The Metz Christmas market is scheduled to run from 20 November to 30 December 2026, spread across six squares in the city centre, and entry to all of them is free. Known as one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in France, it trades the crush of Strasbourg or Cologne for illuminated squares you can walk between in ten minutes — plus a Ferris wheel beside the cathedral and a lantern trail that has become the reason many people come at all. Below you will find the 2026 dates and opening hours for every square, our pick of the six best markets, and the practical detail on parking and where to eat.
On this page
- Metz Christmas market 2026: dates and opening hours
- Place de la République Christmas market
- Place d'Armes Christmas market
- The Christmas market on Place Saint-Jacques
- The Square Boufflers Christmas Market in Metz
- The Christmas market on Place de la Comédie
- The Christmas market on Place Saint-Louis
- FAQ special for Christmas markets in Metz
Metz Christmas market 2026: dates and opening hours
Metz does not run one market with one set of hours — it runs several, and the food square and the lantern trail keep different times from the rest. These are the hours published for 2026; confirm them on the official Noël à Metz site before you book, as they are occasionally adjusted.
| Where | 2026 dates | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|
| Place de la République, Place d'Armes, Place Saint-Jacques, Place Saint-Louis | 20 Nov – 30 Dec | Sun–Thu 11am–9pm Fri–Sat 11am–10pm |
| Place de la Comédie | 20 Nov – 30 Dec | Mon–Fri 5pm–11pm Sat–Sun 11am–11pm |
| Sentier des Lanternes, Square Boufflers | 22 Nov – 30 Dec | Sun–Thu 5pm–8pm Fri–Sat 5pm–9pm |
- Entry: free at every square, including the Sentier des Lanternes. You pay only for food, drink, shopping and the rides.
- Christmas Eve: the markets close early on 24 December.
- Christmas Day: everything is closed on 25 December.
- Final day: 30 December, with an early close.
Good to know: the Metz Christmas market is part of our ranking of the most beautiful Christmas markets in France, and if you are still choosing a city, our guide to the Strasbourg Christmas market covers the other big Grand Est option. For the wider picture, Flightgift has a round-up of Christmas markets in France.
The 6 best Christmas markets in Metz
1. The Christmas market at Place de la République
The first Christmas market in Metz not to be missed is the one on Place de la République, with its huge Christmas tree. Popular with locals for its many attractions, it is the most family-friendly of the six. Between the traditional wooden pyramid, the panoramic observation tower and the Christmas-themed rides, this is where you will spend longest if you are visiting with children.
Once you have done the attractions and taken your photo under the tree, walk on to the Christmas market at Square Boufflers, where the Sentier des Lanternes begins.
What we love: the wooden Christmas pyramid.
Address: Place de la République, Metz.
Best for: families and rides.
2. Place d'Armes Cathedral Christmas Market
Our next pick is the Place d'Armes market in front of the cathedral, also known as the market of floating lights. With its illuminated Ferris wheel right beside the cathedral, this is the most photographed corner of the city in December, and the reason Metz is regularly named among the most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe. Stroll the aisles between the huts and you may well run into Santa Claus. This one holds its own against the Alsatian markets.
What we love: the decorated chalet roofs.
Address: Place d'Armes, Metz.
Best for: photographs and the Ferris wheel.
3. The Place Saint-Jacques Christmas Market
If you came to eat, this is your square. On Place Saint-Jacques, the market of delicacies is where the city's restaurateurs set up in wooden huts and cook all evening.
The range runs from mountain classics such as tartiflette to burgers with a regional twist and a more refined line of festive dishes — smoked salmon, Burgundy snails. Come hungry; portions here are not modest.
What we love: the tartiflette at Chez Manu.
Address: Place Saint-Jacques, Metz.
Best for: food and mulled wine.
4. The Square Boufflers Christmas Market in Metz
The Christmas market at Square Boufflers is the most enchanting in Metz and the Experiencegift team's favourite. Its lantern path, the Sentier des Lanternes, has become the unmissable stop for anyone visiting in search of a bit of magic. Hundreds of lanterns light the park each year, forming a trail that tells Christmas traditions in glowing tableaux — glittering elves, illuminated puppets, whole corners of the square turned into artworks made of light. Children stop dead; so do adults. If you only have an evening in Metz, spend it here.
Note that the Sentier des Lanternes opens a couple of days after the other squares and keeps evening-only hours — see the dates and opening hours above.
What we love: impossible to pick one installation — they are all remarkable.
Address: Square Boufflers, Metz.
Best for: the lantern trail after dark.
5. The Christmas market on Place de la Comédie
Place de la Comédie is the other square for food lovers, and the quieter one. Long tables are set up in the middle of the market, so you can eat the restaurateurs' creations without the crowds of Place Saint-Jacques or Place Saint-Louis. The chalets here take the form of wagons, which suits the culinary-journey idea rather neatly. It also opens later and closes later than the other squares, which makes it the natural last stop of an evening.
What we love: the warm atmosphere.
Address: Place de la Comédie, Metz.
Best for: a sit-down meal without the queues.
6. The Place Saint-Louis Christmas Market in Metz, France
Last on our list is the Christmas market on Place Saint-Louis. An illuminated carousel visible from across the square sets the tone here: this is the closest Metz gets to a Christmas village. Have the mulled wine and the gingerbread, which is baked fresh at the market. It is also the best square for presents, as a good number of independent designers take stalls here — worth knowing if you would rather bring something home than buy another novelty Christmas gift.
What we love: the carousel.
Address: Place Saint-Louis, Metz.
Best for: Christmas shopping.
FAQs: your questions about the Metz Christmas markets 2026
Clued up on the markets themselves? Then all that is left is the planning. These are the questions we get asked most often about visiting Metz in December.
When is the Christmas market in Metz in 2026?
The Metz Christmas markets are scheduled to run from 20 November to 30 December 2026, with the Sentier des Lanternes at Square Boufflers opening two days later, on 22 November. The markets close on Christmas Day. Dates occasionally shift by a day or two, so check noelametz.fr before you book travel.
What are the opening hours of the Metz Christmas market?
Hours differ by square. Place de la République, Place d'Armes, Place Saint-Jacques and Place Saint-Louis open 11am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday and 11am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday. Place de la Comédie runs 5pm to 11pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 11pm at weekends. The Sentier des Lanternes opens 5pm to 8pm Sunday to Thursday and 5pm to 9pm Friday and Saturday. On Christmas Eve the markets close early, on Christmas Day they are closed, and on the final day they close at 8pm.
Is entry to the Metz Christmas market free?
Entry to the Metz Christmas markets is free, including the Sentier des Lanternes at Square Boufflers. You only pay for what you eat, drink and buy, and for the rides such as the Ferris wheel and the panoramic tower on Place d'Armes, which are priced individually.
Is the Metz Christmas market worth visiting?
If you want lights rather than crowds, yes. Metz spreads its market across six city-centre squares within a ten-minute walk of each other, so you can see all of it in a day without queueing the way you would in Strasbourg or Cologne. The Sentier des Lanternes lantern trail and the illuminated Ferris wheel beside the cathedral are the two things visitors consistently single out. European Best Destinations has more on why the city keeps appearing in European rankings.
Christmas Market in Nancy or Metz: which Christmas market is more beautiful?
Metz is the one for lights and spectacle: several illuminated squares, the Ferris wheel on Place d'Armes and the Sentier des Lanternes through Square Boufflers. Nancy is the one for tradition, built around Saint Nicholas and a Santa Claus parade in December on Place Stanislas and Place Charles III. Choose Metz for the illuminations, Nancy for the folklore, or do both in a weekend since the two cities are a short train ride apart.
How do you get to Metz from the UK?
The usual route is Eurostar to Paris and then a TGV east to Metz Ville, which puts you in the city centre a short walk from the markets. Flying into Luxembourg Airport is the other option, with an onward train or coach. Check current timetables and fares before booking, as winter schedules change.
Where can you park to get to the Metz Christmas Market?
If you are driving, the Park + Ride sites on the edge of the city are the easiest option on market weekends:
Park + Ride
- Park + Ride Woippy
- Park + Ride Rochambeau
- Park + Ride Henri II
- Park + Ride Faubourg Magny
- Park + Ride Foire Expo
Paid car parks in the centre
- Saint-Thiébault car park
- Saint-Jacques car park
Confirm current prices and opening times with the city before you travel.
Where can you eat at the Christmas market in Metz, France?
There are food stalls at most of the squares, and two are given over to eating almost entirely: Place Saint-Jacques, the market of delicacies, and Place de la Comédie. If you would rather sit down properly, these are our favourite restaurants in the city:
- Casa Ricci (Italian): Deborah Cassini and Jérémy Riccuiti make authentic pasta with homemade sauces such as Napolitaine and Carbonara Napolitaine, in a vintage room decorated with flea-market finds and climbing plants.
- Le Bistrot de G (French): a cosy room with comfortable benches, an elegant bar and a decor inspired by the Nancy school. The menu is traditional and generous, with proper stews.
- La Popote (regional): run by Marine and her all-female team, this Metz bouchon serves homemade dishes in a friendly setting. Go for the tender kidneys, the veal head with gherkin sauce, the beef tartare and the desserts.
At the market of delicacies, these are the chalets worth queueing for:
- La Tartiflette de Chez Manu: warming Savoyard dishes — tartiflette, munstiflette and croziflette, made with Savoyard crozets.
- The burgers at the Restaurant du Château: foie gras and smoked salmon on toast, but the four original burgers are the draw — the "Royal Lorrain", with foie gras and mirabelle plum, most of all.
- Saumon et Caviar: festive specialities including Burgundy snails, Royan raviole with morels, smoked salmon with blinis and crème fraîche, and Madagascar caviar.
Gift a trip to Metz this Christmas with our experience gift cards
Want to surprise someone with a Christmas present that takes them to one of Europe's most beautiful Christmas markets instead of leaving them another candle? At Experiencegift we have made gifting an experience about as easy as it gets. Choose from:
All of our experience gift cards are valid for two years and can be personalised and sent in several formats. Pick a luxury physical card, posted free worldwide, or a PDF or e-gift card if you have left it late. The best part is that your recipient chooses the rest — the date, the city, the trip — so it works whether they end up in Metz in December or somewhere else entirely in June. Which is why they suit everyone from uncles and boyfriends and girlfriends to grandads.
Still deciding where to go? Have a look at our guides to the Edinburgh Christmas market and the best Christmas markets in London, or browse everything you can give with Experiencegift.