The Fleas

The most famous flea market in all of Paris is held at Porte de Clignancourt (at the very northern end of Metro Line 4) every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The market is officially called Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, but is known to the flea market crowd as “Les Puces” (The Fleas). Covering a little more than seventeen acres, Les Puces is the largest antique market in the world, receiving around 150,000 visitors every weekend!!! (This boggles my mind still!) So I weighed my hatred of large crowds against my affinity for antique flea markets, and while it was a tough call, my curiosity eventually got the better of me and I decided to go. I went on Sunday and didn’t get there until 2pm, which was apparently a good call because it was only pleasantly crowded. And it was SO. INCREDIBLY. COOL!!!!!!

Les Puces, which dates back over two centuries, started when rag and bone men (i.e., junk dealers) scoured the garbage bins of Paris to find items they could sell. They were called 'crocheteurs' (pickers), or the slightly more romantic term, 'pêcheurs de lune' (fishermen of the moon, since most did their foraging at night). While they at first set up their stalls within Paris itself, they were eventually nudged out of the city to suburbs such as Clignancourt. Over time, the salesmen started grouping their stalls to attract more customers and ‘trading up’ in terms of goods, such that it eventually become popular for antique collectors and dealers to shop for bargains there.


But enough history. Regardless of how it started, it is now SO. INCREDIBLY. COOL. It’s a bit like a maze. A huge maze that you could wander for hours through without passing the same site twice. (This actually might not be the best floor plan for sales, because I saw something I wanted at the beginning of my visit that I was never able to relocate.) And they were selling every type of antique you could imagine! From elegant dining tables and bedroom sets to those scary little Victorian-esque dolls that resemble a refined female version of Chucky from Child’s Play.

Despite the dolls, I enjoyed myself so thoroughly that I completely lost track of time and was there for hours. After combing the stalls for the entire afternoon, I finally settled on a pair of carved wooden angels to grace our mantle at home—but changed my mind when I learned that they were approximately €750 outside of my €50 price range…. So I instead spent some of my money on lunch at Chez Louisette—which turned out to be the highlight of my already very highlight-y trip to Les Puces. Chez Louisette is a tiny bistro/bar that has been at the flea market since 1967. And as far as I could tell, it has cornered the market and is the only sit-down restaurant there. The place was ridiculously crowded, but so incredibly fun and lively that it didn't matter. There was an accordion ensemble belting out old French classics, patrons two-stepping in the almost non-existent aisles, and an adorable Mom & Pop couple waiting (and bussing) the tables. Not to mention a full menu of classic French dishes and a full-service bar.


































P.S. Did I mention that I am LOVING this trip?