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Christmas at French châteaux 2026: 77 dates

77 events

77 Christmas events at French châteaux, from Vaux-le-Vicomte to the Loire Valley, with first and last days, by region. Reread nightly.

Christmas at the great châteaux

Dates are those published by the château or the local tourist office. The price is the standard adult ticket on the château’s page; Christmas evenings and markets sometimes have their own.

Christmas markets in the courtyards, decorated rooms, storytelling and illuminations: from Advent to Epiphany, the châteaux that stay open in winter prepare their festivities. The dates above come from the public agenda and are added nightly, with most programmes published in November. Below are the châteaux that open in December according to their own season.

Every date, by region

First and last day, as the public agenda announces them. One line per event.

Centre-Val de Loire (Loire Valley)

  • Château de Langeais (Langeais): November 28, 2026 to January 3, 2027, “Noël au château de Langeais : un Noël enchanté et musical”
  • Castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire (Chaumont-sur-Loire): November 28, 2026 to January 10, 2027, “Noël au château de Chaumont-sur-Loire - Chasse au trésor”
  • Château de Chambord (Chambord): November 28 to December 31, “Noël au château de Chambord”
  • Château de Blois (Blois): November 28, 2026 to January 10, 2027, “Fêtes de Noël au Château Royal de Blois”
  • Castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire (Chaumont-sur-Loire): November 28, 2026 to January 10, 2027, “Rêves d'antan - Noël au Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire”
  • Château de Cheverny (Cheverny): November 29, 2026 to January 11, 2027, “Noël au château de Cheverny”
  • Château de Gargilesse-Dampierre (Gargilesse-Dampierre): December 4 to December 27, “Noël au château de Gargilesse”
  • Château de Montpoupon (Céré-la-Ronde): December 5 to December 20, “Noël au château de Montpoupon”
  • Château de Cheverny (Cheverny): December 6 to December 13, “Journée spéciale Noël au Château de Cheverny”
  • Château d'Amboise (Amboise): December 11, “Prolongation d'ouverture de Noël au Pays des Châteaux au château royal d'Amboise”
  • Château d'Amboise (Amboise): December 12, “Balade nocturne aux chandelles spéciale Sainte Lucie au château royal d'Amboise”
  • Castle of Meung-sur-Loire (Meung-sur-Loire): December 12 to December 30, “Un Noël idéal au château de Meung sur Loire !”
  • Buranlure (Boulleret): December 19, “[NOËL EN GRAND SANCERROIS] Concert de Noël aux Chandelles 21h”
  • Buranlure (Boulleret): December 19, “[NOËL EN GRAND SANCERROIS] Concert de Noël aux Chandelles 18h”
  • Château d'Amboise (Amboise): December 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027, “Visite guidée « Le noël royal des animaux » au château royal d'Amboise”
  • Château d'Amboise (Amboise): December 23, “L'heure du conte au château royal d'Amboise”

Pays de la Loire

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Brittany

Normandy

  • Manoir de Villers (Saint-Pierre-de-Manneville): November 13 to November 15, “Marché de Noël au Manoir de Villers”
  • Château de Miromesnil (Tourville-sur-Arques): November 27 to December 13, “[Marché de Noël] Château de Miromesnil”
  • Castle of Caen (Caen): November 28, “Le Grand Noël à Caen | Le feu d'artifice au château”
  • Manoir d'Auffay (Oherville): December 4 to December 6, “Marché de Noël au Manoir d'Auffay”
  • Château de Bois-Himont (Bois-Himont): December 4, “Marché de Noël au Château de Bois-Himont”
  • Château de Rânes (Rânes): December 5, “MINILAB / MicroLab spécial cadeaux de Noël”
  • Château de Beaumesnil (Mesnil-en-Ouche): December 5 to December 30, “Noël au Château”
  • Château de Bonnemare (Radepont): December 5 to December 6, “Le Noël féérique du château de Bonnemare”

Grand Est

  • Château Barrabino (Forbach): November 16 to December 23, “Boutique de Noël”
  • Château de Landskron (Leymen): November 28, “Marché de Noël au château du Landskron”
  • Château d'Hausen (Hombourg-Haut): December 9 to December 13, “Atelier des lutins - Confection de la boule de Noël”
  • Château de Bourlémont (Frebécourt): December 13 to December 22, “Le château de Bourlémont fête Noël”
  • Château de Bourlémont (Frebécourt): December 19, “Le château de Bourlémont fête Noël – Soirée de Noël”

Occitania

  • Château de Lantis (Dégagnac): November 29, “Noëlies enchantées au Château de Lantis”
  • Château d'Arboras (Arboras): November 29, “MARCHÉ DE NOËL AU CHÂTEAU D’ARBORAS”
  • Château de Roussillon (Saint-Pierre-Lafeuille): December 6, “Marché de Noël au Château du Roussillon”
  • Castell Rosselló (Perpignan): December 19, “SATURNALIA, NOËL DANS LA ROME ANTIQUE”
  • Château de Castelnou (Castelnou): December 26 to December 30, “LES QUATRE SAISONS AU CHÂTEAU DE CASTELNOU - HIVER”

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

  • Château de Grignan (Grignan): November 28 to December 18, “Le Noël de madame de Sévigné”
  • Château de Grignan (Grignan): December 5, “Nocturne exceptionnelle "C'est Noël avant l'heure !"”
  • Château de Grignan (Grignan): December 5 to December 6, “Week-end familles "C'est Noël avant l'heure !"”

Hauts-de-France

  • Château de Chantilly (Chantilly): November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027, “Noël enchanté au Château de Chantilly”
  • Palais Rihour (Lille): December 12, “Dégustation et vente de bières avec la Brasserie Motte-Cordonnier”
  • Château de Picquigny (Picquigny): December 12 to December 13, “Marché de Noël - Château de Picquigny”

Burgundy-Franche-Comté

Île-de-France

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

  • Château des baumes (Istres): December 1, “Conférence : « Noël à table en Provence »”
  • Palais des Papes (Avignon): December 12, “Candlelight - concert à la bougie : Musiques de Noël”

Christmas markets at German castles

The public agenda has no German dates yet. Here is what our castle pages say: the Burgen and Schlösser that host a Christmas market, and those open in December, by state. Check the 2026 dates on the organiser’s website.

With a Christmas market

According to the castle’s page.

Bavaria

  • Schloss Hofhegnenberg (Steindorf)A Christmas market is held every year in early December in the castle courtyard.
  • Pellerschloss (Nürnberg)The park hosts a local Christmas market on the first Saturday of Advent.
  • Jagdschloss Grünau (Neuburg an der Donau)Concerts, garden days in May and a Christmas market in December are occasionally held here.
  • Burg Dagestein (Vilseck)A medieval knights' camp takes place there each summer, and a Christmas market each winter.
  • Schloss Oberschwappach (Knetzgau)A Christmas market takes place at the end of November and a wine festival at the end of July on the castle grounds.
  • Schloss Mergenthau (Kissing)It is chiefly known today as a venue for events, weddings and Christmas markets rather than as a monument set up for regular sightseeing.
  • Burg Saldenburg (Saldenburg)
  • Schloss Bessenbach (Bessenbach)The estate is now owned by an American foundation that uses it for training purposes, while also hosting weddings, concerts and a Christmas market.
  • Schloss Buchenau (Lindberg)The estate hosts seasonal events, including a plant market with a wild garlic festival in late May, a food market on 3 October, and an annual Christmas market.
  • Thierlstein (Cham)Carefully restored, the castle now hosts cultural events, including Christmas markets.

Hesse

  • Heusenstamm Castle (Heusenstamm)A Christmas market takes place on the second weekend of Advent, and a wine festival is held in summer.
  • Burg Schwarzenfels (Sinntal)A historical Christmas market is held there as a periodic event.
  • Altenburg castle (Alsfeld)A Christmas market takes place within the castle walls each year.
  • Schloss Günderrode (Höchst an der Nidder)The park hosts an annual Christmas market since 2019.
  • Schloss Freiensteinau (Freiensteinau)A Christmas market is held on the castle grounds every second Advent weekend.

Lower Saxony

  • Schloss Gödens (Sande)The château itself can only be visited during special events, in particular the Landpartie on Whitsun weekend and the Christmas market on the first Advent weekend.
  • Oelber castle (Baddeckenstedt)The estate regularly hosts events such as a Christmas market, which may limit access to the castle at certain times.
  • Burg Bodenteich (Bad Bodenteich)The grounds regularly host local events such as Christmas markets and medieval fairs.

Baden-Württemberg

  • Schloss Massenbach (Schwaigern)The restored Baroque central hall, refurbished in 2003, hosts civil weddings and private functions, and the grounds are also the setting for an Easter market and a Christmas market.
  • Kurmainzisches Schloss (Tauberbischofsheim)The adjoining square, once a moat, hosts the town's Christmas market and an open-air cinema in summer.

Rhineland-Palatinate

  • Landeck Castle (Klingenmünster)A medieval Christmas market is held on the third weekend of Advent.
  • Schloss Kewenig (Körperich)The Schloss is privately owned and is mainly accessible on the occasion of events, Christmas markets or summer festivals held on the grounds.

Saxony-Anhalt

  • Burg Roßlau (Dessau-Roßlau)
  • Schloss Hoym (Seeland)The castle park hosts some public events, such as a Christmas market at year's end.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

  • Schloss Bredenfelde (Bredenfelde)A Christmas market takes place on certain weekends in December, according to the official website.

North Rhine-Westphalia

  • Schloss Benkhausen (Espelkamp)The estate also hosts civil weddings and occasional events such as a Christmas market.

Schleswig-Holstein

  • Herrenhaus Pronstorf (Pronstorf)Concerts of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival take place on the grounds in summer, and a Christmas market in winter.

Open in December

According to the season the castle publishes.

Baden-Württemberg

Bavaria

North Rhine-Westphalia

Berlin

Saxony

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Rhineland-Palatinate

Lower Saxony

Thuringia

Brandenburg

Hesse

Saxony-Anhalt

Schleswig-Holstein

From local blogs

Christmas articles that cite this page.

Open in December

The most searched-for among those whose published season covers December. Winter hours are often shorter, and some close on the 25th: check the page before you go.

Loire Valley castles open in winterOpen in winter

Get told when châteaux near you open

An email when châteaux in your departments announce a tour, an evening opening or one-off access. Never more than one a week.

Your departments

Pick up to three. You can change them at any time.

Programmes published by the venues and tourist offices on the French Ministry of Culture’s calendar, OpenAgenda and DATAtourisme, re-read every night.