France treasures fresh food like no other country. Many people do their shopping on a daily basis selecting from the local markets the food that is at its peak. As a result they have an incredible market culture.
Paris alone has about a dozen markets in pedestrian streets, over 60 open air food markets, and ten food halls. Rather than review each market individually (though I’d love to visit them all if I had infinite time), I’ve organized the Paris and Provence section with maps and listings by days the markets are open. Be sure to click on the map icons to get a bit more information on the markets identified there.
Of course most people know of the market culture in Provence where each town will have its market day where a portion of the streets are blocked and wonderful stalls fill the town. This occurs in each region of France, not just Provence! Some of the outstanding markets in France are:
- Paris Street: Rue Cler, Rue Mouffetard
- Paris Open Air: Marché Bastille, Marché Saxe-Breteuil
- Nice: Cours Saleya
- Antibes: Marché Provencal
- Toulouse: Marché Victor Hugo