Practical Information
Address
Access by Porte de Clignancourt or Porte de Saint-Ouen in Northern Paris.Phone:
Association des puces de Paris St-Ouen : +33 (0)1 40 12 32 58
Easy Access
Metro : Porte de Clignancourt, line 4Bus N° : 85, 56, PC
Opening Hours
Saturday, Sunday, Monday from 9h00 to 18h00Links
Current Events and Actualities
Capturing the Model : 300 RODIN drawings (Exhibitions)
Du 18/11/2011 au 01/04/2012Everyone is familiar with Rodin's sculptures, but what of his drawings? This exhibition at the Rodin Museum in Paris presents over 300 drawings from the last thirty years of the artist's life. In fact, in the latter part of his life, drawing became the ar
DEGAS AND NUDE - EXHIBITION (Exhibitions)
Du 13/03/2012 au 01/07/2012This is the first major exhibition to be devoted to Edgar Degas (1834-1917) in Paris since the 1988 retrospective at the Grand Palais. Degas and the nude ties in with the Musée d'Orsay's ambition to publicise the latest teachings on the great masters of
Touristic areas
Le marché aux Puces de St-Ouen - Porte de Clignancourt
Welcome to the biggest ever antique market in the world, « Les Puces » as it is familiarly called. The market celebrated its centenary in 1985. More than 120 to 150 000 visitors come each weekend from all over the world to wander through the 7 hectares of the market, watching out for a bargain among valuable art objects or interesting junk. If you like a crowd, this is the place to be. It is also one of the outings that Parisians love most.
Though 1885 is the official date of the creation of this unusual market, its history dates back over some centuries when ragmen scoured Paris at night to find some old things among the garbage to sell on the outskirts of the capital. Later, these ragmen became second-hand dealers, then antiquarians where they definitely established themselves at the major gates of Paris.
This bric-a-brac attracted more and more collectors as well as visitors loving having a look at odd things. This very fashionable and social place soon required organisation. Antiques dealers gathered and formed groups and the space was divided into seven areas: Vernaison market, Malik market, Serpette market…spreading between Porte de Saint Ouen and Porte de Clignancourt, in the north of Paris.
You will also find flea markets in Porte de Montreuil, on the East side, and Porte de Vanves in the South. However Saint Ouen’s market is the biggest and the most popular.
Good to know :
In 1180, while surveying the large amount of odd furniture, heaps of scrap and rags, an unknown passer-by shouted « What a flea market! » This expression has been kept ever since, particularly on postcards captions showing Clignancourt.
Timhotel’s tips and suggestions :
« Cité Biron » is the most « distinguished » market which displays, in a double row of 200 stalls, with such items of interest as valuable antique furniture, gilded mirrors, ancient glasses, china…