On a recent trip to Paris, I had the delight of visiting Porte de Clignancourt, officially called Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, but known to everyone as Les Puces (The Fleas). It is the most famous flea market in Paris and the largest in the world covering seven hectares, housing more than 3000 vendors and receiving between 120,000 to 180,000 visitors each weekend!
The history of the flea market dates back over two centuries, when ‘crocheteurs’ or pickers (rag and bone men) spent their evenings scouring through the garbage of Paris to find items they could sell. They initially set up their stalls within the walls of Paris, in what were known as sleazier neighborhoods. However they were quickly forced out by pickpockets and thieves to finally settle outside the city walls in Clignancourt, Montreuil, Vanves, etc. The largest of these flea markets is the one at Clignancourt but the other two continue to this day.
