{"id":122578,"date":"2023-12-10T08:39:24","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T08:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gendermyn.com\/?p=122578"},"modified":"2023-12-10T08:39:24","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T08:39:24","slug":"beautiful-french-town-cheaper-than-paris-home-to-incredible-christmas-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gendermyn.com\/world-news\/beautiful-french-town-cheaper-than-paris-home-to-incredible-christmas-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Beautiful French town cheaper than Paris home to incredible Christmas market"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Paris, it’s the city of love, the city of dreams, the city of the arts and all things beautiful.<\/p>\n

It’s the perfect Christmas getaway, a short weekend walking its icy streets and world-beating Christmas markets.<\/p>\n

Yet, everyone goes to Paris, it is the capital of France, after all.<\/p>\n

Crowded are its streets, its roads littered with rubbish and tourists, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.<\/p>\n

But there is an alternative, a beautifully carved commune not all that far away from Paris but just far enough so that the crowds are thinner, the streets are cleaner, and the Christmas market feels much more special: it is the town of Saint-Omer.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Europe\u2019s best Christmas market is iconic<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Saint-Omer first appeared in writing in the 7th century and is integral to North France’s position as a place of Christianity after Bishop Audomar of Th\u00e9rouanne, who is now better known as Saint Omer, showed the pagan people a brighter path in life.<\/p>\n

As the crow flies, it is around 131 miles from Paris, just slightly more than London is from Cardiff or Birmingham \u2014 though in spirit, it couldn’t be further away.<\/p>\n

With a population of just under 15,000, the town feels exceedingly snug and familiar.<\/p>\n

Its narrow streets are set out in long stretches which hint at its tightly packed history, and each is filled with independent shops and boutiques, as well as the odd whisper of the past.<\/p>\n

According to one review website, Saint-Omer has one of Northern France’s best Christmas markets.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss… <\/strong>
Popular Christmas Market bursts into flames as tourists flee burning stalls[REPORT] <\/strong>
Pretty UK city’s Christmas market in chaos after row over council cycle[LATEST] <\/strong>
Festive market cancelled for being too busy[INSIGHT] <\/strong><\/p>\n

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