Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, the world's largest antiques market, just outside Paris

On the outskirts of Paris, the town of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine is famous for its flea market. And if the name of this huge antiques market is reminiscent of that of the little beasts, there are above all centuries of history to discover around this historic market.

In Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, rue des rosiers isn't known for its pretty name, but for its many flea markets- 12 in all, each with its own unique identity. We discovered this during a guided tour offered by the Plaine Commune tourist office (also bookable on Explore Paris), accessible from age 12, which we highly recommend if you've never set foot in the Puces!

The Puces de Saint-Ouen is the largest antiques market in the world, and for good reason: it covers over 7 hectares of land for 12 markets bringing together some 2,000 puciers, as the merchants are known. In fact, to understand this original name, we need to go back a few centuries, when ragpickers traded in absolutely everything. For example, dog droppings were collected to be ground up and scented to make glove powder!

In the beginning, the flea market was a scrap metal market, before gradually becoming an antiques market when the metro arrived! So, as you stroll between the stalls, you'll find furniture, objects, clothes, records, books, jewelry, art and design objects, costumes, tapestries, decorations, designer dresses... Absolutely everything you can imagine and more.

Here, each market has its own speciality: at the Dauphine market, you'll find the rare pearl in records, books, jewelry, small objects and figurines; at Biron - the "Faubourg Saint-Honoré of flea markets" - you'll find objets d'art; at the Jules Valérie market, the atmosphere is that of a garage sale, with objects left as they were, without renovation. Don't miss the giant flying saucer (yes, a real one!) at the Dauphiné market, stroll the aisles of the Vernaison market, the oldest at the Puces, or explore the trendiest of the moment, the Paul Bert/Serpette market... Each market immerses you in its own universe, and it's certain that whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here.