Paris, it’s le Louvre, Notre-Dame, la tour Eiffel, The Champs-Elysés…It’s the nightlife and its cabarets. It’s also Fashion with its department stores on the grands boulevards, its luxury boutiques on place Vendôme and rue Saint Honoré, the gastronomy and its famous Chefs who collect stars…

There might be a place you didn’t think of and that will delight you : open to eveyone, it is the market.Its colors, its smells, its taste will appeal to the senses. A show where fruit, vegetable, meat or fishes, cheese and breads are displayed with care on the stalls to catch your attention. Where the sellers spare neither their voice nor your ear to draw your attention.

Products coming from all over France and sometimes more exotic countries…To the Parisians, the market has become a digression from the stressing life of the big city. It’s a breath of fresh air. No matter sun or rain, he will go because the market is an animated and friendly place . One goes there as much for socializing with the sellers who give lots of advices as for the guarantee freshness of the food.

it was not always like this according to Louis-Sebastien Mercier who in his ‘Tableau de Paris’ didn’t really advertise for the markets by writing « the markets in Paris are filthy; it is a chaotic place where all the foodstuffs are higgledy-piggledy crammed; a few shelters don’t put the supplies of the citizens away from seasonal bad weather. When it rains, the water drips down the roof into the basket where the eggs, fruit, butter and so on are.

The fish sellers of paris sell fish only when it is going to stale.Only the Parisian can eat nasty smelling food. Today in order to have a stall in the market, one must strictly respect European norms.

Nowadays, very few markets don’t have an organic stall. If you are an enthusiast, you will walk until boulevard Raspail in the 6th district. Between the streets ‘rue du Cherche- Midi and rue de Rennes is the first organic market that opened already twenty years ago. You might run there into some star filling their basket or savour an old-style hot chocolate, or sip a mint tea at the refreshment area.

Nowadays, there are no district that does not have its market. Paris has 82 food markets, 13 of them are covered markets (open all day from tuesday to saturday plus on sunday morning). Each one has its character and its speciality. You will find the picturesque granted by some film directors such as Billy Wilder in his comedy ‘Irma la douce’, showing what was the biggest Parisian market : the famous ‘marché des Halles’, relocated in Rungis since 1969…Or more recently, Carot and Jeunet in ‘Amelie’ (le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain). You won’t regret your visit.

In the 5th district, at a stone’s throw from the hotel Saint Jacques and the Residence Henri IV, two markets can’t miss to whet your appetite…

The market Maubert-Mutualité which is the oldest Paris market, once named the market Palud dating from the 5th century : the market was located in the heart of Lutèce near the Pont -Neuf on the Ile de la Cité.

The market of Place Monge is in the shade of chestnut trees that surround a lovely fountain and which, according to some people, would be the most ‘ provincial’ of the Parisian markets what doesn’t prevent it from offering a variety of exotic foodstuffs that might surprise you…

And even a third one, if you are ready to walk five more minutes :

The market Mouffetard, named after the area and the street Mouffetard. A district that the writer Georges Duhamel praised and that offers many other interests (bars, restaurants..). In fine weather, you will even be able to enjoy a free massage in the street which will allow you to continue touring the hectic city life.

To stay in the neighborhood, we draw your attention on another market specializing in plants ‘le marché aux fleurs de l’île de la Cité’. An enchanting display of colors in a group of pavilions dating from ‘La Belle Epoque’ (1900).

However not only food has its place in a market, and if’les Puces’ (antiques, second-hand clothes) remains the best known of specialized markets, you should know there are also artists markets, old books, old stamps and postcards ones, birds, textile….

Marché Maubert : open on tuesday, thursday and saturday from 7.00 AM until 2.00 PM.

Marché Monge : open on wednesday, friday and sunday from 7.00 AM until 2.00 PM.

To know more :

« Les plus beaux marchés de Paris » from Bénédicte Bonnet – photos from Alexandre Mouaci.

A Thanks to L’Internaute Magazine for Agathe Azzis’ picture.