Discover the Christmas Lights

For over 30 years during Advent, the City of Princes reconnects with tradition and glows with a thousand lights.

The Illuminations

As night falls, the town is adorned with a thousand and one lights to chase away the darkness. The dazzling illuminations of Montbéliard bring warmth to the harsh winters of Eastern France. Gazing at these nighttime suns, everyone will feel their hearts fill with the magic of Christmas and their eyes sparkle with the glow of Montbéliard's lanterns. Streets and buildings are lit by some 115,000 bulbs, creating a truly unique luminous journey. Here, sparkling arches wind through the town; there, a ceiling of fireflies creates a soft and cozy atmosphere—the magic is everywhere. Bright, colorful, and enchanting, the Christmas Lights are the jewels of the city of the Dukes of Württemberg..
Lights come on every evening from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

An Authentic Christmas Market

A typical, authentic, and genuinely artisanal market! The Christmas Lights have preserved their soul and uniqueness. Christmas in Montbéliard is “Christmas in all its traditions.” The Christmas Market takes place at the foot of the oldest Lutheran church in France, the Saint Martin Temple, dating from 1601. More than 180 artisans from Franche-Comté, from all over France, and even abroad come together here. In the gourmet alleys, you can enjoy a glass of mulled wine or give in to the temptation of Christmas cookies and other festive treats. The market reflects the Germanic tradition to which the Pays de Montbéliard remains strongly attached. Authentic and 100% artisanal, it offers products filled with the spirit of Christmas and celebration! Every year, the selection process is strict to ensure the vendors’ stalls are filled with traditional goods.

In 2024, Montbéliard’s Christmas Market was voted the 8th best Christmas market in Europe, and the most beautiful in France, by the Best Christmas Markets in Europe.

"Tante Airie"

To some, Tante Airie is the spirit of the kind Countess Henriette, beloved for her good deeds; to others, she is the daughter of a druid. Accompanied by her donkey, she listens to children's dreams by pressing her ear to the wall of her cave. She then signals to the toys placed in small niches carved into the rock. The toys move by themselves onto sheets of paper to be wrapped. The Fairy Airie then delivers the gifts at Christmas. Parents, too, rejoice in her always benevolent visits.

Santa Claus

Often seen with Tante Airie, Santa Claus roams the town in search of well-behaved children, handing out treats and happily posing for selfies. In his little house, children can meet him when he comes to rest.

Saint Nicholas

Le saint patron de la Lorraine et protecteur des écoliers s'invite aux Lumières de Noe¨l. On raconte que Saint NThe patron saint of Lorraine and protector of schoolchildren also takes part in the Christmas Lights. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas, in disguise, goes from house to house at night asking children if they've been good. The well-behaved receive gifts and sweets, while the naughty ones get a smack from Saint Nicholas’s dark companion "Père Fouettard"

> More information available on the official website: www.lumieres-de-noel.fr