PORTRAITS
RADIANT CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN OCCITANIE
When travelling through a region like Occitanie and taking a close interest in its culture and heritage, it is also worthwhile to visit during the holiday season to meet,at its Christmas markets, artisans and local producers located in cities as well as in radiant and authentic small towns of character who harmoniously complement their know-how and who are happy to welcome you to present their custom-made products as well as their shimmering shops filled with good local products, alongside the discovery of their gastronomic and artisanal particularities often inherited from ancestral traditions.
Originating in Germany during the 14th century and known at the time as "Saint Nicholas Markets", they then developed during the same period in France, particularly in Strasbourg , whose current worldwide renown remains strong.
The Christmas markets since that date, they have been an attraction found in numerous towns and cities throughout Europe, often lasting for several weeks from the end of November until New Year's Eve, and which are also found
organize and manage these events in parallel with the territories and their cities, including designated spaces located
located outdoors as well as in the premises, furnished with small shops or wooden chalets, are very much in keeping
with the Christmas spirit and national, local and regional products related to local gastronomic specialties as well as
Specialties usually consumed during the holidays, such as foie gras, truffles, or goose and duck confit, are showcased alongside the promotion of objects and products made by local artisans, highlighting their skills and traditions, and often providing excellent gift ideas. The whole event is enhanced by Christmas lights, street performances, brass bands, carols, and children's activities, including appearances by one or more Christmas Fathers. Head to Conques in the Aveyron department, in the heart of one of France's most beautiful villages, to discover not only its radiant architecture and shimmering half-timbered houses, but also its unique characteristics local events are presented, in particular,every year
during the holiday season.
"The demonstrations for the Christmas markets which enjoy great success generally take
place towards the end of November, and present, in addition to the local gastronomic specialities such as honey or
chestnut jam traditional pork meat products , which are very popular as appetizers, like wild boar terrines, and
Art Craftsmen exhibiting their work custom-made "handmade" products, as they say, or you can find sculptures made on paper, like pottery or leather goods" Anthony Causse, head of promotion at the Office De, explains to me with a smile
Tourism in Conques before heading further south into the Haute-Garonne department in the radiant
territory of the Hauts Tolosans
made up of 29 communes, each as charming as the next, which are also a pleasure to discover during the holiday season, including Larra, Bretx, Merville, Launac or Grenade where you sometimes rub shoulders under majestic
market halls with merchants and Art Craftsmen who welcome visitors into their great shops expressing all the
conviviality and love of a job well done that characterize the men and women of the Occitanie region.
An Environment Conducive to Creativity
The region's rich heritage, culture, and gastronomy are so diverse and spread across 13 beautiful departments that it's a pleasure to discover them all the Pyrénées-Orientales department nicknamed "The
"Pearl of Occitanie" because its heritage and assets are so attractiveThis can also be found in December, notably at the Perpignan Christmas market set up on the Quai Vauban, where arts and crafts, local culinary products, and gift ideas are displayed across 20 scattered chalets, as Thierry Voisard, a merchant who has participated in the Christmas market for 10 years, explains to me. "The end-of-year holidays, as their name suggests, always have an impact on customers with a festive and convivial
atmosphere that delights young and old alike, whether with the entertainment or the illuminations which they give the
Perpignan Christmas Market a touch that is both magical and enchanting, as the local specialities such as gastronomic
delights with ollada, a legendary Catalan dish, or shellfish recipes , traditional pastries that are very popular with our customers, whether local or just passing through." Thierry Voisard tell me while arranging products.Harmoniously
dispersed and located throughout the department with villages such as Pollestres,Toulouges,Pia, Saleilles,Brouilla and
Prades, as well as towns of character and resorts on the Mediterranean coast, such as Collioure, Le Canet-en-Roussillon, and Barcarès, feature Christmas markets that are an integral part of the region as for the heritage and traditions of the
Pyrénées-Orientales and there's nothing like visiting the Saint Cyprien Christmas Market another great city located
along the Mediterranean coast, is the place to meet artisans like Aurore Viegas De Sousa in the Marble Square, near the port, and discover her products presented under the "Wonders of label Village" which give it a very local, rustic and
artistic touch."Our name " Chez Maerlle" has a very familiar, which appeals to our customers because we are first and foremost a house of artisans and creators unified on the basis from an association created in 2023 with very varied
creations ranging from ceramics to scented candles woodworking or painting,which greatly interest customers because
Christmas is also an emotional and family celebration with its corresponding gifts."
Aurore Viegas De Sousa points this
out to me while arranging products on her shop .My journey takes me further north to the Gard department, to the majestic city of Nîmes, which is enchanting with its magnificent architectural heritage, including its Roman arena and its wonderfully lively streets during the Christmas market season. Alongside well-known and beloved traditions, such as its Ferris wheel and numerous other attractions, there are also typical Art Craftsmen Shops, like the Atelier Boutique
58, which presents a whole range of custom-made products including tapestry, linocut, and jewelry leather, like book
bindings, and which make up all
These Art Craftsmen and merchants, along with public actors who are the guardians
of the traditions of the OCCITANIE region
that can be found in its cities as well as in its towns of character which
they also contribute to an environment conducive to creativity with a tourist potential that one never tires of discovering, as there are so many attractive things in these authentic cities where gastronomy, culture, art of living and traditions are constantly combined.
Report by: Gabriel PAGE
Photos credit: Gabriel PAGE / OT Hauts Tolosans / City of Nîmes / Getty Images
