Besides art, culture and
museums, shopping is another term that springs to mind when
mentioning Paris. The City of Lights is famous the world over
for its never ending shopping possibilities. Some of the city’s
specialties include wines, cheeses, haute couture fashion,
perfumes, fashion accessories and jewellery and exquisite
antiques.
In Paris there is variety: from the most glitzy
and luxurious boutiques to large department stores, flea markets
and second-hand stores, everyone is sure to find something
to their taste here.
High Fashion and Haute
Couture
Those focusing on haute couture will have to go to Rue du
Faubourg Saint-Honré and Avenue Montaigne in the 8th
arrondissement, where top emporiums and boutiques are found,
including Cartier, Celine, Chanel, Christian Dior, Van Cleef
& Arpels and Christian Lacroix, among others. Yves Saint
Laurent is located in the 16th arrondissement while other
parts of town also carry the latest fashion and top quality
leather goods, perfumes, jewellery and other top label accessories.
French Department Stores
For those who enjoy shopping in department stores, you will
not be disappointed in Paris. Two of the larges (and most
famous rivals) are Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, which
are located side-by-side on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th
arrondissement. Other department stores in the city include
La Samaritaine, Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville - BHV, Le
Bon Marché.
A more budget-oriented choice would be shopping at Paris’
renowned flea markets. As some of the most famous open-air
markets in Paris, these gatherings draw hundreds of people
a day. There are three main flea markets operating in Paris,
generally set up at the ancient city gates (porte de Vanves
or Saint-Ouen).
Flea Markets of Paris
Flea markets are actually called that because of how they
originated. Centuries ago, it was common for royalty to do
away with the clothes they no longer wanted, and these were
usually full of tiny insects, namely fleas.
Nowadays, flea markets offer a lot more than flea-ridden garments.
There are all sorts of articles and items to sort through
and very likely to hit upon some sort of treasure. Just keep
an eye our for pickpockets!
Les Bouquinistes
For those who are bookworms at heart, take a stroll along
the River Siene where you will come across the typical bookstalls
containing second-hand volumes, as can be seen in the photo
above. These bouquinistes, as they are referred to
in French, add a charming feature to the Paris landscape and
are apt to have just that title you were longing to find…
There is a wide range of places to chose
from when it comes to shopping in Paris while in town for
your French
Language Course.
