Vide-Grenier de Plan-d'Orgon

The Vide-Grenier de Plan-d'Orgon: Treasure Hunting by the Durance

Each year, Plan-d'Orgon hosts a friendly car boot sale that brings together between 100 and 150 private exhibitors in an open space in the heart of the commune. From the morning, early bird bargain hunters and families invest the aisles in search of good deals among a wide selection of second-hand items: clothing, tableware, toys, books, small furniture, trinkets, and vintage objects. This popular event takes place in a warm and relaxed atmosphere, with refreshments and light catering offered by the organizers throughout the day.

Plan-d'Orgon, Former Templar Land

Plan-d'Orgon is a commune of about 3,500 inhabitants located on the left bank of the Durance, on the border between the Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse departments. Formerly a hamlet of Orgon, the commune became independent on July 27, 1923, after significant development initiated in the second half of the 19th century. Its territory occupies a strategic crossroads position between Italy and Spain, between northern France and the Mediterranean coast, making it a place of passage and exchange since antiquity. In the 13th century, the Templars undertook the drainage of the marshy areas of this territory, transforming the wetlands into fertile plots thanks to a network of irrigation canals that allowed the development of prosperous agriculture.

The Saint-Louis Church and the Albert Laty Arenas

The built heritage of Plan-d'Orgon reflects the history of this commune founded in the 19th century. The Saint-Louis church, initially a simple chapel built in 1835, was enlarged in 1878 in a characteristic neo-Romanesque style with a three-sided apse, archivolts surmounting the arched bays, and a cul-de-four. The Saint-Louis patronal festival, celebrated at the end of August, perpetuates a festive tradition attested since 1818. The Albert Laty arenas, built in 1906 by the Laty family, hosted their first bullfights in 1908 and remain an emblematic site of Provençal bullfighting culture, with Camargue-style bull races animating the commune during the summer season.

The Durance and the Alpilles: A Natural Setting

Plan-d'Orgon benefits from a remarkable natural setting between two jewels of Provençal heritage. To the north, the Durance, a major Provençal river 323 kilometers long, forms the departmental border with Vaucluse and offers banks conducive to walking and observing riparian flora and fauna. To the south, the first foothills of the Alpilles rise with their limestone cliffs and their garrigue scented with thyme and rosemary. The nearby village of Orgon, perched on a rocky outcrop, houses the remains of a Templar castle and the monastery of Notre-Dame de Beauregard, built in the 19th century on a promontory overlooking the Durance valley, a place of pilgrimage offering an exceptional panorama of the Alpilles massif and the Luberon.

Finds for Every Taste

As in all car boot sales in Provence, the stalls at the Plan-d'Orgon car boot sale offer a wide variety of items:

• Clothing and accessories for the whole family
• Tableware, earthenware, and Provençal ceramics
• Toys, board games, and childcare items
• Books, comic books, and vinyl records
• Small furniture, lighting, and decoration
• Trinkets, collectibles, and vintage items
• Garden tools and small appliances

A Provençal Crossroads between Alpilles and Luberon

Plan-d'Orgon is an ideal starting point for exploring the riches of inland Provence. A few kilometers away, the villages of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence, and Eygalières reveal their picturesque streets and ancient heritage. The region has attracted illustrious visitors over the centuries: Alexandre Dumas fils, Pierre Loti, Georges Clemenceau, Alphonse Daudet, and Frédéric Mistral frequented this sun-drenched region. The surrounding Provençal markets, rich in local produce—olives, olive oil, candied fruits, Herbes de Provence—pleasantly complete a day of treasure hunting.