christmas Market is One of France’s Most Beautiful Winter Events

Dates and Location – Confirmed

Bordeaux dates: 29th November to 29th December 2024 (confirmed). Verify the schedule here.
Location: Allées de Tourny. Place des Quinconces.
Opening times: 10:30am to 9pm.
Christmas Day: Open, 10:30am to 9pm.
Admission: Free.
Lights: No switch-on date announced.
Santa: Yes.
Ice skating: Yes, at Place Pey-Berland.
Vegetarian: Yes, plenty of options.
Vegan: Yes, but limited.
Gluten-free: Yes, but limited.
Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Yes, dogs are allowed on a lead.
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion.
Reason to visit: Beautiful city with great museums and city squares.
Recommended tour: This highlights of Bordeaux tour is very popular and has a perfect rating.
Food specialities: Regional delicacies unique to Bordeaux, including its famous mulled wine.
Where to stay: Villas Foch is an excellent hotel 7-minutes from the event.

Convenient Hotels

Stay in the historic city centre for convenient access to sights and attractions. The area around the Monument aux Girondins is an excellent central location with local cafes, shops and museums.

I recommend staying at Villas Foch in this area. It’s a highly-rated hotel near the market stalls and squares.

Recommended Tours

I like this city tour of Bordeaux, as it shows several city highlights through the lens of a local guide. It’s particularly suitable if you’re visiting Bordeaux for the first time.

The tour covers iconic landmarks and attractions, such as the Place de la Bourse, Monument aux Girondins and Bordeaux Cathedral.

You won’t want to miss the region’s incredible food and wine. This highly-rated cheese and wine tasting is a great place to discover specialties.

For a look at more winter destinations, our French Christmas Markets List can help you plan your getaway.

Event Location

What to Expect

If you’ve never been to Bordeaux in winter, it’s quite an experience. One of France’s most beautiful cities becomes even more so as its historic landmarks are covered in decorations and lights.

French and international artisans showcase their crafts here, from unique trinkets to festive ornaments, perfect for souvenirs or gifts.

Regional Specialties

• Bûche de Noël: An iconic French Christmas dessert, Bûche de Noël mimics the appearance of a Yule log. Traditionally, it’s a sponge cake, rolled and filled with cream, then coated with chocolate to resemble the bark of a log. The cake is often adorned with festive decorations like meringue mushrooms or holly leaves made from icing.
• Oysters: Especially popular in coastal regions like Bordeaux, they are typically served raw on the half shell with a squeeze of lemon.
• Potatoes au gratin dauphinoise: A quintessential French side dish, gratin dauphinoise is a creamy, comforting potato dish. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered in a dish, covered with garlic-infused cream and baked until golden.
• Raclette: Although originating from the mountainous regions of France, raclette has become a popular vegetarian-friendly festive food. A wheel of raclette cheese is melted, and the gooey cheese is scraped onto boiled potatoes, pickles and onions.
• Pain d’épices: Literally translating to “spice bread”, this loaf is more akin to a cake, rich with honey and spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

At the Food Stalls

• Canelés: A signature sweet treat of Bordeaux, canelés are small pastries with a caramelised crust and a rum and vanilla-infused custard centre.
• Roasted Chestnuts: These are often sold in paper cones, providing a nutty treat as you navigate the market stalls.
• Mulled Wine: Typically called “vin chaud” in France, mulled wine is a winter staple. It’s made by heating local red Bordeaux wine with a mix of spices like cinnamon and cloves, along with orange peel slices. Here’s a recipe if you want to make it yourself.
• Crêpes and Galettes: Crêpes are typically sweet pancakes, while galettes are their savoury counterparts. They are usually filled with cheese, ham, and egg. This is classic French street food.
• Sausages and Sautéed Potatoes: Many stalls serve a range of grilled sausages, sautéed potatoes and other side dishes.

What to Buy

• Bordeaux Wines: Known worldwide for its vineyards, Bordeaux has a huge selection of local wines that make as perfect gifts.
• Artisanal Chocolates: You can’t go wrong buying chocolate in France.
• French Linens: Known for their quality, French linens, including tablecloths, serviettes and towels are popular gifts.
• Gourmet Food: In addition to the fresh food at the market, stalls sell artisanal gourmet gift boxes and hampers.
• Savon de Marseille: While not native to Bordeaux, Marseille soap is a traditional French product that is always popular.
• Canelé Moulds: As canelés are a speciality of Bordeaux, copper moulds for making these at home are a unique gift idea.

Sustainability Tips

• Your Hotel: Bordeaux has a growing number of eco-friendly hotels powered by renewable energy sources.
• Food Waste: Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid food waste.
• Consumption: Look for stalls selling ethically produced regional items.
• Diets: Embrace the plant-based options available in the region.
• Transport: The city has an extensive tram network that is an eco-friendly alternative to driving. If the weather is good, consider hiring a bike or exploring the city on foot.

Comment below if you want to leave a Xmas review, have any questions or would like to report any inaccuracies.

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Recommendations are independently chosen based on personal travel experiences and extensive research. While we make every effort to provide accurate information, the dates and details listed here should not be relied upon. Please consult the official website before booking your trip or planning a visit.