Montélimar, the capital of nougat enjoys Christmas times, full of joy and tradition. Visitors will be well entertained with markets, museums, cribs and tales.
Montélimar, the capital of nougat enjoys Christmas times, full of joy and tradition. Visitors will be well entertained with markets, museums, cribs and tales.
About the Christmas Market
The Christmas market in Montélimar begins with chalets being beautifully lit up and nicely positioned in Montélimar's Provencal alleys.
More About Montélimar
Montélimar derives its name from its castle (Mont Adhémar). Montelimar Castle, located to the east of the old town of Montelimar, was built by the powerful Adhémar family in the 12th C. It has many parts preserved in good condition including massive square Tour de Narbonne, the St Pierre chapel which displays the early Southern French Romanesque style and has 14th C. frescos.
Montélimar glories in Nougat that has been made here for centuries. The local nougat is one of the 13 desserts of Provence and highly appreciated throughout the country. Shops selling it are to be found on Allées Champs de Mars and Boulevard A. Briand.
There is also a chance to find out about nougat production in the Nougats Gerber d’Or factory at 140 Avenue Jean-Jaures.
Montélimar is a lively place that can boast about a fascinating museum dedicated to miniaturization. Musée de la Miniature with tiny exhibits of everything from architects' models, through Japanese Netsuke, jewellery and manuscript painting, to tiny furniture. Some of them are so small you have to use a microscope. All of the exhibitions were created by leading contemporary artists.
Leading off rue Pierre-Julien, the main street of the old town, are many medieval lanes with sixteenth and seventeenth century town houses.
Accommodation
Accommodation in central Montélimar gets booked fast during the Christmas market period, so search for a hotel in Montélimar now. Alternatively you may want to try charming rural self catering accommodation near Montélimar, as during the winter months many holiday property owners allow short stays.
Transport quick facts about the markets:
Free Parking: Yes
Pay Parking: Yes
Coach Parking: Yes
Nearest Bus Route: Centre Ville
Nearest Railway Station: 4 minutes away
Nearest Tram Stop: n/a
Nearest Tube Station: n/a
Nearest Airport: Nimes, Montpellier & Marseille airports
Nearest Ferry Port: Calais (see our route planner for driving directions)
Getting to Montélimar
As a foot passenger from the UK to Montélimar:
By Train: from as little as £59 return, you can take Eurostar direct from St Pancras International in London to Paris in 2 hours 15 minutes. If you go from Ashford, you can arrive in under two hours. Trains run regularly departing London from 5.20am then approximately every half hour. Connections can also be picked up from Ashford or Ebbsfleet. From Paris you can take a TGV to St Etienne, Lyon or Orange and then find a local rail or coach connection to Montélimar. Book Eurostar and TGV tickets.
By Plane: Montélimar does not have direct connections with UK. Nimes, Montpellier & Marseille airports have flights to UK destinations with various airlines, for example Ryanair, British Airways, Air France and Easyjet. It is worth checking online to find out which airlines are offering the best deals at the time. Book cheap flights to France.
Taking your car from the UK to Montélimar:
By Tunnel: 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. Drive from Calais to Montélimar takes about 5 hours. Book Eurotunnel tickets.
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.
Motorways: A9, A 75 (750 km from Paris, 345 km from Barcelona). The drive from Calais to Montélimar is just over the hour.
