Market days are a way of life in Provence and along the Cote d'Azur, and that includes the small Principality of Monaco. They originated in the 12th century, when farmers and craftsmen would come to nearest market town to sell their wares, or engage in bartering agreements.
Not much has changed since those days - the market is still the place to come for locally grown produce of all shapes & sizes.
| Popular Markets & Days in Monaco | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Monte Carlo Market, La Condamine |
| Tuesday | Monte Carlo Market, Cours Saleya Provencal Market, La Condamine |
| Wednesday | Monte Carlo Market, Cours Saleya Provencal Market, La Condamine |
| Thursday | Monte Carlo Market, Cours Saleya Provencal Market, La Condamine |
| Friday | Monte Carlo Market, Cours Saleya Provencal Market, La Condamine |
| Saturday | Monte Carlo Market, Cours Saleya Provencal Market, La Condamine |
| Sunday | Monte Carlo Market, Cours Saleya Provencal Market, La Condamine |
Check our Events Calender to find out the dates and times of markets and other events throughout the year.
Highlights
Where & when
Monte-Carlo Market
A covered market that is open daily the Monte-Carlo Market is more of a farmer's market selling fruit, vegetables, meats, dairy produce and local breads, so it's great for picking up those essential picnic items. Situated in Avenue Saint-Charles since 2003 this market offers visitors a fantastic array of aromas, colours and choice of produce. Daily from 06:00 until 14:00.
La Condamine Markets
La Condamine Market is a daily open-air and covered market selling a variety of regional specialities. The open-air market sells fruit, vegetables and flowers while there is an additional indoor space that houses the butchers, bakers, fishmongers and specialist stalls that sell housewares, foods and wine. Daily from 06:00 until 14:00.
Nearby Markets
Cours Saleya - In the neighbouring city of Nice
In the heart of old Nice, the pedestrianised area of Cours Saleya is the place to come for market stalls. Every morning except Monday, you will find fruit, flower and vegetable stalls, selling a vast array of local produce. Here you will find the very best of local and organic seasonal produce, fresh seafood (although the waters around Nice do not supply a lot of it) and plenty of locally produced olive oils and pistou. The very traditional Provencal 'pistou' is not to be confused with 'pesto', although similar, if you are cooking Nicoise or Provencal style food then you will always be using 'pistou'. Daily from 07:00 until 13:00 (except Monday).
Menton
Being so close to Italy, the nearby town of Menton holds three Italian markets that sell a wide selection of Italian goods and local specialities. There are plenty of other Provencal and Mediterranean markets in this small town too!
- Marché Couvert (les Halles) at quai de Monléon (every morning)
- Marché du Carei, promenade du Maréchal Leclerc, (every morning)
- Marché du Bastion, quai Napoléon II (Saturday morning)
- Brocante, place aux Herbes (Friday)
The market areas are covered with fresh flowers, exotic aromas and Menton specialities such as lemons, spices and 'barbbajuans' (a local dish of fried vegetables and rice) and socca (another local dish made from chickpea and fried up).
Italy
But if you fancy the real thing then you can always just hop across the border and enjoy the Italian markets:
- Vintimille, Fridays until 4.00pm
- San Remo, Tuesday and Saturday mornings
- Bordiguera, Thursday mornings
Types of Market
You can expect to find two common types of market in the Monaco region, the farmers market and the Provencal market.
The farmers market
This is where you'll find the fruit and vegetable of the local region on sale, plus meat from the butcher, bread and cakes from the baker, cheeses, herbs and spices. Anything to do with food really! This is the kind of market that all the larger villages offer. Prices tend to be higher than you would find in the supermarket, but the taste and the quality of market-bought goods simply does not compare. The climate in Provence lends itself so beautifully to farming that much of the produce in the market is organically grown and likely to have been picked the day before.
The Provencal market (Marche Provencal)
These markets tend to be much larger, with all the fresh produce described above, with the addition of clothing, fabrics (napkins and tablecloths are most popular), ceramics and other local crafts, costume jewellery, leather goods, the list goes on...
