The Grande Brocante de Lisieux is the last flea market of the season before the winter break, and boy does it close the season with style. Since the late 1990s, this flea market extravaganza has been gathering over the last weekend in November more than 800 vendors who tempt in the bargain hunters with their fantastic wares. And by now the lines of market stalls spread over 5 km through the capital of the Pays d'Auge area in Normandy. It feels like the whole city gets involved in this celebration of antiques and vintage, making it an event not to be missed.
Lisieux is a small town, but rich in medieval history, making it the perfect location for a vintage market on the scale of the Grande Brocante de Lisieux. Sellers set up their stalls in the early hours, and the most determined bargain hunters also tend to arrive before the sun rises. Despite this enthusiasm, there is generally not a lot of jostling or stress at this market. The crowds seem happy to wait their turn to check out the wares, and conversations take place among strangers at every stall. Vendors are also extremely knowledgeable about their goods, so there is plenty of information to be had for those with a qualified interest.
With so many hundreds of vendors attending the Grande Brocante de Lisieux, there is definitely something for everyone to buy. Visitors will find stalls full of china ware, gramophones, pieces of furniture, telephones, radios, pictures and works of art, vintage books, clothes, war memorabilia, architectural salvage, religious items and so much more. It is very difficult to leave this market empty handed.
It is too easy to spend the entire day at the Grande Brocante de Lisieux. Luckily, Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland, which means that this town has plenty of wonderful restaurants and local refreshments to enjoy. Avid shoppers will definitely need to take advantage of this, especially those that start their shopping before sun rise! With so much to see at this flea, it is more than worth an early start and a whole day spent.
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