Paris Outdoor Markets
 

We enjoy Provence outdoor markets.

We have made only one foray in Paris looking for outdoor markets and that was to Clingancourt. We found the area and the markets dingy and "sub flea".

Where are the attractive outdoor markets, locations, times?

Thanks.

Anthony

you didn't walk far enough! Almost every guide to Paris that I've seen mentions the need to walk PAST the "sub flea" market and on to the true markets.
But ~I'm not sure what you mean by "attractive". For antiques, give Clingaancourt another try. Friday-Sun is best. Food markets are all over. Rue Cler is mentioned many times, but I didn't love it. On Sunday mornings the Boulevard Raspail is home to the largest organic market in Paris.

If food markets, every neighborhood has them, usually on a twice a week schedule. The rue Mouffetard market is an alternative, where the stores simply spill out to the street.

Sundays and Thursdays is the Richard Lenoir market right at the Bastille. Since the apt. I stayed at was a couple blocks away I stopped here everytime.
Lovely!

keb beat me to it! I think it is my favorite. Have not been on Thursday but it is huge on Sunday. Great cheap bins of jewelry at the beginning of it.

You can find very pleasant, medium-sized weekend outdoor antique and "old stuff" sales, called "brocantes" or "vide-greniers" on the streets of Paris at most times of the year. When you arrive, purchase a copy of "Aladin" from a newstand. It will list dates and places.

Clignancourt isn't anything like markets in Provence, and it isn't supposed to be. It's a completely different thing (whether you walk far enough or not). It's an area of permanent antique dealers.

I also like the Richard Lenoir market on Sundays, and the one under la Motte Picquet metro stop is good, also (in the 15th) -- that's a couple days a week (W and Sun). The one on bd Edgar Quinet is also like you want, again a couple days a week (Wed & Sat).

Which one were we at? Sept '04 Michael Osman took us thru one, but I don't know which it was. We enjoyed it immensely...just what we were looking for. It was just to the west of a subway station which had a tall obelisk next to it. I think it was near where the Bastille used to be. It stretched for about 3 blocks. How often is it-once a week?

Hi

This site may help - http://www.v1.paris.fr/en/Living/markets/default.ASP

Cheers

tomboy, sounds like Marché Bastille, along Richard Lenoir.

Michael Osman took us to one as well. It was Sunday, organic, and in the 7th. We saw Juliette Binoche (she looked fabulous). It was a great market. Can't remember the name! annieladd

We enjoyed Place des Fêtes Market near the métro stop, within ten minutes of the top of the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, has a grand Sunday market. I also vote for Richard Lenoir.

When we lived a bit closer by, we went to the "Bastile" market on Richard Lenoir most every Sunday morning. It's a great food market.

I understand that Powell was mostly interested in outdoor vegetable markets.

Here is a list of the Paris's vegetable market by arrondissement. It's available on the City of Paris's official site (www.paris.fr):

http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_...rtlet_id=12148

When they do not shop for groceries in chain supermarkets, Parisians go to those temporary outdoor markets, to permanent covered markets called "halles" located in some neighbourhoods, or to independently- owned food shops (butcher's, fishmongers, etc) which now survive only in clusters (food shopping streets) such as the rue Daguerre (14Th arrondissement), rue Levis (17th). Rue de Buci, rue de Mouffetard in the central arrondissement are today what I would call "semi-touristic", less authentic shopping streets.

The site mentionned above also includes a list of "marchés spécialisés", "specialist" outdoor markets (featuring organic food- called "marché biologique" -, flowers, birds, stamps, old prints, second-hand clothing, hardware, junk...)

Concerning the Clingancourt flea market, Powell probably did not go to the "real" place, that is beyond the rather unsavoury "sub-flea" area that the visitor finds on exiting the metro station at Porte de Clignancourt.

Clignancourt is supposed to be the largest concentration of antique shops in Europe, with a lot of fine period furniture. It is not cheap, as I suspect local dealers prefer to operate as wholesalers of London or New York antique dealers. Anyway if you go there you will hear a lot of English and Japanese spoken in the maze of little alleys!

François, Paris