Planning a trip and wondering when the stalls are out? Aix-en-Provence market days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for the big sprawl, while the food market on Place Richelme runs daily, so you can always find one.
Markets are one piece of a longer trip, so the provence travel guide shows how Aix fits into the wider region.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Daily food market, Place Richelme | Every day, 8 am to 1 pm, except January 1st |
| Main market days | Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday |
| Main market-day hours | 8.30 am to 1 pm |
| Flower market, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville | Daily, except the first Sunday of the month |
| Entry to the produce market | Free of charge |
The figures above come from the Aix-en-Provence Tourist Office listing and a SeeProvence calendar entry, updated 11 July 2024. Market times can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
Daily markets: Place Richelme and the flower stalls
Every day is market day somewhere in town, according to SeeProvence’s listing, updated 11 July 2024. A daily food market runs at Place Richelme, and a flower market runs at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville every day except on the first Sunday of the month.
The Place Richelme market is the one to know if you arrive on a day outside the big three. The tourist office listing says it runs all year round, daily between 8 am and 1 pm, except on January 1st. Entry is free of charge.
Stallholders here sell a wide range, according to the tourist office listing and a market guide from Where Is The Market:
- Fruit, vegetables, olive oil and eggs.
- Goat cheese, honey, garlic garlands and herbs.
- French cheeses and ready-made foods.
- Meats, poultry and dried sausages.
- Herbs and spices, including the Herbes de Provence blend, plus lavender products.
The flower market follows the same daily rhythm with one exception. If your trip includes the first Sunday of a month, expect no flower stalls at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville that day, and keep the food stalls at Place Richelme as your plan.
Aix-en-Provence market days: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
On the big market days the stalls spread well beyond Place Richelme. The tourist office lists the stalls at the Places Comtales on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8.30 am till 1 pm. The Places Comtales name is not official, since the Where Is The Market guide says the stalls stand on Place de Verdun and Place des Prêcheurs.
That same guide warns that several markets take over the centre of town, so it is hard to tell where a market starts and where another ends. There is order to it, though. Think of the morning as separate markets that share the same days:
- Food market: fresh produce and prepared food at Place de Verdun and Place des Prêcheurs, with fruit and veg listed at Place des Prêcheurs by SeeProvence.
- Artisan market: rue Thiers, Place Verdun and the top of Cours Mirabeau, with handmade accessories, jewellery, kids’ clothes and olive wood cutting boards.
- Flea market: at the intersection of Cours Mirabeau and Avenue Victor Hugo, overlooking the Fontaine de la Rotonde, with old books and records, vintage porcelain and glassware, and paintings.
- Clothes market: Cours Mirabeau, with clothes, underwear and shoes that are mostly imported.
- Antiques and crafts: Place de Verdun, where SeeProvence lists antiques, bric-a-brac, and arts and crafts.
The Where Is The Market guide gives the artisan, flea and clothes markets the same schedule: all year round, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 8.30 am and 1 pm. Treat the street names as a starting point, because listings differ slightly on which square holds which stall.
What to buy at the stalls
Start with food you can taste on the spot, then move on to things you can carry home. The Where Is The Market guide names several favourites, and its list is a useful shopping shortlist:
- Gold Rush apples and the fresh apple juice made from them without additives.
- Fried courgette flowers, called beignets de fleurs de courgettes.
- Pâte de fruits made with tomatoes and basil, spread on a baguette with fresh goat cheese.
- Lavender honey and lavender pillows made with Toile de Jouy fabric.
- Olive wood cutting boards from the artisan stalls.
The Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday food stalls add more variety. The guide mentions truffle products, jams and marmalades, savoury pies made with saffron, ratatouille, olives and olive oil, fish and seafood, and handmade pasta.
Fried courgette flowers are best served fresh, so the guide advises you to eat them right away. Save the sturdier items, such as honey, olive oil and lavender goods, for the end of your walk so you carry them for less time.
Planning your market morning
A good market morning is mostly about picking the right day and arriving early. Use these steps as a simple order of play:
- Choose Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday if you want the full spread of food, crafts, antiques and clothes.
- Choose any other day if food and flowers are enough, since Place Richelme and the flower market run daily with the exceptions above.
- Arrive when the stalls open, which the sources give as 8 am for the daily food market and 8.30 am on the big days.
- Do the food stalls first, then walk along Cours Mirabeau for the clothes and flea markets.
- Wrap up before 1 pm, the finish time given in the listings.
If you want a seat with a view, the Where Is The Market guide recommends Maison Weibel for pastries and cakes. It says that if you arrive a bit before 8am you can take the best tables overlooking the vendors setting up on Place Richelme.
If your dates are still open, the best time to visit provence page can help you choose a season before you choose a market day. Once the stalls close, the day trips from aix-en-provence page covers options beyond the city for your afternoon.
Confirm the times on the tourist office listing before you set your alarm, since stall schedules can change.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a market in Aix-en-Provence every day?
Show answer
Yes, in the sense that food and flowers are on sale daily. The tourist office listing shows Place Richelme open daily from 8 am to 1 pm except on January 1st, and SeeProvence lists a daily flower market except on the first Sunday of the month.
Which days are the biggest market days?
Show answer
The biggest days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, when the artisan, flea, clothes and extra food stalls join the daily market. The Where Is The Market guide gives them all as running between 8.30 am and 1 pm.
Do you pay to enter the market?
Show answer
No. The tourist office listing gives the price of the fruit and vegetable market as free of charge. You pay only for what you buy from the stalls.
What time do the markets finish?
Show answer
The listings give a 1 pm finish for both the daily food market and the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday stalls, as shown on the tourist office page. Plan to shop in the morning.
Which square is the Places Comtales market on?
Show answer
According to the Where Is The Market guide, Places Comtales is not an official square name. The stalls stand on Place de Verdun and Place des Prêcheurs.
