Car boot sale of Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur

The car boot sale of Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur

Every summer, the streets and squares of Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur host a car boot sale organized by the traders' association. The stalls take over Place Lesdiguières, Place Grenette, Place du Chevréril, and the adjacent streets, creating a lively treasure hunt route in the heart of this mountain village.

Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, capital of Champsaur

Perched at an altitude of 1,025 meters, Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur is the historic capital of Champsaur, an alpine high valley in the Hautes-Alpes department, nestled between the Col Bayard to the south and the Col du Noyer to the north. The village retains interesting architectural heritage: Place Lesdiguières, lined with arcades, recalls that this land was the fief of the Lesdiguières, a famous Dauphiné family. The church, fountains, and stone houses form a harmonious mountain ensemble.

What to find at the stalls?

Exhibitors offer a wide range of second-hand items: old tableware, trinkets, frames and mirrors, books and magazines, toys, clothing, small appliances, tools, sports equipment, vinyl records and CDs, home linen, and decorative objects. In the Hautes-Alpes, you can also regularly find typical mountain objects: old agricultural tools, cowbells, Savoyard furniture, vintage skis, snowshoes, and hiking equipment. Prices, generally very attractive, make these car boot sales an economical and ecological alternative to buying new.

The Hautes-Alpes, land of flea markets and car boot sales

The Hautes-Alpes department, the least populated in metropolitan France, compensates for its low density with a particularly dynamic associative life. From March to October, car boot sales and flea markets punctuate the life of Alpine villages, offering as many opportunities to hunt for treasures as to meet neighbors. The summer season, with the influx of tourists and holidaymakers, multiplies the opportunities: passing visitors gladly stop to rummage through the stalls, sometimes discovering unsuspected Alpine treasures. The exceptional mountain setting of the department adds a unique dimension to these events, between grandiose panoramas and the pure air of the summits.

Champsaur, green valley of the Alps

Champsaur is nicknamed the "green valley" of the Hautes-Alpes, due to its green meadows and active mountain agriculture. Its proximity to Orcières-Merlette, the Écrins National Park, and Dévoluy makes it a popular tourist area in all seasons.