From the Mourillon brocante in Toulon on Saturday to the Sunday village yard sales, from Richerenches to Banon: twelve spots to hunt across Provence on July 4 and 5.
Where to hunt in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur on this first weekend of July? The summer season is in full swing and the villages are opening up their squares: this Sunday July 5, around a dozen communes hold their big annual yard sale, from the Valensole plateau to the valleys of the Southern Alps. On the coast, the professional flea markets run at full tilt and holidaymakers swell the ranks of the hunters.
This week our pick goes, without hesitation, to Richerenches: the small village of the Enclave des Papes, famous for its black truffle market, unpacks its annual yard sale inside its 12th-century Templar ramparts. A rare backdrop for a day of hunting.
The selection covers all six departments of the region: the feet-in-the-sand brocante of Le Mourillon in Toulon on Saturday, the antique dealers of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Cannes, and the village yard sales of Banon, Tallard and Jausiers on Sunday. Here are twelve addresses to plan your hunter's weekend.
Le Mourillon Yard Sale and Brocante in Toulon, feet in the sand (Var)
Saturday July 4, boulevard Bazeilles, in the Mourillon district of Toulon, hosts its big summer brocante from 7 am. Run by the Mourillon Traders' Association, the Mourillon brocante gathers more than 100 private and professional sellers until 4 pm, between the Mediterranean and the beaches most loved by Toulon locals.
The setting makes this rendezvous unique: you hunt with your feet in the sand, in the distinctive summer atmosphere of the Var coast. Holidaymakers and neighbourhood residents mingle from the morning, before the heat, to rummage through clothes, knick-knacks, crockery and small furniture. It is the ideal opening to a hunting weekend, to combine with a swim and a café stop facing the Toulon harbour.
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Sunday Brocante Market, the antiques capital (Vaucluse)
Sunday July 5, the avenue des 4 Otages rolls out, as it does every week, the permanent flea market of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, from 9 am to 6 pm. Dozens of professional antique dealers set up their pieces along the Sorgue, at the foot of the water wheels. Antique furniture, earthenware, silverware, household linen and paintings: the offer is demanding, and so are the prices.
This decades-old tradition has lifted the town to the rank of third European centre for antiques, behind London and Saint-Ouen. The institutional format and the calm atmosphere make it the major stop of a Vaucluse hunting weekend, worlds apart from the unpacking spirit of the open-air yard sales. It pairs naturally with the year-round antique villages lining the canals of this little Provençal Venice.
Allées de la Liberté Flea Market in Cannes, facing the Old Port (Alpes-Maritimes)
Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5, professional dealers take over, as they do every weekend, the Allée de la Liberté Charles de Gaulle, in the heart of Cannes. Porcelain, glassware, period books, antique jewellery, silverware and collectibles line up under the plane trees, a stone's throw from the Palais des Festivals and the Croisette.
The setting, facing the Old Port and its yachts, gives this market a Riviera elegance all its own. It is a faithful rendezvous for Cannes hunters and passing visitors who prefer fine pieces to seaside souvenirs. Urban professional flea market format, a refined selection. To combine with the neighbouring Forville market for a Sunday morning of food and hunting on the Riviera.
Vinon-sur-Verdon Grand Summer Yard Sale, 160 sellers at the meeting of three departments (Var)
Sunday July 5, Vinon-sur-Verdon holds its grand summer yard sale on the esplanade des Abeillons, by the Verdon river. With 160 sellers announced, this summer edition far exceeds the spring one and stands out as one of the biggest unpackings of the weekend in the region.
At the meeting point of the Var, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse, the village draws thousands of hunters and holidaymakers at the height of the tourist season. The shaded banks of the right shore, beneath plane trees and ash trees, offer a refreshing setting for a full day of hunting, from 8 am to 5 pm. Free entry and refreshments on site: a generous, popular format, best for patient rummagers who enjoy scouring the aisles.
Richerenches Yard Sale, hunting in the Templar town of the Enclave des Papes (Vaucluse)
Sunday July 5, the Richerenches Festivities Committee holds its annual yard sale within the Templar town, encircled by its 12th-century medieval ramparts. Deep inside the Enclave des Papes, this Vaucluse village set within the Drôme is known across Europe for its Saturday-morning black truffle market.
This is our pick of the weekend: few yard sales unfold in such a striking setting, among towers, curtain walls and stone lanes. Hunters and heritage lovers find a unique backdrop here to dig out knick-knacks, crockery, books and everyday objects. A village yard sale format with real historical depth, best enjoyed in the morning before the afternoon heat sets in.
Banon Grand Brocante and Yard Sale, hunting in the AOP cheese village (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
Sunday July 5, Banon hosts its grand brocante and yard sale on the village square and in the town centre. This summer edition takes on a wider format than the usual monthly unpackings, with more sellers spread across this hilltop village of Haute-Provence.
Banon is world-famous for its AOP goat cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves and for its Le Bleuet bookshop, one of the largest in the region. The medieval setting, with its vaulted lanes and old gates, gives this hunting day its full flavour. You dig out Provençal objects, furniture, crockery and old books here in an authentic village atmosphere. The weekend's charm stop for hunters from the Valensole plateau and the Forcalquier country.
Bar-sur-Loup Yard Sale, hunting above the Loup gorges (Alpes-Maritimes)
Sunday July 5, the Bar-sur-Loup yard sale enlivens the centre of this picturesque village of the Grasse hinterland. Perched between Grasse and Vence, Le Bar-sur-Loup majestically overlooks the Loup gorges and offers a striking panorama over the Mediterranean coast.
Much awaited each year, this gathering brings together private sellers offering clothes, toys, books, crockery and bric-a-brac in a friendly, easy-going atmosphere. Far from the coastal crowds, you hunt here in peace, in a setting of stone and flower-filled lanes typical of the villages of the Nice hinterland. Village yard sale format, perfect for a quiet morning before a walk on the chemin du Paradis or a visit to the nearby perfume distilleries of Grasse.
Tallard Yard Sale, hunting at the foot of the medieval castle (Hautes-Alpes)
Sunday July 5, the Tallard yard sale takes over the place Porte Belle, the rue du Château and the avenue Jacques Bonfort, at the foot of the spectacular château of Tallard. This commune of the Gap area, famous for its airfield and its listed fortress, offers a remarkable setting for a day of hunting.
The château of Tallard, overlooking the Durance valley, ranks among the finest monuments of the Hautes-Alpes and serves as a backdrop to the stalls. Sellers and hunters gather in the streets of the old town for a day of bargains, in the summer atmosphere of the Southern Alps. A village yard sale format with strong heritage, to combine with a visit to the fortress and a stop in Gap, the highest prefecture in France, close by.
Belle Brocante de Serres, antiques in a hilltop town of the Buëch valley (Hautes-Alpes)
Sunday July 5, the first Sunday of the month, the Belle Brocante de Serres is held, as usual, on the boulevard de la Digue. Professional and private sellers offer antiques, brocante and collectibles in the medieval setting of this hilltop town of the Hautes-Alpes.
A former fortified Protestant town dominated by the ruins of its citadel, Serres unfolds its narrow lanes and stone houses along the Buëch valley. This monthly rendezvous, from May to October, draws hunters from the Southern Alps in search of fine pieces rather than bric-a-brac. A quality brocante format in a village of character, ideal for a morning of hunting before a whitewater descent of the Buëch or a tour of the neighbouring villages.
Puces de Marseille at Cap Pinède, the giant of southern France (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5, the Puces de Marseille open, as every week, their immense site on the chemin de la Madrague de la Ville, in the 15th arrondissement. Established since 1988 on the former Alsthom industrial site at Cap Pinède, they make up the largest flea market in southern France.
Over 17,000 m² of space spread across four hectares, more than 1,000 sellers welcome tens of thousands of visitors each week: an antique dealers' gallery, a professional consignment depot, unpacking and bric-a-brac as far as the eye can see. Antiques, furniture, vintage, crockery, vinyl, curiosities: you find absolutely everything. Giant permanent flea market format, best reserved for hardy hunters who enjoy scouring the aisles for a whole morning, sheltered from the heat under the halls.
Jausiers Yard Sale, hunting under the apple trees of the Ubaye valley (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
Sunday July 5, the Jausiers traders' association launches the season of its summer yard sale at the Champ des Pommiers, avenue des Mexicains. Between 20 and 30 private sellers set up their stalls on the grass, in the shade of the fruit trees, from 9 am to 5 pm.
The setting is one of the most bucolic of the weekend: you hunt outdoors in the upper Ubaye valley, between mountains and torrents, well away from the coastal bustle. Free entry and booking by text for sellers: this is the quiet gem of the selection, where you find a bargain without the crush. A mountain-village yard sale format, ideal for a morning of hunting before a hike towards the Bonette pass or a stop in Barcelonnette.
Sanary-sur-Mer Toy and Childcare Fair, hunting on the harbour (Var)
Sunday July 5, the harbour of Sanary-sur-Mer hosts its toy and childcare fair. At the height of the summer season, Sanary families and holidaymakers gather on the great quay to hunt for games, toys, children's clothes and childcare equipment.
Here is a format different from the all-purpose yard sales: this themed fair targets parents and toy collectors, in a setting that ranks among the finest on the Var coast, with its colourful pointu boats and pastel façades at the foot of the bell tower. A friendly, charitable gathering, free entry. A clever stop for anyone after second-hand gear at low prices, to combine with the Provençal market and a stroll along the harbour of one of the prettiest fishing villages on the Mediterranean.
For more regional weekend picks, head to our national agenda. Happy hunting on the roads of Provence and the French Riviera on this first weekend of July.
