Montbéliard
THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
A magical Christmas in the heart of the City of Princes
Principality governed by the Dukes of Württemberg for four centuries,
brought under French jurisdiction in 1793, Montbéliard has remained
deeply marked by its German past and the Lutheran religion introduced by
the princes. German and French, Catholic and Protestant influences have
left the town with a unique identity which expresses itself in
architecture and the art of celebrating Christmas: Montbéliard Christmas
market is unrivalled.
Montbéliard illuminated by thousands of lights
Visitors are thrilled as soon as they arrive in the City of Princes.
Overlooking the town, the impressive Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg
is shining brilliantly. Just at the foot of the castle, in the streets
of the historic heart of Montbéliard, the visitors enjoy an enchanting
sight: Christmas lights everywhere and magic in the air.
During the four weeks of Advent, this former Württemberg principality
looks stunning and slips into its past and traditions with an extreme
pleasure. At nightfall, the town lights up and comes alive to the sounds
of choir music and street bands. Every square and every street are
illuminated by multicoloured lights.
The Christmas market
itself is nestled around St Martin Church. Bathed in golden light, the
oldest protestant church in France (1601) makes us feel like it is
looking after the wooden chalets crowned with small lights. We feel
timeless, feel like we are in a child’s world, a world of sparkling
lights and joyful peace.
Legendary apparitions
The Christmas magic opens the door to imagination. You will go and see
Father Christmas in his home; he is obviously the symbolic character of
the event but he is not the only one to embody the Christmas spirit.
Aunt Airie, reincarnation of the kind Countess Henriette, is like the
Pays de Montbéliard good fairy. You will meet this nice, generous
character and her inseparable donkey strolling round the Christmas
market. Always surrounded by children, she will give you gentle smiles
and “papillotes” (Christmas chocolates).
Saint Lucy, the
fiancée of Light, can be seen during the Parade of Light Day surrounded
by radiant children with lighted crowns.
Our guest of honour: a country
Christmas can also make you travel and see things from a different
angle. Every year in Montbéliard, the visitors discover the charms of
Christmas celebrations in other countries. In the area reserved for our
guest of honour, you will hear the music of another language, enjoy the
smell of dishes totally unknown to you... Sometimes you may talk with
your hands… then smiles are widely appreciated and know no bounds.
To and from EuroAirport / Christmas Market in Montbéliard
Three shuttle bus services are connecting EuroAirport to the main train stations in Basel (Switzerland), Saint-Louis (France) and Freiburg (Germany), enabling onward travel in each of the respective countries
Travel Time
1h20
0h55
Timetables :
Use the shuttle service to Saint-Louis main train station enabling you to connect to your city of stay in the north east of France.
Please consult with any of these service providers located at EuroAirport:
