As the holidays approach, the Grands Boulevards district, home to your Hotel Saint Petersbourg Paris, comes alive with magic… and the Galeries Lafayette is only one of many stops on your Parisian Christmas shopping route.

Each year, over 10 million passersby are charmed by the animated Christmas displays of Le Printemps department store – a tradition dating back to the store’s foundation in 1865. This year’s theme is time and travels, but the buzz has been going on about the 60 automated dolls created by Chanel for the occasion.

Le Printemps-Haussmann was among the first department stores in Paris, and its history is a testimony of its intricate relationship to the city and its inhabitants. After two devastating fires in the early XXth century, all the building retains of its original art nouveau splendor is its magnificent glass cupola. Still, Le Printemps is listed as a historical monument and, with 3 buildings and 27 floors, it is to this day one of the most popular shopping venues among Parisians and tourists alike.