Plainpalais Flea Market

What makes it special

The stalls form a ring round the whole perimeter of the Plaine de Plainpalais, a triangular square of red gravel, trees, play areas and murals. On a full day it holds some two or three hundred stalls.

Nothing is sorted by type, so old furniture, china, magazines, vinyl and cassettes share the same rows. Look over every stall, not only the ones that seem to match what you collect.

Come on the first Sunday of the month for the grand brocante, a bigger antiques fair with far more serious dealers in furniture, jewellery, art and rare books.

A public-use rule in force since 1848 bars permanent buildings on the plaine, so the square stays open ground. Look for the monument to the creature from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as you browse.

Visiting

Early is the time to come, because the best pieces on the University side of the square go first. Aim to arrive within the opening hour, which seasoned hunters treat as the hour that counts.

Start on the University side if you are after vintage clothing and antique furniture, then work round to the tram side, where the stalls lean to everyday household goods and bargains. Walk the full circuit of the perimeter instead of searching one row.

Saturday is usually the better day for finds. Wednesday leans toward dedicated dealers.

Tips

Bring cash, because most stallholders do not take cards, and expect to bargain, especially when you are buying more than one piece. Come on a dry day if you can: there is no cover, and sunny days draw heavy crowds.

Do not mistake the flea market for the separate market of new goods, which uses the same plaine on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, so on a Sunday the two share the square.