Christmas shopping in department stores; festive season magic

With the approach of the end of year celebrations, Paris becomes feverish with excitement and takes on a completely different ambiance. Take advantage of your stay at the Hotel Marais Bastille by doing your Christmas shopping in the capital’s Grands Magasins (department stores) and admire their exquisitely dressed and wonderfully imaginative festive display windows.

Only a few days left for your gift shopping

The Christmas shopping free-for-all kicked off in Paris some time ago. One of life’s great pleasures is to go hunting for gifts to spoil those you love and to make yourself happy, too. Happily, our beautiful capital has something to fulfil all your desires. Around the Grands Boulevards are grouped the greatest Parisian department stores, Printemps Haussmann and Galeries Lafayette, which together form one of the most prestigious shopping centres in Europe. They have justly earned their reputation as temples of shopping.

However, the Rue de Rivoli and the Left Bank also have their classic department stores such as La Samaritaine and the Bon Marché. Thriving hubs of retail activity, they meet all the expectations of even the most jaded shopaholic. Fashion, jewellery, beauty, gastronomy, high-tech, toys, tableware... all is represented by a wide range of brands that offer you the best in each area. The most prestigious brands rub shoulders with the most exclusive and the most popular, giving you every chance of hunting up the ideal gift right until the last minute. Perhaps it will be something truly original that you won’t find elsewhere.

Close to the Hotel Marais Bastille you’ll find the Beaugrenelle Shopping Centre, which hosts numerous stores and your favourite brands, ranging from the creations of international or very Parisian designers, goods for women, men and children, jewellery, leather goods, accessories, lingerie and much more. Christmas is an opportunity to please your special one with an ensemble from Zadig & Voltaire, a dress from IKKS, a must-have bag from Maje or an exquisite perfume from Nature & Découvertes.

Prolong your retail experience in the bar or restaurant areas that each department store has waiting for you. From the ultimate in fine cuisine to fast food, you’ll find plenty of ways to perk up your energy levels prior to another shopping spree session.

The fascinating and spectacular shop windows and animations

Among the other highly anticipated festive events, one of the most well-loved is the spectacular festive scenes that take over the display windows of the capital’s Grands Magasins (department stores). These are usually amazing works of art full of verve, imagination and ingenuity. Many feature charming automata that spring to life to the sound of lively music. These little worlds take you on a dreamlike journey that inspires young and old alike. Don’t miss the incredible Galeries Lafayette windows. They feature a gigantic animated hive where happy bees flit among multihued flowers as their beautiful queen serenely surveys all the buzzing activity. It all adds up to an unforgettable shopping experience.

******

Crédit photo : © Paris Tourist Office - Photographe © Sarah Sergent

Hotel Marais Bastille, a 3-star hotel a few steps from Place de la Bastille