As we know, Parisians are attached to this heritage of old Paris: the markets remain a place of conviviality that we all appreciate, in the heart of city life. Today there are 82 markets. My favorite one is 'the Red Children's Market'. It opened its doors to Parisians in 1615, making it the oldest of the Paris markets! When it opened, the Marché des Enfants Rouges did not yet bear this name. As it was located in the heart of the oold Quartier du Temple district, it was known simply as the « marché du Marais du Temple » and often referred to by its inhabitants as the « petit marché du Marais ». It was only at the end of the 18th century that this pretty market in the 3rd arrondissement began to gain recognition under its current name, in reference to a former orphanage and hospital, the Hospice des Enfants-Rouges. The institution, neighboring the market for two centuries, welcomed thousands of children between 1535 and 1772. These children (mostly orphans, but not only) had the particularity of being born outside Paris and dressed in a uniform and a red cape, the color of Christian charity for centuries. Hence the name given to the institution! When it closed, part of the premises was transformed into a fire station, then destroyed a few decades later. Today, all that remains of this hospital is the name of the oldest food market in the capital and a district of Paris. But if the Marché des Enfants Rouges is today a must for many Parisians, it is above all for the quality of the products it offers: the stalls are so full of various products, from all over France and around the world, with bewitching smells, all of remarkable quality. A small set of colorful stalls each giving off a delicious scent, it doesn't take much to sit down at lunchtime ...
Marché des Enfants rouges
39, rue de Bretagne,
75003 Paris
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