Located in the heart of the Avesnois region of northern France, just 20 miles from the Belgian border and an hour's drive from Lille, Maroilles is a tiny rural village of just 1,400 souls, like many others in the area.
But once a year, this surprisingly picturesque village - famous for its eponymous smelly cheese - is packed with bargain hunters who come from as far afield as the UK, the Netherlands, and Denmark to attend its famous antiques market: the annual Brocante de Maroilles.
The Brocante de Maroilles is the most famous of all Maroilles events and the largest of its kind in the region. For over thirty years, the Brocante de Maroilles has been an essential event for bargain hunters. Together with the Grande Braderie de Lille, it is one of the most important annual antique fairs north of Paris, with over 600 exhibitors occupying up to 4 miles of pavement and around 200 locals helping to make the big day. Attracting up to 80,000 flea market enthusiasts and second-hand shoppers, this antique fair is a must-see for authentic finds of ornaments, pottery, jewellery, vintage toys, old books, crockery and antique furniture.
What makes the Brocante de Maroilles so popular with bargain hunters is that it is by no means a cheap "garage sale" or an average flea market. One of the rules laid down by the organisers is that only antique and second-hand dealers are allowed to sell at the Brocante de Maroilles. In fact, at any one time during the event, more than 30 commissioners ensure that only antiques and second-hand goods are sold by the exhibitors. This almost guarantees that visitors won't go home empty-handed or disappointed!
As with all flea markets, the early bird gets the worm. And the Brocante de Maroilles is no exception! On a Sunday, shoppers start arriving in the village at dawn and by 09:00 most of the best deals are gone. While the Brocante de Maroilles officially starts at around 06:00 on Sunday morning, it is possible to scout the market the day before, when exhibitors set up their stalls around 20:00-21:00. And although it is "officially" forbidden to sell goods on Saturday, this rule is not strictly enforced.
After a day of strolling the streets of Maroilles, shoppers and stallholders usually gather in the nearby restaurants and bakeries to indulge in a delicious Tarte au Maroilles, a traditional Flemish cheese tart, usually served with salad and chips and washed down with a cool local beer. That is if you can call it a day!
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