Cheers to Christmas Markets! Tis the season here in Europe and the best ones in France are in the North East of the country.
The historical city of Metz, near the borders of Luxembourg and Germany, transforms its centre town into a Christmas town. Streets are decked out with lights and festive decorations, and squares are filled with markets, fairs, and musical acts.
French favourites like roasted chestnuts, raclette, pretzels, frog legs, choucroute, waffles, and saucissons tempt the senses.
Surprisingly, we even spotted a Canadian stall full of products from Quebec, like spirits made with bluets and maple syrup!
It’s impossible to visit without treating yourself or your loved ones. In our case, we sipped on vin chaud as we listened to a live brass band before enjoying escargots prepared three ways with glasses of local white wine.
We didn’t want to spoil our appetites for dinner… a decadent mont d’or au four (and an incredible dessert), perfect after a chilly few hours outside! 
It was a magical visit and I hope to go again soon!
There are Christmas markets in pretty much every city and village, including mine! Right at the base of the CathƩdrale, you can find the MarchƩ de Noƫl de Reims.
Different from the one in Metz, there are less food stalls, with more focus on local artisans. Jewelry, knitted things, ornaments, toys and mini tabletop fireplaces (!!!) make up most of the stalls. There are a few sausage, cheese, and condiment vendors too.
Since we are in Champagne, there are several Champagne bars, including a Veuve Clicquot terrasse!
There are also TWO Quebec stalls: one selling maple syrup and cranberries; the other stall sold poutine and burgers. I’m not sure what they use for Poutine cheese though, since cheese curds don’t exist here!
However, the most popular stalls were for raclette and vin chaud (which I obviously enjoyed 
). This stall in particular was a favourite, as they had some *stronger* options called Potion du Pirate and Potion du Viking that included extra spirits in the wine.
I got there just before the crowds — by nightfall, the lineups to get in went down the street! Overall, the vibe was quite different from the more easterly city of Metz, but I would still highly recommend visiting. Christmas in France is magical!