Car boot sale of Saint-André-de-Bohon

The Car Boot Sale of Saint-André-de-Bohon in May

Saint-André-de-Bohon (50500) is a village in the Carentan marshes, in central Manche, on the edge of the Cotentin and Bessin Marsh Regional Natural Park. Every May, the village hosts its annual car boot sale, a spring event that brings together exhibitors and visitors in this remarkable natural setting.

The Carentan marshes are one of the most important and best-preserved wetlands in Normandy. These meadows, flooded in winter and spring, these peat bogs and reed beds are home to exceptional flora and fauna. The Saint-André-de-Bohon car boot sale is part of this unique landscape, offering bargain hunters an experience in the heart of the Manche countryside.

Saint-André-de-Bohon, village of the marshes

Saint-André-de-Bohon is one of the communes that merged to form the new commune of Carentan-les-Marais, but it retains its local identity and associations. The commune is immersed in the vast territory of the Carentan marshes, a territory that played an important role during the Normandy Landings in June 1944.

The marshes were indeed a major obstacle for Allied and German soldiers: the flooded fields and marshy areas made progress extremely difficult. Many American paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions drowned in the marshes in the early hours of D-Day. This tragic history is preserved in local memory.

A natural setting for a day of bargain hunting

The Saint-André-de-Bohon car boot sale benefits from a rare geographical location, in the heart of the Cotentin marshes. In May, when the water level begins to drop and vegetation comes back to life, the marsh landscape is strikingly beautiful: immense green meadows dotted with wildflowers, canals shimmering in the sun, migratory birds and frogs creating a natural symphony.

Exhibitors offer clothing, crockery, books, toys, and trinkets in this peaceful, rural atmosphere. Visitors who make the trip often take the opportunity to explore the marsh hiking trails, observe the birds, and breathe the fresh air of the Manche wetlands.