Mulhouse offers a typical Alsatian market with half-timbered stalls featuring exceptional fabric and other French products. The whole shopping experience gets even better while sipping mulled wine and snacking on "bredele" (small typically Alsatian cakes) or Christmas biscuits.
About the Market
The historic heart of the city is home to an impressive Christmas Market offering specialities from Alsace and renown for unique fabric specially created and printed in local companies for this event. The market offers stalls bursting with local cheese, wine, gingerbread, foie gras and much more. Associated activities and events include a children's Christmas workshop, tours of the historic centre of Mulhouse, various spectacles and concerts in the streets.
A merry-go-round with wooden horses, a crèche, a Father Christmas chalet with its official letterbox and a fir tree seller complete the scene.
Musee d'Impression sur Etoffes (The Mulhouse Textile Museum), in 14 rue Jean-Jacques Henner, holds an annual Christmas market with fine fabrics from the region and the rest of France. The tablecloths, napkins, table runners, aprons, scarves, shawls, ties and handkerchiefs make excellent Christmas presents.
Tourist and Convention Office of Mulhouse recommends: the Advent calendar with surprise entertainment every day at 6 p.m. from 1st to 24th December under the City Hall window.
Christmas market pictures: copyright is OTC Mulhouse and sa région/Catherine Kohler
More About Mulhouse
Today it is an expansive industrial city and it has not got much of an old centre. It does, however, have some wonderful France's museums, and these make Mulhouse worth a visit in themselves.
- Hôtel de Ville (16th century). The town hall was built in 1553 in the Rhenish Renaissance style. Montaigne described it as a "palais magnifique et tout doré" ("a splendid palace gilded all over") in 1580. It is known for its trompe l'oeil paintings, and its pictures of allegories representing the vices and virtues.
- Workers' quarter (mid 19th century), inspired by districts in Manchester
- Place de la Bourse and the building of the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse, in the Nouveau Quartier (19th century)
- Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse (featuring the Schlumpf collection)
- French National Railway Museum
- Museum of Electricity (Electropolis)
- Museum of Printed Textiles (Musée de l'Impression sur Étoffes)
- Botanical gardens and zoo
Accommodation
Accommodation in central Mulhouse gets booked fast during the Christmas market period, so search for a hotel in Mulhouse now. Alternatively you may want to try charming rural self catering accommodation near Mulhouse, as during the winter months many holiday property owners allow short stays.
Transport quick facts about the markets:
Free Parking: No
Pay Parking: No
Coach Parking: No
Nearest Bus Route: Various
Nearest Railway Station: SNCF station - 10 minutes from the market
Nearest Tram Stop: Metro
Nearest Tube Station: Metro
Nearest Airport: Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg International Airport - 15-20 minutes from the market
Nearest Ferry Port: Calais (north) or Genova (south) (see our route planner for driving directions)
Getting there
Suggested Travel Routes
Choosing to travel by train to France is a simple option. It’s fast and cost effective and also allows you to enjoy the beautiful French countryside. With a great rail network in place, it has never been easier to get to France by train.
From the 14th of November 2007, visitors travelling from the UK to France, will be able to catch the High Speed 1 Eurostar train, direct from St Pancras International to the Continent. Book Eurostar and TGV tickets.
By Train: Mulhouse has its own SNCF station. The market is ten minutes' walk from the station. Take any bus from the station to the rue du Sauvage stop. You can take Eurostar from St Pancras International in London to Paris (2 ½ hours). Mulhouse is linked to Paris by the high-speed train "TGV Est Européen" (3 hours journey). There are 6 return trips per day, with no need to change trains. Connections from England can also be picked up from Ashford or Ebbsfleet. Book Eurostar and TGV tickets.
By Plane: Mulhouse is served by Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg International Airport. Basel Mulhouse is served by British Airways, Air France and easyJet. A taxi from Basel to town centre takes around 15 minutes. Buses run from 6.04am to 8.34pm every 15-30 minutes. The journey takes around 20 minutes. Book cheap flights to France.
Taking your car from the UK to Mulhouse:
Located at the crossroads of the A36 (East - West) and A35 North - South) motorways, Mulhouse is easily accessible from all over Europe.
By Train: take your car on Eurotunnel from Folkestone, Kent direct to Calais in France. Journey time is about 35 minutes and the cost varies but is around £55 day trip return for a car and 5 passengers.
By Boat: It is usually cheaper to take a car over to France by boat, because the journey takes longer. Operators such as Seafrance and P&O offer regular ferry trips across the channel, with prices ranging from around £30 for a return day trip. Book a ferry to France.