(Food) Markets are a perfect ingredient for Slow Travel
Even in Paris and Lille - or maybe especially there! Discover how to find fresh produce markets, covered markets and flea markets.
Slow Travel, aaarggh. It’s such a buzzword, but what does it actually mean? Apparently, one must now achieve mindful consciousness, purposeful experiences, and probably enlightenment too - all while travelling. Okay, that’s a bit over the top. I know. I’m a fan of slowing it down myself. It’s quite obvious: as a frequent train traveller, I know how to move at a moderate pace. And (food) markets are my happy place.
Markets aren’t an obvious attraction (with some exceptions, of course), but they are a perfect ingredient for the ambition to travel slow. Or the desire to mingle with locals - and learn from them1. Wow!
In this piece, you will read how to find markets in Paris and Lille. The rest is up to you; those are the ingredients for your itinerary.
Paris: Fresh produce markets
Every arrondissement has a market almost every day. That might be a big street market or just a handful of stalls on a tiny square.
For me, Paris is the ultimate city to explore on foot, so why not add a market to one of your arrondissement discovery strolls2? It’s also a good excuse to step outside the usual areas and see something less obvious.
Walk past the stalls, buy some fruit in your best French, have a coffee at a nearby café, pick up some bread or pastries, smile at the older locals, and then have lunch. That’s already a good start to the day - and many markets don’t run past lunchtime anyway.
Since there are so many markets each day in Paris, I’ll point you to the official website of the municipality. It has an up-to-date list of all of them, searchable by arrondissement3.
Paris: Covered markets
Many social media types or so-called ‘travel’ influencers provide a list of covered markets in Paris that are supposedly hidden gems or a must-visit. Truth is - there are hardly any hidden gems in Paris, there aren’t that many covered markets, and not all of them are that good.
Marché couvert des Enfants Rouges is on almost every list. It’s wildly popular amongst tourists, so don’t expect a local market spirit there.
I tried the Marché couvert Saint-Germain several times, but every time I got disappointed. It all looks very promising and charming, but it isn’t lively at all.
Marché couvert Beauvau is a fun, small covered market, and it sits next to the fresh produce market outside on Rue d’Aligre and the small flea market on Place d’Aligre. You could combine it with a walk on the Coulée verte René-Dumont.
For that nostalgic romantic vibe, the covered markets (Marché couvert Saint-Quentin and Marché couvert de St Martin) in the 10th arrondissement are pretty good.
For the other covered markets, you should head to the 16th, 17th, or 18th arrondissement. You can find those as well in the list on the municipality’s website. (Yup, look for ‘Marché couvert’.)
Paris: Flea markets
Last but not least, my favourite markets in Paris. Almost every weekend you can go to flea markets all over the city. It’s so much fun to walk around, maybe discover other parts of the city, and bring home some nice finds!
Besides the permanent weekly markets, there are different kinds of secondhand markets throughout Paris. And just like the fresh produce ones, you could add them to a walk as well.
From the permanent ones, the Marché aux Puces4 in Saint-Ouen/Port de Clignancourt is probably the most famous – although it’s not quite a market. It’s more or less a shopping area with vintage stuff and a lot of antiques. There is also a market in Porte de Vanves, but I’ve never been there. Yet. It’s still on my list.
A few weeks ago, my Sunday consisted of a late breakfast, walking along two flea markets, some drinks and food here and there, and finally a wine bar.
I use these resources for finding flea markets:
BROCABRAC covers vide greniers (garage sales) and brocante markets all over France and Belgium. For Paris see: brocabrac.fr/75/
Vide-Greniers.org covers France, Belgium, Switzerland and some other countries like Monaco (must be interesting there…🤔). You can also filter by département. For Paris check: vide-greniers.org/evenements/Paris-75
Spam.fr is also a resource, though most of those markets are already listed on the other websites.
A weekend of markets in Lille
This year, I unfortunately can’t make it to the Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants5 in Lille. So, no event floor filled with over 500 winemakers for me, no huîtres or cheese in between the tastings, and no morning walks on the markets of this likeable city in Northern France.
Saturday
Somewhat out of the city centre, you can find the Wazemmes covered market. A pleasant, authentic hall with fresh products. Have at least a look at the cheeses, the Maroilles is notorious (and delicious!). The Wazemmes market is easy to combine with the market on Place Sébastopol (in the evening, it turns out to be a lively square, with some restaurants and bars). And why not - add a visit to the beautiful Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille to your day as well.
Sunday
On Sunday morning, you can stay in the charming old city centre of Lille and visit the Marché du Vieux-Lille on your morning walk. The market is pretty small, but it has some great stalls. Last year, I brought a quiche with cèpes home. So good!
Read, watch, listen & for your agenda
Not only markets are wonderful in Paris. Don’t forget about the museums!
From 22 October 2025 to 26 April 2026, the exhibition ‘One Hundred Years of Art Deco’ will be at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
The Fondation Cartier has moved to the right bank of the Seine and will open its doors to the public on 25 October, near Palais-Royal. You can expect various modern art exhibitions there. I’m very curious to see the new location!
There are so many films based in Paris. I’ll try to highlight some less obvious ones, like Une Belle Course (a trip down memory lane), Les Olympiades (which takes place in the 13th arrondissement) and Les Passagers de la Nuit (set in Paris of the 1980s).
Every year, on the first weekend of September, Lille is the setting for a massive event: the Braderie de Lille. It’s more than a huge flea market; there are piles of mussels everywhere, for example. For an impression, have a look at this website.
Other markets for your itinerary
📍West Africa
Discover the markets in Ghana, Togo and Benin: from the gigantic Kejetia Market in Kumasi to the Fetish Market in Abomey.
📍South Korea & Japan
Explore vibrant markets across Japan and South Korea: from Hakodate’s morning market and Hachinohe’s Sunday market to Busan’s bustling Jagalchi fish market and Jeonju’s lively night market.
Recommended read: Seven Habits of Highly Effective Travellers.
On a Paris walk like that, you could start with a market, stop at a café, enjoy a park, have lunch in a bistro, visit a museum or gallery, sit at another café, cross a square, simply enjoy the streets, and finish the day in a wine bar for the apéro.
Check the postal code of where you’re staying; the last two numbers of 75000 show which arrondissement you’re in.
Marché aux Puces means flea market.
Thank you for sharing! I love markets and I always visit them when traveling! They are a great opportunity for understanding better where you are!