The holiday season is a special time of year when the great cities of the world seem to pull out all the stops and do their utmost to deck themselves out magnificently. They all have a slightly different approach – London is different from New York, which is different from Vienna, and so on. In Paris, Christmas is warm, friendly, family, neighborly, charming but above all it is elegant and stylish. It is not done to excess. Yet wherever one goes in central Paris, Christmas is in clear, tasteful and joyful evidence.

This collection of photos of some of our favorite Paris Christmas spots can be considered the Ghost of Christmases (recently) Past in Paris, as we look  forward to a wonderful holiday season in 2017.

The Cafe de Flore in Saint Germain, one of Paris's most famous cafes.

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It seems that every cafe takes the holiday season very seriously. Each is decked out in its own particular way. All of them are inviting. And sometimes it snows! Rue Cler is one of Paris's favorite, permanent street markets but it's much more than that.

Au Rocher de Cancale, over 200 years old, is still a favorite amongst Parisians. Once the oyster capital of Paris, it has a very good reputation for its food and service. Caught here just after opening in the morning with lights still on but the first customer yet to arrive. More images from rue Montorgueil below. It's a neighborhood you must visit, particularly in the holiday season.

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Above it all the Grande Dame de Paris watches over the Christmas festivities and has some special light displays of her own. 

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It seems that every building on the Champs Elysées looks perfect during the holiday season. None more so than Laduree restaurant, teashop and macaron specialist, a landmark since the end of the last century on that street of many landmarks. 

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The Plaza Athenée hotel on avenue de Montaigne (left) always looks great. At Christmas time it is one of the most beautifully decorated buildings in the city. Off rue Royale, the Village Royale (right) is a tastefully festive, popular oasis for shopping and eating. 

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Classy and elegant is the order of the day for the Paris hotels during the holiday season.
This is the Hotel Bristol ready for Christmas guests. 

The very cute Marie-Tournelle stationery and gift shop on the rue des Deux Ponts
on Île Saint-Louis has a wonderful, quaint Christmas look. 

Montmartre is a favorite area for visitors and locals during the holiday season.
Rue Norvins and Place du Tertre are shown here looking festive and colorful.

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It may be too late to book a Christmas holiday in Paris this year, but there's always 2018! It's a wonderful time to be in Paris. 

In the meantime, if you want to deck your walls with pictures of Paris at Christmas, many of the images shown above are available in our shop. Simply click on the image and it will take you through to the listing. If you would like a print or canvas of an image that is not in the shop, contact us and we will do our best to get you what you want.

Joyeux Noël et à bientôt!