I was so thrilled to return to Provence in April of 2022 for our annual spring tour trip which I co-host with my dear friend Sharon Santoni of My French Country Home. After a 2-year hiatus, we happily returned with ten lovely ladies who accompanied us as we stopped by our favorite antique spots and took in the beauty, culture and cuisine of the South of France; think gardens, brocantes (french antique fairs) and French wine!

As I walked through the markets each day, I instantly knew that my Francophile friends and clients who read our blog would find these spots to be a real treat! I hope you enjoy the virtual tour in this short video.

L’Isle sur la Sorgue

If you’re an antique lover like me, you would love L’Isle sur la Sorgue, also known as the antique capital of France! This charming island city lies at the foot of the village of Vaucluse, surrounded by the Sorgue river. There are nearly 300 antique dealers in town and over 6 weekly fairs!

This medieval town has so many stunning features such as the “Partage des Eaux” (water wheel), which once powered the silk and paper factories in the 18th century. I could have stayed all week just to take in the beauty, let alone shop for antiques!

Lourmarin

Our home base during the trip was Lourmarin, a picturesque hill-top village in the Lubéron mountains, known as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages in France)! Like many towns in France, Lourmarin holds its street markets on certain days of the week.

We loved strolling their Friday morning market which was a feast for the eyes! I found bunches of lavender, Provençal salt, and a mini flower market, where you know I just had to get a bouquet!

One thing we love about the markets in the South of France is that in addition to being full of unique antique treasures, you can often discover local artisans and learn about their crafts!

Marché aux Fleurs, Cours Saleya

Our final stop on the tour was the famous Marché au Fleurs in the Cours Saleya open-air market, where they have been selling flowers to the public for more than 100 years!

The beautiful flower market and wonderful food stalls occur daily and on Mondays, it turns into an antique flea market which spreads across Old Town Nice. In addition to fresh-cut flowers and produce, you can find great antique dealers and other artisans throughout the market. It’s always worth the visit!

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about antiquing in Provence!

If there is anything about France or antiques that you’d like us to include in our posts or products, please don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below. To see more, follow us on Instagram where we always share glimpses of the places we visit and the treasures we find.

À bientôt,
Sandra

P.S. Learn more about my visit to the famous Parisian Rungis Flower Market in this blog