From Alsace to the Vosges, twelve flea markets for the Ascension long weekend: 150 antique dealers at Metz, Vieil-Hôpital market in Strasbourg, village yard sales.
From the pink sandstone of the Vosges to the cobblestones of the Petite France, from the Champagne vineyards to the fortresses of the Meuse, the Grand Est region lines up an array of flea markets for the Ascension long weekend that covers every type of bargain hunter. Twelve highlights stand out this weekend: large professional Alsatian and Lorraine markets, village yard sales bringing together several hundred sellers, heritage flea markets in exceptional settings. Our pick of the week goes to the Puces de Metz, the second largest regular flea market in France after Saint-Ouen with more than 150,000 visitors a year and 150 professional dealers every Saturday morning. For lovers of village atmosphere, the 22nd Saint-Amé yard sale and its 240 stalls in the Vosges form the other major event of this long weekend.
Puces de Metz: 150 antique dealers under the Exhibition Park hangar
Saturday May 16, the Puces de Metz open again for one of the largest hunting events in the entire northeast quarter of France. Established since 1978 in a hangar at the Metz Métropole Exhibition Park, rue de la Grange aux Bois, they welcome more than 150 professional dealers every Saturday morning. With more than 150,000 visitors a year, this is quite simply the second largest regular flea market in France after Saint-Ouen. Antique furniture, Lorraine art, Sarreguemines earthenware, militaria, postcards, vinyl records, collectible jewellery: the offering is encyclopaedic and the quality is there. Indoor, easy car access with free parking, ideal to start the Ascension weekend at dawn.
Vieil-Hôpital flea market in Strasbourg: hunting at the foot of the cathedral
Wednesday and Saturday May 13 and 16, the Vieil-Hôpital flea market spreads as every week along rue du Vieil-Hôpital, rue de l'Étal and the place de la Grande Boucherie, just a stone's throw from Notre-Dame Cathedral. From 7 am to 6 pm, dozens of professional dealers and private sellers offer antiques, Alsatian crockery, old books, knick-knacks and collectibles in one of the most picturesque districts of Strasbourg. This is the weekly rendez-vous for Strasbourg bargain hunters and the perfect complement to a stroll through the UNESCO-listed Grande-Île. Human-scale format, medieval atmosphere, ideal for those wanting to combine hunting and heritage.
Saint-Louis monthly flea market: 80 professional dealers at the three borders
Sunday May 17, the Saint-Louis monthly flea market takes over place de l'Europe for its third Sunday of the month rendez-vous. Sixty exclusively professional dealers offer fine wood furniture, old books, collectible toys, jewellery, lamps, crockery, sculptures and pottery. This is one of the most popular professional flea markets in the Haut-Rhin, in this border town facing both Switzerland and Germany. Strict selection, quality stock, antique dealer atmosphere rather than yard sale: ideal for lovers of patinated pieces and character furniture. Open from 7 am to noon, so head there early.
FC Soufflenheim flea market: hunting in the pottery capital
Sunday May 17, the Soufflenheim Football Club hosts its big annual flea market at 15 Grand'rue, in this town emblematic of Alsatian pottery. Private and professional sellers display furniture, crockery, knick-knacks, clothes, books and vintage objects in the village streets. The setting is unique: Soufflenheim has been the Alsatian terracotta capital since the Middle Ages, with its famous glazed kougelhopf moulds and baeckeoffe dishes. The ideal opportunity to combine hunting and a visit to the traditional potteries, 30 km north of Strasbourg towards the Haguenau forest.
Pleins Feux yard sale in Saint-Brice-Courcelles: 300 stalls north of Reims
Sunday May 17, the Pleins Feux yard sale in Saint-Brice-Courcelles is one of the largest hunting events in the Reims belt. Organised by the Pleins Feux association in this town north of Reims, it gathers more than 300 sellers and draws thousands of visitors looking for clothes, crockery, toys, furniture and curiosities at affordable prices. One of the great popular events of the Reims area for the Ascension long weekend, just 5 km from the centre of Reims. Impressive volume, mostly private sellers, festive and friendly atmosphere: ideal for bargain hunters and those who like to comb long rows of stalls.
Football Club Ferton flea market in Fère-Champenoise: 300 stalls in the Sézannais
Sunday May 17 too, the Football Club Ferton flea market brings together about 300 sellers at Fère-Champenoise, a town of the Marne Sézannais area. Organised to fund the local club's sporting activities, this flea market has become one of the major popular events in the Marne in May, blending sport, conviviality and the pleasure of hunting. Halfway between Châlons-en-Champagne and Sézanne, the format remains accessible and family-friendly. Refreshments and food provided by club volunteers. A Champagne yard sale classic, ideal if you combine the Ascension with a visit to the Côte des Blancs vineyards or Champagne cellars.
22nd Ambonnay flea market: hunting in a Grand Cru Champagne village
Sunday May 17, the Ambonnay Comité des fêtes hosts its 22nd flea market in this wine-growing village classed Grand Cru of the Montagne de Reims. Twenty-two editions make it a rendez-vous solidly anchored in local associative life and in the Marne calendar. The setting is exceptional: limestone winegrowers' houses, cellars of prestigious Champagne houses, Pinot Noir Grand Cru vines as far as the eye can see. Ambonnay is one of the seventeen Grand Cru villages of the appellation, and hunting here has a special cachet. Intimate format, local sellers, definitely worth combining with a cellar visit in one of the prettiest villages of the Montagne de Reims.
Spring yard sale in Champenoux: 230 stalls east of Nancy
Sunday May 17, the Spring yard sale of Champenoux brings together nearly 230 sellers in the streets and on the square of the town centre. This Meurthe-et-Moselle village, located east of Nancy on the edge of the Champenoux forest, welcomes hundreds of bargain hunters every May from across the Nancy metropolitan area. On-site refreshments and food, free entry, pets allowed. One of the great yard sales of Greater Nancy for the Ascension long weekend, in an authentic Lorraine setting just 15 km from place Stanislas. Large volume, mix of private sellers and a few professionals.
Place Ducale flea market in Charleville-Mézières: under the 17th-century arcades
Sunday May 17, the Place Ducale flea market takes over the architectural masterpiece of Charleville-Mézières for its third Sunday of the month rendez-vous. About thirty sellers display antiques, brocante objects and curiosities under the pink sandstone vaults of the square designed in the 17th century by Clément Métezeau. It is the Ardennes counterpart to the Parisian Place des Vosges, and one of the most beautiful hunting backdrops in the entire region. Compact format but exceptional setting quality: Ardennes hunters consider it a much-anticipated monthly rendez-vous. To combine with a visit to the Rimbaud museum, just steps from the square, in the poet's birthplace.
22nd Saint-Amé yard sale: 240 stalls at the foot of the Vosges massif
Sunday May 17, the 22nd Saint-Amé yard sale brings together more than 240 sellers along rue de l'Église and rue de la Moselotte, from 6 am to 6 pm. Organised by the School Friends Association in this 1,800-inhabitant village near Remiremont, it is one of the largest hunting rendez-vous in the southern Vosges, twenty-two editions strong since 2005. Mass format, accessible prices, mostly private sellers: families come here to stock up on bargains in the Moselotte valley, at the foot of the Hautes-Vosges. Seller rates: 5x3m at €12, 10x3m at €18. A great classic of the Vosges calendar, not to miss if you happen to be near Gérardmer or Épinal.
Varennes-en-Argonne flea market: 80 stalls in the footsteps of Louis XVI
Saturday May 16 and Sunday May 17, the Varennes-en-Argonne flea market takes place on the place de l'Église, in the heart of this historic Meuse town. About 80 sellers offer brocante, antiques and local products in a village steeped in history: it was here, on the night of June 21 to 22, 1791, that Louis XVI was arrested while fleeing abroad. The event, with free entry, takes place in a friendly atmosphere that attracts hunters from the Meuse and Marne. To combine with a visit to the Musée de l'Argonne, which retraces this episode and the First World War in this emblematic forest massif. Mid-size format, strong heritage setting.
Wasselonne Spring Braderie: shopkeepers and dealers in the Strasbourg belt
Sunday May 17, the Wasselonne Spring Braderie takes over rue du Général de Gaulle and the town centre, integrated into the traditional Spring Fair of the town. Shopkeepers bring out their stalls onto the pavements while dealers and private sellers set up in the side streets for a big day blending hunting, commercial unpacking and spring entertainment. Wasselonne is one of the western gateways to Alsace, 25 km west of Strasbourg, at the foot of the Kochersberg and the first Vosges foothills. A pleasant hybrid format, festive atmosphere of a small Alsatian town, to combine with a detour to the wine route just to the south.
Also worth a look this weekend in Grand Est
For more regional weekend picks, head to our national agenda. Enjoy the Ascension long weekend and happy hunting between Champagne, Lorraine, Alsace and the Vosges.
