Marché d'Aix-en-Provence, Place Richelme
Every morning except Monday, the sun-drenched Place Richelme in the heart of Aix-en-Provence fills with farmers who have driven in from the surrounding countryside before dawn. This is not a tourist market dressed up for cameras — it is where Aixois chefs and home cooks do their serious shopping.
What to Buy and Taste
Stalls overflow with melons from Cavaillon, fat violet artichokes, tapenade in terracotta pots, lavender honey from the Luberon and wheels of Banon goat's cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves. In truffle season, November through February, a few trusted vendors set out gnarly black Tuber melanosporum beside hand-lettered price signs.
Pick up a socca — a thin chickpea crêpe — from a vendor near the square's edge, or grab a bag of calissons d'Aix, the almond-and-melon fondant confection that has been made in the city since the 15th century, from any of the surrounding patisseries.
Beyond Place Richelme
On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings the larger Marché du Cours Mirabeau spills along Aix's grand plane-tree-lined boulevard, adding clothing, antiques, flowers and brocante to the food stalls. Arrive before 09:00 to see it at full, unhurried swing before the tour groups arrive.
The covered Halle Forville is a short walk away and sells fish, charcuterie and cheeses under a permanent roof — useful on the rare rainy Provençal morning when the outdoor stalls thin out.
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