Aups flea market in the truffle capital, Peille's hilltop yard sale above Monaco: eleven spots to hunt across Provence and the Riviera on June 20 and 21.
Where to hunt in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur on this solstice weekend? June 20 and 21 mark the first real weekend of summer. Hilltop villages reopen their squares to sellers, the seasonal coastal flea markets shift into top gear, and the big permanent markets welcome the first holidaymakers.
This week our pick is the Aups flea market, up in the Haut-Var. Hunting under the century-old plane trees of the black truffle capital, just as the cicadas settle in, is hard to resist.
The selection casts a wide net: the serious antiques of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Cannes, the village yard sales of Peille and La Garde-Freinet, and the vast flea markets of the Rhône valley. From the Briançonnais mountains to the Var beaches, there is plenty to fill a car boot.
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Sunday Brocante Market, the antiques capital (Vaucluse)
Sunday June 21, 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 nearly forty-year-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 essential stop of a Vaucluse hunting weekend. It pairs naturally with the year-round antique villages lining the canals.
Aups Flea Market on the Town Hall Square, hunting in the truffle capital (Var)
Sunday June 21, the Aups flea market returns to the place de la Mairie for its June edition. Under the century-old plane trees of this fine Haut-Var square, hunters and sellers gather for a morning of unpacking in the Var capital of the black truffle. It is a regular and well-loved stop on the Provençal dealers' circuit.
Aups, a large hilltop town at the gateway to the Verdon gorges, offers an authentic Provençal village setting, far from the crush of the coast. You hunt here for furniture, crockery and knick-knacks before strolling the shaded lanes and pushing on to the Sainte-Croix lake. Village-square flea market format, easy-going atmosphere: perfect for opening summer on the hinterland side.
La Garde-Freinet Grand Yard Sale, the season's kick-off (Var)
Saturday June 20, the Place Neuve of La Garde-Freinet hosts a large private yard sale that officially launches the hunting season in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Run by the Vivons La Garde-Freinet association, it gathers local sellers and families clearing out attics and cellars from 8.30 am to 5 pm.
The setting is one of the finest hilltop villages of the Maures massif, away from the bustle of the Tropezian beaches. Clothes, toys, books, crockery and furniture spread out in a relaxed village atmosphere. Community yard sale format, ideal for Var families who want to combine hunting with a day in the heart of the Maures, between chestnut groves and cork oaks.
Peille Yard Sale, hunting above Monaco (Alpes-Maritimes)
Sunday June 21, the medieval village of Peille holds its annual yard sale, over by the La Grave-de-Peille station. Perched at 630 metres and overlooking Monaco, this characterful village of the Nice hinterland opens its lanes and squares to sellers for a day of hunting between private individuals.
Clothes, toys, books, crockery and bric-a-brac change hands in a friendly atmosphere, a world away from the buzz of the nearby Riviera. This is the weekend's quiet gem, where you find a bargain without the crush, before climbing up to admire the view over the Mediterranean and the peaks of the Mercantour. Village yard sale format, perfect for lovers of authenticity.
Allées de la Liberté Flea Market in Cannes, facing the Old Port (Alpes-Maritimes)
Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21, 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, refined atmosphere. To combine with the neighbouring Forville market for a Sunday morning of food and hunting on the Riviera.
Tourtour Brocante and Yard Sale, hunting in one of France's most beautiful villages (Var)
Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21, the Tourtour brocante takes over the place Annabelle et Bernard Buffet, in the heart of this hilltop village listed among the most beautiful villages of France. All summer long, dealers and private sellers spread their stalls between fountains, plane trees and stone lanes.
The setting, suspended above the Provence Verte, is worth the trip on its own. You hunt here for Provençal objects, crockery, old books and small furniture in a timeless atmosphere. Weekly summer format, a selection halfway between yard sale and brocante. To combine with a stop in nearby Aups, for hunters criss-crossing the Haut-Var this weekend.
Carpentras Parking des Platanes Brocante, the Comtat institution (Vaucluse)
Sunday June 21, the Parking des Platanes, on the allées Jean Jaurès in Carpentras, turns as every Sunday into a vast professional brocante. Around 180 sellers set up under the century-old plane trees, offering antiques, antique furniture, decorative arts and curiosities from early morning.
Run by Ego Organisation, this weekly brocante has become an institution of the capital of the Comtat Venaissin. The number of sellers and the quality of the offer make it serious hunting ground, with welcome shade in the first summer heat. Open-air professional brocante format, ideal for those seeking the characterful piece at the foot of Mont Ventoux. To extend with a visit to Carpentras's historic centre and its synagogue.
Mornas Flea Market, hunting at the foot of the fortress (Vaucluse)
Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21, the Mornas flea market is held, as it is every weekend, on rue Maoucrouset, at the foot of the spectacular medieval fortress overlooking the Rhône valley. Run by the municipal staff association, it gathers up to 200 pitches of private sellers, hunters and professionals on a large site with parking for 1,000 cars.
It is one of the most important weekly brocante events of the Haut-Vaucluse. You find everything here, from furniture to bric-a-brac, in the atmosphere of a big popular unpacking. High-volume open-air flea market format, perfect for hunters who like to rummage at length. The silhouette of the castle towering over the stalls makes for an unforgettable backdrop.
Saint-Chaffrey Yard Sale, hunting at altitude in Serre-Chevalier (Hautes-Alpes)
Sunday June 21, Saint-Chaffrey, a commune of the Serre-Chevalier resort in the Briançonnais, opens its June yard sale, the first of the village's two annual gatherings. From 7 am to 6 pm, the pitch is offered at 2 euros per linear metre, an unbeatable rate that draws sellers and the curious.
At over 1,300 metres of altitude, in the Guisane valley between the Écrins massif and the Lautaret pass, you hunt here in a mountain setting rare for a flea market. Local hunters and the first summer holidaymakers mingle in search of bric-a-brac, clothes and everyday objects. Mountain-village yard sale format, to combine with a hike in the Écrins National Park or a stop in Briançon, the highest town in Europe.
La Fossette Flea Market in Fos-sur-Mer, the coastal giant (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21, the La Fossette flea market unpacks, as it does every weekend, on an 8-hectare private park at Fos-sur-Mer, at the Fossette roundabout along the RN 568. From 6 am to 3 pm, this site founded in 2003 can host up to 600 sellers and draws nearly 13,000 visitors.
It is one of the largest hunting grounds around the Étang de Berre. The size of the site guarantees a considerable offer: furniture, vintage, crockery, clothes, tools and curiosities at low prices. Giant open-air flea market format, best reserved for hardy hunters who enjoy scouring the aisles. A morning to start early, before the June sun beats down on the Crau plain.
Salon-de-Provence Racecourse Yard Sale, hunting under the solar panels (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21, the Salon-de-Provence Racecourse yard sale takes over, as every weekend, the car park of the Hippodrome de la Crau, avenue Luc Alabouvette. Run by Troc Kool 13, this open-air flea market welcomes private sellers and hunters from 9 am to 1.30 pm in a friendly, popular atmosphere.
Set under the vast photovoltaic canopies of the car park, the site offers welcome shade once the fine days arrive. Entry is free for visitors and parking is open. You hunt here for everyday objects, clothes, toys and knick-knacks in the spirit of a big Sunday unpacking. Accessible yard sale format, ideal for a morning of hunting between the Alpilles and the Étang de Berre, before a stop in the medieval centre of Salon, the town of Nostradamus.
Also worth a look this weekend in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- The Caramy Riverbanks Flea Market in Brignoles Sunday June 21 from 7 am to 2.30 pm: around forty sellers unpack books, knick-knacks and small furniture in the shade of the plane trees, by the water in the heart of the Provence Verte (Var).
- Les Puces de Provence in Saint-Étienne-du-Grès Sunday June 21 from 6 am to 1.30 pm: up to 400 sellers in the heart of the Alpilles for one of the largest Sunday flea markets in the area (Bouches-du-Rhône).
- Bonpas Grand Flea Market in Avignon Saturday June 20 from 5.30 am to 2 pm: a vast hunting field on the edge of Montfavet, furniture, vinyl and bric-a-brac at gentle prices at the gates of the city of the Popes (Vaucluse).
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 summer.
