Christmas is a wonderful time to be in Paris. The decorations are up from some time in late November or early to mid December all the way through to early January.

The pictures and videos in this post really speak for themselves, so we’ll just tell you the locations and let you enjoy them.

We have so much material to share with you, photos and video, that we’ve broken this blog post into two parts. The second part will be posted a week after this part, just before Christmas.

The photo above is from Galeries Lafayette department store on Boulevard Haussmann. They always produce a spectacular display at this time of year and 2020 is no exception. Watch the videos below so you can see the son et lumière show which is playing every half hour for a few minutes. It’s magical.

These videos may look the same but they are not. Watch the first one to get a general idea of what it’s like to be in the store. Then watch the second one full screen with your sound up and you’ll experience the son et lumière show that is on every half hour for a few minutes. It’s magical.

There are some spectacular displays and light shows around the city. The largest is at the Hôtel de Ville. With two carousels both giving free rides, it’s a great place for families with kids.

Here are short videos on the Hôtel de Ville and Place de la Concorde (which has a surprise in it).

Place de la Concorde with its Christmas trees and illuminations on the Obelisk of Luxor in the middle of the Place are a beautiful sight.

Not to be left out, Place de la Bastille has lit up the Colonne de Juillet and ringed it with Christmas trees. Great colors.

Place Vendôme with its high end shops and hotels achieves the ultimate in elegant Christmas decoration.

Different streets and neighborhoods put up lights and decorations for the holidays. We can’t cover them all but here are some of the main ones.

First is rue Montorgueil.

That’s as far as we’re going with Part 1. Next week we will post part 2 which will cover other neighborhoods such as Champs Élysées, Rue Cler and Avenue Montaigne; we’ll also take you to some of your (and our) favorite shops, cafés, hotels and restaurants; there will be some other surprises. So be sure to stay tuned for the follow-up next week.

We know many of our followers would love to be in Paris right now but cannot. So we’re doing our best to bring Paris to you!

As usual, if you see any of the photos in this post that you would like to have a print or canvas of, just drop us a line and we’ll make it available to you.

We hope you have enjoyed this blog post.

Please leave us a comment below. We always like to hear from you. You can also email us with any questions or comments. We will respond promptly.

And please share this blog post with your friends.

À bientôt!

Georgianna and David