Antiquing in the South of France (2025)
Antiques: Brocantes, Markets and Vide Greniers
I can’t pretend to be an expert on the matter of antiquing in France, but I can share my personal knowledge and experiences with you as someone who is passionate about antiquing, in any part of the world, for that matter. There are many places you can go to find this information, but what I am offerring you are the places I have been to personally, that I can recommend if you too love the hunt.
I would preface this by saying my goal when antiquing is to find pieces that I instantly love and don’t want to put down, for fear someone else might buy it before me! This is to say that I am not hunting for valuable or historically significant pieces, but ones that I would like to use in my own home. And that is the key to antiquing, using the pieces you buy. But don’t get me started on how antiques are a necessity for every well designed home…
As a general rule when antiquing, I imagine what price I would be willing to pay for an item. If the given price doesn’t fall within a reasonable range, then that piece may not be for me. As such, I find it is best not to be the first to the market, as you may be competing with serious buyers and sellers, and they may be willing to pay far more for an item than I may be. In fact, it is often useful to go towards the end of a market day, as dealers are more willing to make a deal with you so as not to have to pack up and transport the items again.
I would also recommend that you subscribe to BROCABRAC, which is a website that details all of the brocantes in your designated area of France for each given week. They also explain what type of market it is (brocante, vide-Maison, vide Grenier, etc). Make sure you check the driving distance as some markets can be quite far and sometimes small and underwhelming. This was the case for me when I went to a Tuesday market in Villecroze. There are just a handful of dealers and not of a very high quality, in my opinion, at the Villecroze brocante.
Villecroze Market and Antique Shop:
However, I did find the most charming antique store in Villecroze called: Antiquaire and Decoration. It is a beautiful shop full of antique furniture, art, mirrors, tables, commodes, objects as well as some new homeware pieces. This store is a gem, well curated, new stock appears regularly, and owned by a multi-generational family of antique dealers who are very kind and professional, with fair pricing. I highly recommend a visit. They are open most days until 7pm, except Sunday and Monday. From here you could head to the Tuesday brocante in St. Raphael, though I cannot report on the market, personally.
Isle Sur La Sorgue Market and Antiques:
Apparently there are two international antique markets annually in Isle Sur La Sorgue, one at Easter and again during August. I have not been to these, but I have been to Isle Sur La Sorgue a couple of times during regular market days, on Thursdays and Sundays. These are not the type of markets you would be interested in if you are looking for antiques. They are mostly fresh food and local items, like oil cloth and soaps, as well as a flea market on Sundays. If this doesn’t interest you, I would recommend avoiding the town on market days, as it is quite crowded and hard to find a place to eat during such times. That being said, many of the antique shops are open from Thursday on, so do check the shop hours before making the trip. Ideally, arrive on a Thursday afternoon, shop on Friday and then head to Villeneuve les-Avignon on Friday afternoon so you can do the Saturday market in Villeneuve.
Otherwise, Isle Sur la Sorgue is a charming town with many homeware shops and many antique shops. My issue with towns like this is that they draw a ton of people, which can drive up the prices of items you might find elsewhere for less. That being said, if you want to maximize the antique shop experience in one stop, this town won’t disappoint. There are several places I would recommend:
Village des Antiquaires de la Gare
L’Ile aux Brocantes
Dickinson Antiques
CZ Gallerie
Villeneuve les Avignon:
The Saturday market in Villeneuve les Avignon is by far one of my favorite market experiences in the South of France. Villeneuve les Avignon is a gorgeous town with a few antique shops to explore before market day, and the Saturday market is perfect: not too big, not too small, just right to find things you will love. Most recently I picked up four beautiful bronze hooks for bathrobes or towels, and a set of Limoges dessert plates.
Aix en Provence:
Market days in Aix are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This market is a mix of new and old, flea market and vintage, clothes and textiles as well as a few antiques. Aix is a really pretty town and has lots of popular French branded shops (like Sezane, Souleiado, Zadig & Voltaire, Montblanc, Hermes…), but the market is so-so, in my opinion. It is in the Luberon and not too far from Villeneuve les Avignon and Isle Sur la Sorgue, so perhaps worth a stop, but not specifically for the market.
Vide Greniers:
When a Vide Grenier (attic sale) is happening in your area, you will be sure to know because you will see signs posted everywhere saying Vide Grenier with the date and location. This can be a hit or miss situation, depending on the area. They happen very frequently in the summer, and often, they are just what they imply: emptying the attic (of junk). Sometimes you come across some treasures, but this can be rare. Vide Greniers are not antique dealers, but people who live in the community and pay a small fee to sell their unwanted items. Don’t get me wrong, it is still interesting to have a look around, and usually there is live music and some food available for purchase. It’s very authentic French, I would say.
Le Grand Jardin:
Check the dates for Le Grand Jardin in Fayence because it runs regularly but not continuously throughout the year. I really enjoy this venue as there are many dealers and they set up very nice booths with high end furnishings, art, linens, silver, and other objects of interest. There is an entrance fee of around 5 euros, but it’s worth it for an afternoon, as I always bring something home with me. They also serve food and drinks, if you want to make a day of it. I find the prices a little high, but it is a very pleasant setting.
Nice Cours Saleya:
The Nice market runs every Monday throughout the year. It is a large market with something for everyone: art, vintage clothes, vintage jewellery, furnishings, china, silver, lalique, christofle, antique hardware, EVERYTHING. Here, I feel it is very touristy and though there are many treasures to be had, you have to know what you are doing because you can easily be fooled by some of the vendors. This has made me a bit disenchanted with this market. But still, it is worth going if you keep your wits about you. I like the online tool, google images, to google items on site and see what the going rate is for something you are interested in buying. You can always ask a price with no obligation to buy. I try to avoid vendors that do not have prices listed in this market in particular. The market is in Old Town Nice and it’s a very charming area, not far from the Promenade des Anglais, along the Mediterranean. Lots of great shopping to in Nice and many restaurants to choose from as well as private and public beaches and beautiful parks. Nice is a very nice city.
Happy Antiquing!!
