Two of the best markets in Paris, a park on an old railway viaduct, and the city’s nightlife. Here is the walk.
The short version
- The Marché Bastille runs up boulevard Richard-Lenoir on Thursday and Sunday mornings, 7:00 to 13:30 on Thursday and to 14:30 on Sunday. Days and hours on paris.fr.
- The Marché d’Aligre, ten minutes east, is open Tuesday to Sunday mornings, with the covered Beauvau hall beside it. It is the cheaper, more local one.
- Nothing is left of the prison. The July Column in the middle of the square marks the 1830 revolution, not 1789; the outline of the fortress is set in the paving at the western edge.
- The Coulée Verte starts behind the Opéra Bastille: a garden walk on top of an old railway viaduct, with the shops of the Viaduc des Arts in the arches below.
- Rue de Lappe, rue de la Roquette and rue Oberkampf are the nightlife streets: bars, clubs and late food. Loud on weekend nights.
- Rue de Charonne and rue Keller are the boutique streets, quieter than the Marais and next door to it.
The walk
On a Thursday or Sunday morning, start at the Marché Bastille at the top of boulevard Richard-Lenoir and walk the stalls south to the square. Look for the line of paving stones that traces the old fortress at the corner of rue Saint-Antoine.
Cross behind the Opéra Bastille to avenue Daumesnil and climb the stairs to the Coulée Verte. Walk it east for 20 minutes above the street, then come down to rue d’Aligre for the second market and the Beauvau hall.
Back west on rue de Charonne past the boutiques and the cafes, and finish on rue de Lappe for a drink, or keep going north to rue Oberkampf for dinner.
Or make it a food morning with a guide: our private Marais food tour meets in front of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church on rue Saint-Antoine, ten minutes from the Bastille, two and a half hours, ten tastings and a bistro lunch.
Where to eat
The Aligre market and the Beauvau hall for picnic food, and the wine bar and the cafe on the Place d’Aligre for lunch at a market table.
Rue de Charonne and the streets around it have the neighborhood bistros, many of them among the best value in Paris. Book for dinner.
Rue Oberkampf and rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud are the late-night food: falafel, burgers, Lebanese, and the bars around them.
When to go
Thursday or Sunday morning for the Bastille market, any morning but Monday for Aligre. The Sunday Bastille market is the big one.
Weekend nights for rue de Lappe and Oberkampf, which don’t get going until after 22:00.
Monday is the quiet day, with the Aligre market closed. July 14 brings the firemen’s balls to the fire stations around the 11th on the nights around the holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Bastille market?
Thursday mornings 7:00 to 13:30 and Sunday mornings 7:00 to 14:30, on boulevard Richard-Lenoir between the Bastille and rue Amelot. Sunday is the bigger day.
Is there anything left of the Bastille prison?
Not on the square. The outline of the fortress is marked in the paving, and some foundation stones were moved to the square Henri-Galli by the river. The column in the middle is for the 1830 revolution.
What is the Coulée Verte?
A planted walkway on top of the old Vincennes railway viaduct, from behind the Opéra Bastille east toward the Bois de Vincennes, about 4.5 km in all. It opened in 1993, before New York’s High Line, and it is free.
Is the area safe at night?
Yes, and busy. Rue de Lappe and Oberkampf are the late-night streets, loud on weekends; watch your phone in the crowded bars as anywhere.
Is there a tour that covers this part of Paris?
Our half-day Paris walking tour runs a Marais route with a private guide, about three hours, start times from 9:00 to 18:00, which ends a few minutes from the Bastille.
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