Market Days in Poitou-Charentes

The Poitou-Charentes region offers a great many market days, it almost seems as if every town, village and hamlet has it's own at some point during the week. Known as marchés publics or foires, most markets are organised in most larger towns at least once a week sometimes as often as twice a week, while smaller towns and villages are scheduled once a month.

Market days have always been popular in France, and typically involve traders setting up their stalls in long lines along one of the main streets or main square of the town. It can be quite exciting jostling with the masses in a typical French market, peering over shoulders at the displays, with hands appearing from everywhere to grab bargains before they're sold.

Despite it's relative isolation, the markets in Poitou-Charentes are well attended and traffic in town is often brought to a standstill in the vicinity of the markets. Walking through any market in Poitou-Charentes you'd be forgiven for thinking market day is an excuse for the neighbourhood to get outdoors and have a chat, everyone seems to know each other.

Efforts have been made to contain the traffic problems, and in Parthenay for example the market is located in the main shopping street which runs parallel to the main street with a large parking lot between, meaning that shoppers are able to park close by.

Local Poitou-Charentes produce is always available on market day, in fact many of the farmers in the commune will setup a stall filled with fresh vegetables, often picked the day before. Local cheeses are always available as well, and this region is particularly famous for its goats cheese. Make sure you try Bourgon or Bonde de Gatine, they are sure to become a favourite.

Being a coastal region, seafood in Poitou-Charentes is readily available and at prices well below those of the local supermarkets. Oysters from Poitou-Charentes are shipped all over France, and just under 50% of all oysters sold in France are trapped by fisherman from Poitou-Charentes. Fishmongers at market usually provide fresh or smoked fish, oysters, and mussels.

To find out when market days are scheduled in your part of Poitou-Charentes, talk to the staff in the Maires office, local library, or tourist office of your commune. You could also ask your friendly local shoppers, most of whom don't mind market day, after all, many of them also shop there.

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