You may be surprised, but after Disneyland Paris, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris and the Chateau de Fontainebleau, the list of the most visited attractions in France includes the flea market “St-Ouen”, which has surpassed in its popularity such symbols of the French capital as Versailles and the Louvre.
Every year this place attracts up to five million visitors and is considered the largest concentration of antique dealers in the world. A stroll through the Saint-Ouen market will reveal another side of Paris that promises pleasant surprises for lovers of antiques, vintage pieces or just fun and unusual souvenirs that will be a good excuse to tell your friends about your unforgettable trip. This bright and crowded, cult for connoisseurs of antiques place is located near the metro station “Porte de Clignancourt”, and among Parisians is also known as the market Clignancourt or “Le Puce”, which can be translated as the familiar to all Russians name “Flea”.
History and modernity
The market has a long history and its own traditions, originating two centuries ago, in the early 19th century. Here, on the northern outskirts of Paris, junk dealers gathered to sell or trade for something else old things found on the dumps and in piles of garbage, which were placed on trays to attract buyers. This could not fail to attract the attention of collectors, and gradually the market became popular, and in 1885 received official status, began to grow, to acquire shops of antique dealers, transformed into many separate markets, each with its own “focus” of goods, until in 2001 was included in the number of architectural heritage sites. Today’s official market complex, with more than a dozen “themed” markets and two thousand stores, sells not only antiques and vintage, beginning to be forgotten attributes of bygone years, but also modern designer items. Besides, before you get inside this kingdom of random finds, trinkets and rarities, you will have to overcome its outskirts with semi-legal products – souvenirs and bags made in Africa, counterfeit sunglasses and DVDs, Moroccan leather jackets and cheap imitations of jeans of famous brands – spread among the tents on improvised counters.
And, of course, the French wouldn’t be French if they didn’t surround such a popular place with numerous cafes and restaurants.
Recommended time to visit
Officially, the St-Ouen market is open on Mondays and weekends from nine to ten in the morning to six to half seven in the evening, but this can change depending on the time of year or the weather. If you’re not keen on asking for directions, it ‘s best to take the metro line 4, preferably before noon, to the Porte de Clignancourt station near the Eiffel Tower and follow the crowd. In about five minutes it will take you to Rue Rosier, where you will find numerous rows of stalls and stalls, antique stores in the 14 markets of this universe of old things.
For a first acquaintance, you can limit yourself to visiting the most important markets:
- Vernezon – The largest market in the complex, where you can easily get lost among its
nooks and crannies. Here you can find absolutely everything from vintage toys, paintings, clothes and fabrics to antique chests of drawers and other furniture.
- Jules VallesThe Jules Vallès store sells religious items, gramophone records, touching old statues and other items that create an inexpressible atmosphere of thrift stores and antiques.
- Malassi. It sells Asian objects, silverware, furniture and rare items from the 13th to 19th centuries.
- Biron. An incredible selection of gorgeous, but rather expensive country style furniture made from solid wood.
- The Dauphin – is one of the youngest but most extensive flea markets that has yet to take shape. The Dauphin is one of the youngest and most extensive flea markets in the world.
If you are a passionate lover of rarities or antiques, it would be a sin to miss this opportunity to add to your collection. But it’s no less interesting to simply wander among the unbelievable jumble of old things, each of which has its own history. Pleasant impressions and vivid memories are guaranteed!
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