Falconry was the aristocratic sport of the Middle Ages, and Provins is one of very few places in Europe where you can watch it done from a medieval town wall. The show is run by Vol Libre, an independent company, at the Rempart du Cours aux Bêtes on the north-west front of the upper town — the birds work along the line of the wall and over the heads of the audience, and the ramparts are the set rather than a backdrop.
The birds flown include eagles, vultures, kites, buzzards, falcons and owls. Horses and riders take part alongside them, which is the format’s own invention rather than anything historical, and the framing reaches beyond medieval Europe into other falconry traditions. Come for the flying, which is genuinely good, not for a lecture on the De arte venandi cum avibus.
The show lasts about 45 minutes and the gates open 30 minutes before. It runs from 28 March to 1 November 2026. Weekends and public holidays get two performances, at 14:30 and 17:00; weekdays get one or two depending on the period — 14:30 through most of the season, with a second at 16:00 or 16:30 on certain days, and a shortened evening slot at 15:45 in the last fortnight of October. The operator publishes a dated calendar and it is worth reading it for your exact day.
Two practical things. First, the arena is open to the sky: take a hat, sunglasses and water in summer. Umbrellas are allowed if you keep them low. Second, and more important, the operator states plainly that any session can be cancelled up to the last minute if the weather is not safe for the birds, with a refund or a change of date. If your trip to Provins depends on this show, do not book it for a windy day.
One genuine bargain: on Wednesdays outside French school holidays, a child’s ticket is €8 rather than €10.
