Thann Christmas market © French Moments
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Last Updated: 18 November 2023

The little town of Thann is situated at the foot of the Vosges mountains and marks the entrance to the Thur Valley which links Alsace to Lorraine via the Bussang Pass. Thann is also the southern gateway to the scenic Alsace Wine Route. During Advent, the Thann Christmas market is themed on a “White Christmas” (Noël Blanc).


Discover the Thann Christmas Market

Thann Christmas market © French Moments
Thann Christmas market © French Moments

At the foot of the St Thiébaut Collegiate, the Christmas Market of Thann features 27 chalets set on two adjacent squares: Place Joffre and Place Saint-Thiébaut.

The stalls sell Christmas decorations and ornaments, local produce and handicrafts from Alsace.

Thann Christmas market © French Moments
Thann Christmas market © French Moments

The fir-trees of the Vosges

Around the collegiate a forest of fir-trees, from the 17 villages forming the Association of Municipalities of Thann-Cernay, has been planted.

Festive season in Thann © French Moments
Christmas tree in Thann © French Moments

The Grand Christmas tree of the municipality of Thann stands in the centre of the Christmas market. It is decorated with two kilometres of fairy lights.

The Christmas tree of Thann © French Moments
The Christmas tree of Thann © French Moments
Christmas in Thann © French Moments
Christmas in Thann © French Moments
Thann Christmas market © French Moments
Thann Christmas market © French Moments

St. Theobald Collegiate Church

Old town of Thann © French Moments
The Collegiate church © French Moments

The little town of Thann is proud of its beautiful Gothic church whose spire reaches a height of 76 metres.

A local saying is that “if the spire of Strasbourg Cathedral is the tallest and if the spire of Freiburg cathedral is the largest, then the spire of Thann collegiate is the most beautiful!”.

The stunning roof is covered with multicoloured glazed tiles similar to those found in Burgundy.

The great portal of the Saint-Theobald Collegiate (Collégiale Saint-Thiébaut) is illuminated every night during Advent. The three tympana contain up to 500 characters featuring 150 different biblical scenes.

St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
Portal of St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
Western Front of St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments

On two Sundays in December, Santa climbs down the bell tower of the Collegiate and gives away sweets to the children. Called “Le Père Noël escaladeur“, this is the only place in Alsace where Santa abseils from the top of a church accompanied by his elves.

St Thiébault Collegiate Church © French Moments
Santa climbing down the Collegiate’s bell tower © French Moments

Find out more about Thann Collegiate.


About Thann

Thann, Alsace © French Moments
General view of Thann from the Rangen vineyards © French Moments

Thann is a historic town renowned for its Gothic church and the vines growing on the slopes of the Rangen mountain. The town used to be an Austrian stronghold until 1648, commanding access to the Duchy of Lorraine through the Col du Bussang.

Fountain of St Thiébault © French Moments
Fountain of St Thiébault © French Moments

The old town of Thann is worth a visit with its stoned houses which differ greatly in style from the half-timbered ones seen along the Alsace Wine Route from Rouffach and further north.

Above the town, perched high on a mountain, lie the ruins of Thann’s feudal castle, the Engelbourg Castle, also locally nicknamed the Witch’s Eye (l’œil de la Sorcière). When Louis XIV ordered that it be pulled down, one of its towers fell and overturned in such a way that it formed a large stone ring that has been kept in that form, standing oddly amidst the ruins.

Old town of Thann © French Moments
In the Old town of Thann © French Moments

Find out more about Thann and the Alsace Wine Route.


How to get to Thann

 

By train

Thann is situated on the Mulhouse-Kruth train line.

Trams run several times a day to and from Mulhouse central station (30 minutes) with train connections to Colmar, Strasbourg, Lyon, Basel and Paris.

By car

Situated at the crossroads of two major axes (Strasbourg-Lyon and Luxembourg-Basel), Thann is easily reached from Strasbourg (125 km), Nancy (155 km) and Besançon (140 km). Paris is 490 km distant from Thann.

By air

The closest international airport is the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Euroairport (50km) which is serviced by national and European airlines.


Thann Christmas market: English-French Vocabulary

In the Old town of Thann © French Moments
In the Old town of Thann © French Moments

(f) for féminin, (m) for masculin, (adj) for adjective and (v) for verbs

  • Advent = Avent (m)
  • Christmas = Noël
  • Christmas Eve = veille de Noël (f) / réveillon (m)
  • Christmas lighting = illuminations de Noël (f,p)
  • Christmas market = marché de Noël (m)
  • Christmas Tree = sapin de Noël (m), arbre de Noël (m)
  • Collegiate = Collégiale (f)
  • church = église (f)
  • Father Christmas = Père Noël (m)
  • holiday season = période de Noël (f), temps des fêtes (m)
  • Santa = Père Noël (m)
  • square = place (f)
  • street = rue (f)

Visit our blog Mon Grand-Est to read more about Thann at Christmas in French!

Street in Thann © French Moments
Main street of Thann © French Moments

 

Christmas in Paris ebook
Journey to the Land of Christmas
About the author

Pierre is a French/Australian who is passionate about France and its culture. He grew up in France and Germany and has also lived in Australia and England. He has a background teaching French, Economics and Current Affairs, and holds a Master of Translating and Interpreting English-French with the degree of Master of International Relations, and a degree of Economics and Management. Pierre is the author of Discovery Courses and books about France.

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