Early on Friday morning, around when the clock chimes eight, the sound of clanking metal posts gently peppers the air. White vans fill the car park outside my door and market stalls spring up in Lourmarin’s Place Henri Barthélémy spilling out along the streets. Friday is market day in Lourmarin and as I grab my basket, no matter how many times I’ve ambled through its’ stalls, I wonder, ‘what might I find today?’

Visiting the Lourmarin market

Delicious local produce,

Vegetables in the Lourmarin market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

mouthwatering seasonal offerings,

Strawberries in Lourmarin's market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

 freshly picked and often just dug from the earth.

Carrots in the Lourmarin Market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

Sensory pleasures

to taste

Olives & tapenade for sale in the Lourmarin market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

Chees in the Lourmarin market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

and smell.

Roses in the Lourmarin market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

Savon de Marseille at the Lourmarin market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

 Gifts from Provence to take back home,

French table linens for sale in the Lourmarin Market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

Provencal pottery in the Lourmarin Market, Lourmarin, Luberon, Provence, France

maybe in a new basket?

Baskets for sale in the Lourmarin market, Luberon, provence, France

So many to choose from

and fill with things encapsulating the essence of Provence.

Lavender for sale at The Lourmarin market, Loumrarin, Provence, France

And when your shopping’s over, a café or a glass of rosé?

I love the terrace of La Maison Café where you’re serenaded from the street below.

And then maybe lunch at Café Gaby, merging into the ambience of this special corner of Provence.

Dining on market day at Cafe Gaby Lourmarin, Lourmarin, Vaucluse, Provence, France

And if you can’t wait until next week, there’s many other markets quite close by just begging to be explored, not forgetting Lourmarin’s organic market on Tuesday evenings.

Nearby Markets of Provence

Monday: Cadenet, Cavaillon, Lauris

Tuesday: Cucuron, Pertuis, Gordes, Lacoste, Coustellet, La Tour d’Aigues, St Saturnin les Apt, Lourmarin 5.00- 8.00 organic produce

Wednesday: Mérindol, Cheval-Blanc, Salt, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, St Remy-de-Provence, Le Thor, Nimes, Cassis

Thursday: Goult, Ménerbes, Rousillon, Pertuis, Lauris, L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Aix-en-Provence, La Motte d’Aigues,

Friday: Lourmarin, Lagnes,, Les Taillades, Bonnieux, Aix-en-Provence, Cassis, Cucuron evenings (July & August)

Download the printable The Lourmarin Travel Guide to learn more about this beautiful region