Chuignolles Flea Market

The Chuignolles flea market, a Picardy spring tradition

Every spring, Chuignolles, a small Santerre village between Amiens and Péronne, comes alive for its annual réderie. Typical of the rural traditions of the Somme department, this event preserves all the charm of old-fashioned treasure hunting, far from the bustle of major urban flea markets. Villagers and residents of surrounding communes unpack their everyday objects, forgotten treasures and family curiosities in the streets.

A flea market on a village scale

In Chuignolles, the réderie remains faithful to its vocation as a local gathering. Fewer than 200 inhabitants live in this quiet Upper Somme village, but for one day, the streets turn into a lively thoroughfare. You'll find everything here: old tableware, tools, children's toys, clothes, trinkets, old books, vinyl records, modest furniture and small treasures from Picardy attics. The goods offered by individuals often lead to wonderful finds at very reasonable prices.

Chuignolles, memory of the Santerre

The village bears the imprint of the Great War, like the entire Santerre region. Nearby, numerous military cemeteries and traces of the 1916 fighting recall the crucial role played by this land during the Battle of the Somme. The réderie takes place in an authentic rural setting, where village churches, Picardy farms and vast cultivated plains compose a typical Hauts-de-France landscape.

A family and Picardy atmosphere

The Picard word 'réderie' (flea market) takes on its full meaning here: unpacking, conviviality, neighbourly encounters and the art of bargaining, Picardy-style. The day mainly attracts a local audience from surrounding villages and Péronne, but also a few knowledgeable bargain hunters who recognize the value of small rural réderies, often more generous in finds than large commercial fairs.

Discovering the Santerre and the Somme valley

Around Chuignolles, visitors can extend their day by exploring the Somme valley, the Upper Somme ponds, the Australian Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux or the medieval city of Péronne. The area is ideal for a Sunday outing combining bargain hunting, heritage and Picardy gastronomy (ficelle picarde, gâteau battu).