Brocantes & Antique Shopping

Try the very charming and idyllic La Boutique Bleue in town, tucked away in the corner of the square shared with Café des Arts. Emmaüs is also great fun, although not for the faint hearted. It’s a charity-run rummage-fest and occupies several buildings. Open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (2pm-6pm), it’s great for the odd piece of furniture and vintage china but you have to be a committed brocanter to love it (46 Route de Saumur).

More organised and edited (but a 45-minute drive away) but still with a definite house-clearance vibe is one of my favourites: Brocante de la Vallée in Beaufort-en-Vallée. It’s perfect for a rainy afternoon and is open most days, including Sundays (call ahead to check before making the drive). Prices are good and you can bargain gently if you are buying in volume!

On the third Sunday of the month, there is the Brocante Menseuelle de Chinon set up along the lime-tree lined Promenade Docteur Mattraits and Place Tiverton. This runs all year round and is well worth a visit if your trip happens to coincide with it. There is also a charming riverside Puce de Montsoreau not too far away (many of the same stall holders attend both). Montsoreau’s brocante really is in a stunning setting (fun to stroll through, even if your not a committed brocanteur) and takes place on the second Sunday of the month (double check it’s open before visiting). If you’re going to Montsoreau, check out our page of out of town restaurants here, two of which are in Montsoreau (book well ahead if the Puce is on).

This is a brilliant website to find out what is on when you are staying with us, and where. Select region 37 - Indre-et-Loire for a list of every brocante-type event on in our department. You can hone your results by date and type of event too (brocantes, book sales, vide-greniers* etc).

*vide-greniers are the French equivalent to car boot sales and the word translates, literally, as ‘emptying the attic’ - sounds so much nicer!