Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

Ferry to Calais and overnight stay in France.

Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

We continue our journey, stopping en route in Nancy to discover its Christmas markets, known locally as the Saint Nicholas villages. There are several dotted throughout the city, with the traditional cabins adorned with twinkling garlands and a range of local products and gift ideas on offer. Don’t miss Place Charles III’s arts and crafts section, which surrounds the nostalgic merry-go-round, as well as the magical atmosphere of Place Stanislas, one of Europe’s most spectacular squares. Later, we enjoy an overnight stay in eastern France with dinner included.

Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

After a leisurely breakfast, we make our way to Strasbourg, known as the Capital of Christmas and home to France’s oldest Christmas market. Soak up the welcoming atmosphere and explore the mesmerising blend of French and German styles of architecture on display, lit up with spectacular illuminations for the festive season. Elsewhere, take the chance to discover the astronomical clock at the gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame (once the world’s tallest building!), stroll past quaint half-timbered houses in the Petite France district or try some traditional Alsatian specialities like flammkuchen/tarte flambée, crispy wafer-thin flatbread traditionally topped with crème fraîche, bacon and red onion. Later, we continue to our hotel in Oberharmersbach, where we spend the next three nights.

Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

After a morning at leisure, we take an afternoon trip to the charming medieval town of Freiburg, a city full of beautiful, cobbled squares. The Freiburg Christmas Market is a real highlight of the region, offering a delightful array of festive stalls selling handmade crafts, traditional German treats and mulled wine against the backdrop storybook architecture.

Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

Today we tour the beautiful Black Forest, a region of rich history and storied landscapes. First, we travel to Triberg, famous for having the world’s largest cuckoo clock (which is the size of a two-storey building!), the highest waterfall in Germany and being the birthplace of the original Black Forest Cherry cake recipe! Be sure to sample some of the delicious sweet treat here, take a stroll to see Triberg Waterfall or visit the Black Forest Museum to learn more about this region. Next is the colourful and picturesque town of Rottweil, renowned for its medieval centre, followed by Schiltach in the very heart of the Black Forest, full of half-timbered houses straight out of a fairytale, quaint cafés and little shops. Later, we return to Oberharmersbach in time for dinner at our hotel.

Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

After checking out of our hotel, we begin our journey to Reims, where we stay overnight with dinner included. We stop in Épernay along the way, the capital of France’s champagne-producing region. Enjoy some free time here or take the chance to join our optional excursion to the celebrated Mercier cellar for a tour and a tasting, discovering the emblematic blend of the Pinot Noir and Meunier grape varieties.

Christmas Markets of the Black Forest & Alsace

After breakfast, enjoy free time in Reims to discover its stunning cathedral and other highlights before heading to Calais for our return ferry home.

Stroll cobbled streets to the Freiburg Christmas Market, where artisan huts fill Rathausplatz, Kartoffelmarkt and Munsterplatz. Browse hand-carved toys and glass ornaments, try roasted almonds, and warm your hands around spiced Gluhwein while children spin wooden carousels beside the city’s famous Bächle water channels.

Freiburg’s red-sandstone Minster crowns the skyline with a delicate Gothic spire, and bells echo across intimate squares. The city’s sunny Black Forest setting and eco-minded spirit add a cheerful, relaxed note to your market browsing and photo stops.

Set out on a scenic drive through the Black Forest, where dark spruce slopes frame storybook valleys. In Triberg, follow forest paths to the tumbling Triberg Waterfalls, browse clockmaker boutiques showcasing world’s largest cuckoo clocks, and treat yourself to a slice of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.

Continue to Rottweil, with a medieval core rooted in Roman Arae Flaviae, and to riverside Schiltach, a tapestry of half-timbered houses on the Kinzig. Narrow lanes, gabled rooftops and artisan shops invite you to pause for photos and reflection amid timeless scenery.

Discover Nancy’s festive Saint-Nicholas villages, where cosy wooden cabins glow with garlands and spice-scented air. Browse arts-and-crafts stalls around Place Charles III and admire nostalgic carousels before drifting toward the illuminations and music radiating from majestic Place Stanislas.

Set within one of Europe’s finest 18th-century squares, Nancy’s markets reveal the city’s blend of ducal elegance and Art Nouveau flair. Sample bergamotes de Nancy, sip mulled mirabelle, and capture golden facades designed under King Stanislas Leszczynski, now a cherished UNESCO ensemble.

Walk the stately Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, lined with the headquarters of grand Champagne Maisons. Elegant gates and Belle Époque mansions crown a maze of chalk cellars below, where millions of bottles quietly mature. Window-shop festive boutiques and soak in the celebratory mood of this famed wine capital.

Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët and Mercier are among the storied names you’ll spot along the boulevard. Architectural details and wrought-iron balconies provide superb photo opportunities, while knowledgeable signage reveals the region’s méthode traditionnelle and centuries of savoir-faire.

Raise a glass for a convivial welcome drink at your hotel in Oberharmersbach and meet your Tour Manager and fellow travellers. Toast the surrounding valleys and mills of this storied region as you settle into the tranquil Black Forest setting.

Hear useful tips on local traditions, market specialties and nearby walks, and get a feel for the village’s gemutlich rhythm. This shared moment sets an easygoing tone for the days of festive exploration ahead.

Unwind with an evening of relaxed evening entertainment at your Oberharmersbach hotel. Enjoy convivial live music or a regional showcase as you chat with new friends, compare market finds and savour the Black Forest warmth over a drink.

In rural Germany, the hotel becomes a friendly gathering place, where melodies, laughter and local hospitality create a cosy finale to the day. Expect easygoing fun rather than formal performance, with plenty of time to mingle.

Descend into the Mercier Champagne cellars for an atmospheric visit beneath Épernay. Ride the little train through galleries carved in chalk, view sculpted walls and the historic giant oak barrel championed by founder Eugène Mercier, and conclude with a guided tasting of the house style.

Learn how blending, riddling and ageing shape Champagne’s signature finesse within the UNESCO-listed Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars landscape. This optional experience is available at additional cost and is bookable on tour.

Explore the Capital of Christmas on Strasbourg’s UNESCO-listed Grande Île, where hundreds of stalls cluster around the Cathédrale Notre-Dame and Place Broglie. Wander the timbered lanes of Petite France as choirs, cinnamon and fir resin scent the air at the storied Christkindelsmärik.

Founded in 1570, France’s oldest Christmas market blends Germanic and French traditions. Admire the cathedral’s pink-sandstone lacework and remarkable astronomical clock, sample buttery bredele biscuits with vin chaud, and photograph canalside facades glowing beneath garlands and lanterns.