Located against the backdrop of a stunning 700 years old medieval city, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon hosts probably one of the most picturesque flea markets in Southern France: the Brocante de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.
Once a week, as many as 95 professional exhibitors gather along the walls of the Fort St André, to sell a variety of items ranging from antique pottery, ceramics, crystal and glassware, to wine and barrel making tools, small and large pieces of furniture, silver, toys, kitchenware and other collectibles. No wonder why the brocante de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon continuously attracts thousands of flea market enthusiasts who come from as far as Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain and even the US to find the best merchandises for their antiques business!
The brocante de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon operates throughout the year, from Spring to Winter. And even if some November mornings can be chilly when the Mistral blows, the Villeneuve-lès-Avignon flea market continues to attract the most serious antique dealers in Provence and abroad, who flock at the market well before dawn, to snap up the best merchandises.
The flea market of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is characterized by the quality of the exhibited goods, its spirit of conviviality and the relatively fair prices charged by its merchants. Talking about prices, bargaining is a generally accepted practice. However, you shouldn’t expect a huge discount, particularly when it’s still early in the morning. Vendors tend to be more “cooperative” at the end of the flea market day, when they are eager to pack up.
And even if your knowledge of French is limited to a handful of common words, most vendors are very congenial and will do their best to help you understand – even if they don’t master the King’s English.
In addition to its weekly brocante, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon also hosts a bi-annual antique show known as "Brocante Passion". Twice a year in May and October, the Brocante Passion de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon gathers as many as 85 professional exhibitors along the walls of the Fort St André, who sell a variety of items ranging from antique pottery, ceramics, crystal and glassware, to wine and barrel making tools, small and large pieces of furniture, silver, toys, kitchenware and other collectibles.
Remember that should you make the most of your day at the flea market or not, a trip to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is its own reward. Strolling the city’s cobblestone streets, enjoying the view from the Fort St André, or lunching oysters with a glass of white wine under the chestnut trees, are some of the many highlights Villeneuve-lès-Avignon has to offer.
Charlotte Patterson
5th June 2015 at 19:45It’s been several years since we first visited this market, and it seems like there was more stuff back then, but it is still a fun agglomeration of French antiques and junk. Prices have gone up some in the last 20 years, though.
Nick Hamilton
8th August 2015 at 05:57We had visited the marché à la brocante a couple of years ago and remembered it as having a lot of original and high quality items. This time it seemed much more car boot cum flea market and even with the favorable euro/sterling exchange rate, there seemed to be very few bargains on offer. However, it made for a fun hour of perusing and there were still some things for sale you would not get at home in the UK.
Francis Hart
1st March 2016 at 20:30We visited the Brocante de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon last week. It is in a very handy location with easy parking. The items displayed of wide variety as expected. There was a lot of furniture, jewellery. We found some silver but not a lot there’s was some porcelain too. The prices were on the high side but I felt the quality was just average. I bought a French book about lavender I did not haggle and paid him the asking price.
Jean-Marc Génin
12th May 2016 at 17:12Ce marché est vraiment riche car on y trouve des objets et meubles de toutes époques et styles, A partir de Napoléon III. De plus les brocanteurs y pratiquent des tarifs convenables, et sont plutôt dans leur ensemble, sympathiques! Sur place on peut aussi déguster des huîtres à “la bonne franquette” pour un prix raisonnable! Somme toute, une brocante sympa avec une belle ambiance.