Croix-Rousse Brocante (Lyon 4th, June)

The annual brocante of the silk workers' neighbourhood

The Croix-Rousse brocante is an event that marks the rhythm of neighbourhood life each June. On the boulevard de la Croix-Rousse or on the plateau, this large-scale event transforms the neighbourhood's main streets into a gigantic open-air flea market. Hundreds of sellers offer antiques and brocante items from all eras: antique furniture, crockery, trinkets, paintings, engravings, antique books, vinyl records, jewellery, vintage clothing, old toys, tools and curiosities of all kinds. The relaxed and festive atmosphere, typical of the Croix-Rousse, makes this event a unique occasion where seasoned collectors, the simply curious and bargain-hunting families all mingle. Food stalls, live music and café terraces animate the neighbourhood throughout these two days.

The Croix-Rousse, history, silk workers and Lyonnais bohemia

The Croix-Rousse neighbourhood is inseparable from the history of Lyon. Perched on its hill between the Saône and the Rhône, this popular and bohemian neighbourhood is the direct heir to the great tradition of the Lyon silk industry. The canuts — silk weavers — lived and worked here in the 19th century in large apartments with high ceilings (the famous 'traboules') designed to accommodate their looms. Their uprisings of 1831 and 1834 left a lasting mark on French social history. Today the neighbourhood has retained this popular soul while taking on a bohemian and creative colouring: art galleries, artists' studios, fashionable restaurants, a well-regarded daily market and vibrant nightlife coexist in a unique atmosphere found nowhere else in France.