7 Open Air Markets in France You Shouldn’t Miss
Take a stroll outside and discover French open air markets! We list the top 7 must-visit open markets found in France. Read more about it here.
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1) The “Grande Braderie” – Lille, Nord2) The Flower Market – Ile de la Cité, Paris3) The Christmas Market – Colmar, Alsace4) The Fish Market of The Old Harbour (Vieux Port) – Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône5) The “Marché des Lices”, Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine)6) Beef auction market, Saint-Christophe-en-Brionnais (Saône-et-Loire)7) Carpentras market (Vaucluse)It’s such a pleasure to stroll along and enjoy the flavours and colours of the open-air markets of France. To pick up some food for the apéro and lunch, it’s best to get up early in the morning!
I’ll be your guide today and we’ll discover the hidden gems of the most beautiful open markets in France. So grab your wicker basket and a baguette, we have some wandering to do!
1) The “Grande Braderie” – Lille, Nord
This huge (and hugely popular) flea market dates back to a tradition from the Middle Ages and welcomes between two or three million visitors each year. Biggest flea market in Europe, and the biggest market in France! It has great things for everyone : antiques (along the Boulevard Jean-Baptiste Lebas), old vinyls, books (along the Deule river), great arcades where you’ll find artisanal and ethnic items from local artists…
On the tasty side, it’s the obligatory mussels and French fries, and restaurants traditionally build piles of empty mussel shells outside: tradition again! The shells are collected rather than left as litter.
My “ch’tis” friends from the North all come back home for the Braderie each year and have a friendly contest to see who is going to find the kitschiest item ever… Maybe you’ll be the one to win this year !
Important info: On the first weekend of September, and it lasts (officially) from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. Check the exact times each year before planning an early shopping trip.
2) The Flower Market – Ile de la Cité, Paris
Right next to Notre-Dame cathedral, facing the Seine river, you have a small patch of paradise just at the heart of the Cité island : a fresh smell of lilacs, roses and jasmine welcomes you… And the colors ! Aromatic plants, orange trees, bonsai trees and willows, cacti and even exotic plants and carnivorous ones.
At the Orchid House, and if you’re really nice, the shop-owner will teach you how to make them bloom for three months a year. The former Sunday Bird Market closed permanently on December 31, 2022; the flower market remains.
Important info: Open every day Place Louis-Lépine from 8AM to 19h30. The former Sunday bird market has closed. Individual flower-shop hours may vary.
3) The Christmas Market – Colmar, Alsace
The Alsace Christmas market is a true legend in France. The oldest is the one in Strasbourg (its “Christkindelsmärik” or Christmas market has been a tradition since 1570), but the one in Colmar is the most romantic one.
People come from the end of November to drink the famous mulled wine and stroll along the wooden chalets… In Colmar, you can shop for the Alsace white wine, Christmas decorations and toys for the kids, gingerbread figurines, and of course sugary and savory delights from local producers.
In Colmar it’s more than a market : it’s a true show, an orange and cinnamon-smelling show…
Important info: check the opening times at https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ , Alsace evening markets close quite early on some days. It usually runs from late November to the end of December (dates change every year).
4) The Fish Market of The Old Harbour (Vieux Port) – Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône
The Fish Market in Marseille is a true institution, where fishermen sell their fresh catch straight from the boats. Over there, you’ll get used to the local fish: sea bass, mullet, John Dory (saint-pierre), sea bream, plus sea urchins and other seafood, every day on the Old Port of Marseille, Quai de la Fraternité (formerly Quai des Belges).
Some of these fish are used to make bouillabaisse, and if you don’t feel comfortable making your own, you can taste a great one at the Chez Michel restaurant (www.restaurant-michel-13.fr)…
Important info: every day on Quai de la Fraternité, from around 8h to 13h
5) The “Marché des Lices”, Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine)
This Brittany market on Saturday mornings is the second biggest market in France. It’s one of the most beautiful markets in France, with about 250 stalls and 10,000 visitors.
You can stroll around the half-timbered houses, through the fish, vegetables and meat sellers of the market, until you arrive at the Place Saint Michel, where you’ll see the flower market. Have a galette-saucisse (a sausage wrapped in a buckwheat galette) with cider, or go through the book market on place Saint-Anne, next to the gorgeous Jules Verne style merry-go-round…
Important info: Open on Saturdays from 7h30 to 13h30, Place des Lices.
6) Beef auction market, Saint-Christophe-en-Brionnais (Saône-et-Loire)
Every Wednesday, this village has one of the biggest livestock markets in France. The cattle are sold using an auction clock (“au cadran”), with different sales during the day. If you want to get in the mood for this market, have a little “bouilli” (beef stew), a rib steak or a calf’s head, I promise you it’s not that bad for breakfast… It is a very unique atmosphere that you won’t find anywhere else in France !
Important info: guided visits on market Wednesdays, currently from 8:30 AM until around 3 PM depending on the sales and visitor arrivals. Contact the tourism office in advance for an English, German or Spanish guide; holiday closures apply. More info at cadran-brionnais.fr
7) Carpentras market (Vaucluse)
The tastiest things in this market are colours, smells… and southern accents ! All of Provence is meeting every Friday morning in the city center of Carpentras. This very rural region welcomes from all sides fruit and veggies, local flavours, artisan crafts, flowers, and even truffles, the « black diamond » !
The whole atmosphere is southern and very authentic. That’s normal, the market is documented in a papal bull from 1155, and this market has been named « exceptional market » since 1996.
Important info: every Friday from 8AM to 12H30. More info: www.carpentras-ventoux.com
Bonus : the Southern markets song
I could talk to you all day about the Provence markets, but Gilbert Bécaud had already sung it all in his classic “Les marchés de Provence” !
