Christmas in Provence: Markets and Day Trips from Marseille

Marseille has its santons fair and its Christmas market, but Christmas in Provence doesn't stop at the city limits. Within about an hour, you'll find the biggest Christmas market in the region, the capital of santons (the little hand-painted clay figurines of the Provençal nativity scene), a show where santon makers from all over Provence display their finest pieces, and a hilltop village where shepherds bring a lamb to midnight Mass. Here are our five favorite Christmas day trips from Marseille, with the dates announced for 2026 and the travel time from the city.

The Aix-en-Provence Christmas market on the Cours Mirabeau

Of all the Provence Christmas markets around Marseille, this is the biggest. On the Cours Mirabeau, Aix's grand avenue lined with plane trees, some fifty chalets sell crafts, santons, decorations and treats. According to the tourist office's calendar, the 2026 edition is scheduled from November 13 to December 31, open 10 am to 8 pm on weekdays and until 9:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The market is closed on December 25 and closes earlier on the 24th and 31st.

To get there, allow about 45 minutes by bus from the Saint-Charles bus station (line 50, direct via the highway) or by TER, the regional train, to Aix-centre station. Head home with calissons, the city's famous sweets made of almond paste and candied melon, and take time to wander the old town and its fountains.

Aubagne: the capital of santons

About 20 minutes from Marseille by TER, Aubagne is the town of santon makers and ceramics. It's also the birthplace of Marcel Pagnol, the Provençal writer and filmmaker behind Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring, and the two come together in the Petit Monde de Marcel Pagnol: some 200 santons that bring the characters from his books and films to life.

At the end of the year, Aubagne also holds its santons and ceramics fair on the Cours Foch, with its artisans' workshops. The 2025 edition ran from November 15 to December 28; the 2026 dates aren't confirmed yet, so check the Pays d'Aubagne tourist office website before you go. Over the holidays, the town also displays a huge nativity scene with several thousand santons.

It's the perfect half-day trip, and the best place to buy handmade santons directly from the people who make them.

Arles: the international santon makers' show

Since the late 1950s, Arles has hosted the Salon International des Santonniers every winter: dozens of artisans display their finest pieces, often a far cry from souvenir-shop santons. The show celebrated its 68th edition in 2025.

For 2026–27, most event calendars list it from November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027, daily from 10 am to 6 pm, at the Chapelle Sainte-Anne on Place de la République, with a small admission fee. Some calendars give a later closing date, so check with the Arles tourist office. The show traditionally closes with the santon makers' Mass at Saint-Trophime, on the same square.

Allow about an hour by TER from Marseille. Pair it with the Roman arena, the ancient theater and the Saint-Trophime cloister: Arles is well worth a full day.

Les Baux-de-Provence: the shepherds' midnight Mass

It's one of the most beautiful traditions of Christmas in Provence. On the evening of December 24, in the Église Saint-Vincent in Les Baux-de-Provence, midnight Mass comes with a living nativity scene and the pastrage: shepherds in traditional dress walk up to the altar and offer a newborn lamb. The tradition has been celebrated here for centuries.

Even if you're not religious, it's a rare moment, to be experienced with respect for the worshippers. It gets very crowded, so arrive early. The 2026 times are still to be confirmed with the town hall or the Les Baux tourist office. Over the holidays, the village also displays Provençal nativity scenes, and its santons museum is open to visitors too.

Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Marseille. Public transportation isn't practical, especially at night: plan on a designated driver, and keep an eye on the mistral, the region's cold, dry wind, which blows hard over this hilltop village.

Allauch and the pastorales: Provence's Christmas theater

A pastorale is a Christmas play, performed in Provençal and French, that tells the Nativity story Provence-style: shepherds and villagers set off to see the baby Jesus, just like the santons in the nativity scene. The most famous, the Pastorale Maurel, was written in Marseille in 1844.

Pastorales are staged from December to January in Marseille and in the surrounding villages, including Allauch, a hilltop village on the edge of the city. Go in the late afternoon: from the esplanade by the windmills, the view over Marseille and the sea is superb. The performance schedule is posted on the Marseille tourist office website, often late, so keep an eye on it from late November.

Christmas in Provence from Marseille: how to plan your day trips

Keep Marseille as your home base and plan one day trip a day at most. Aubagne fits into half a day; Aix and Arles deserve a full day. Avoid December 25 for these outings: lots of things are closed, including the Aix market. Our article on day trips from Marseille covers how to get there, and Christmas in Marseille tells you what's open over the holidays.

And save at least one day for Marseille itself: the Old Port's santons fair, which dates back to 1803, then la Bonne Mère, as locals call Notre-Dame de la Garde, whose story is free in our audio guide.