Isle sur la Sorgue

Originally a village of fishermen, up until the 19th century, the town of Isle sur la Sorgue has now forged a strong reputation among art lovers and collectors.There are over 300 permanent antique dealers and second hand specialists who work year round in Isle sur la Sorgue (Saturday/Sunday/Monday and sometimes longer hours). The town has become one of the biggest European centres for antiques. Big international fairs are held at Easter and on 15 August, drawing over five hundred exhibitors, and thousands of interested buyers from France and abroad. Be sure to see: the dealers' villages, Baroque Notre-Dame-des-Anges collegiate church, the 17th-century hospice "hôtel Dieu", with its beautiful vestibule, chapel, apothecary and garden with fountain. The Donadeï de Campredon mansion which is now a centre for Contemporary Art, the parting of the waters, the Toy and Doll Museum, the big Provencal market on Sunday mornings, the floating market in August, old-fashioned fishing techniques in July, the nautical magic in July. Canoeing and kayaking on the Sorgue a,d 18-hole golf courses nearby.

See less