L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the Venice of Antique Dealers

An hour from Avignon, a small town threaded with canals and paddle wheels gathers nearly three hundred permanent antique dealers. L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is, after London and Paris, the largest antiques hub in Europe — and the most pleasant place to browse, almost with your feet in the water.

When to go

Two rhythms. At weekends, the dealers' villages are open (L'Isle aux Brocantes, the Village des Antiquaires de la Gare, the Quai de la Gare): you browse in peace, under cover. And two great international fairs, at Easter and in mid-August, when dealers and decorators arrive from all over the world — pricier, but this is when the real pieces surface.

What you'll find

The house speciality: the Provençal art of living and furniture from the 18th century to the mid-century. Antique linen and boutis quilts, Moustiers and Apt faience, farmhouse tables, gilded mirrors, but also, increasingly, 1950s–70s design that the dealers have learnt to bring out for their Parisian and Italian clientele.

The browser's rules

You haggle — 10 to 20 per cent can be discussed without giving offence. You always ask for provenance and period ("is it period or in the style of?"). You come with a tape measure and the dimensions of your own rooms. And you arrive early: the decorators sweep up the fine pieces before noon.

Taking a break

The Sunday morning market spills onto the quays: greengrocers, cheeses, and the smell of the river. You browse, you lunch beside the Sorgue, you leave with a mirror under your arm. It is the sunlit version of Saint-Ouen.

Spotted a piece with no label at a dealer's stall? Beyit helps you identify it — and learn what it is really worth.