Whatever the season, people go to the market to do their shopping, but also to meet new people and chat with the traders and producers. All your senses are awakened, and you’re sure to feast your eyes and nostrils! Come on, let’s take you on a tour of the Pays de Gex markets.

Market
Market, © Ville de Ferney-Voltaire

Tuesday in Challex

A pretty market in the village hall for late afternoon shopping. Mainly food (cheese, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish), there is also a shop selling kitchen utensils. Challex is the last wine-growing village in the Pays de Gex. You can taste Mucellewine at the cellar (booking required).

Wednesday, Sauverny

Another recent little market to discover in the afternoon in a village to the north-east of the Pays de Gex, between Versonnex and Grilly. You’ll find everything you need to fill your basket: fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, world cuisine (depending on the season).

Friday: markets in Cessy, Versonnex, Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Divonne-les-Bains

The mini-market in Cessy features two traders.

The Versonnex Market is open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in front of the Grange à Pont.

The Saint-Genis-Pouilly market is open from 10 am to 6 pm. Visitors can browse the food stalls, offering fruit and vegetables, cheese, fish, rotisserie and regional specialities. Lovers of specialities will be spoilt for choice with several Italian traders and caterers specialising in international cuisine.

That’s it, it’s the weekend!

Saturday, Ferney-Voltaire and Gex markets

The Ferney-Voltaire market is one of the oldest in the Pays de Gex, having been created at the time of Voltaire. The market has grown considerably since then, with no fewer than a hundred traders on Avenue Voltaire and the Grand’rue.

Between the statue of Voltaire and the town hall, you’ll find the producers (fruit and vegetables, cheeses, etc.). Here are a few local producers: the honey producer from the Voltaire apiary (in front of the old town hall), vegetables from the Blanc family in Chevry, lentils and apple juice from Vesancy, the Michelin cheese dairy (near the statue), pâtés en croûte from the world champion in the discipline (Avenue Voltaire) and home-made charcuterie from Lélex (near the war memorial).

The market is just like the city itself: cosmopolitan. There are French specialities, of course, but also Italian, Thai, Argentinian, Vietnamese, Turkish… There’s something for everyone!

Located in front of the Tourist Office, the Gex market has taken place every Saturday morning since 1984, on rue des Terreaux, from 8am to 12.30pm.

You’ll discover local, quality produce: fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meat and cooked meats await you at the stalls of non-sedentary traders, most of whom have been attending the Gex market for many years.

Nearly thirty exhibitors will be present.

Sunday markets in Divonne-les-Bains, Prévessin-Moëns and Thoiry

No less than three markets are waiting to welcome you! It’s Sunday, and we’re taking our time to stroll around, smell the produce and chat. In these conditions, filling your fridge (with good produce) is far from being a chore!

The Divonne-les-Bains market is a highlight of local life. Traders display their wares along the Grande Rue and on the Place de la Mélie. This small, secluded square is also home to a number of craftsmen (butcher, fishmonger, poulterer). In fine weather, the terraces come alive and it’s sometimes difficult to find a place to have a drink.

The Prévessin-Moëns market has recently moved to the brand new town hall square, home to market gardeners and producers. It is located close to the shops in Le Colombier (bakery, butcher’s, grocer’s, post office, bar).

Finally, the Thoiry market, which dates back to 1984, stretches along rue Briand Stresemann and rue de Combes. It is mainly home to food retailers and greengrocers.

Thematics

Stéphanie

About Stéphanie

A true native of the Pays de Gex, I’ve been lucky enough to grow up with the Jura Mountains on the horizon and Lake Geneva as my neighbour. The Pays de Gex has a unique, almost magical identity, shaped by a striking contrast: on the one hand, the vibrancy of an urban plain, open to the world and brimming with culture; on the other, the serenity and wilder character of the Jura Mountains, perfect for recharging your batteries.

It is this duality that fills me with excitement every day, caught between the hustle and bustle and the great outdoors. Yet, if I had to reveal my secret hideaway – my absolute favourite spot that you simply must visit – it would be Voltaire’s Château in Ferney. It is an inspiring place, steeped in history, where the spirit of the Enlightenment still seems to linger in the park’s paths, inviting you to stroll and reflect.

Discover, through the eyes of a passionate local, the different facets, anecdotes and hidden treasures of this little corner of paradise that I love, more than anything, to call ‘my home’.

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