The markets of Provence

One of the biggest pleasures when on a holiday in France is walking around the markets, becoming engrossed in the culture, tradition and vibrancy of what has been a prominent part of the French way of living for centuries.

Most towns and villages in France have a weekly “Le marche”. These popular and well-attended markets sell a wide array of goods, ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to sweetly smelling spices, from bright and colourful fabrics to beautifully hand-crafted pottery and ceramics, and most of which attract an equally vibrant mix of locals and tourists.

The region of Provence is home to a huge amount of markets. In fact there is not a day that goes by when some kind of ‘le marche’ or ‘foire’ is being held in a nearby town or village.

At the markets of Provence local produce is a central feature and local farmers gather at these weekly occasions selling produce that they have raised and painstakingly nurtured including fruit, vegetables, poultry, flowers, wines, cheeses and even fruit juice, creating a rich and effervescent scene and turning a normally sleepy and tranquil town into a lively place of activity, if only for a short while.

The French National Council of the Arts has selected hundreds of markets throughout the whole of France as being ‘exceptional markets’, based on the quality of the products being sold. Several markets of Provence were selected as being ‘exceptional’, including the Isle Sur La Sorgue, Carpentras, Apt, Coustellet and Velleron markets.

From November to March many local ‘truffle markets’ are held in Provence, in the towns of Chamaret, Valreas, Apt, Carpentras and Nyons, among others.

In epitomising the unique character of France, the lack of haste and urgency, the compassion in the way produce is cultivated and nurtured and the timeless significance and importance these weekly gatherings have on local economies, means meandering through the local “Le Marches” is one privilege of France that will never fade away.