Paris

Already at the beginning of the 19th century, the Flea Market, situated outside the old city walls of Paris, was a picturesque site where market gardeners and dealers in second hand goods used to display their wares.
In 1925, 70 antique dealers formed a company and rented a group of market gardens, a few steps away. The marche BIRON was born. Biron, by the quality of the merchandise proposed, became the jewel of the Flea Market of St-Ouen, international center of antiques and second hand goods.
Biron is the favorite spot for the collector and art dealer.
Nicknamed "The Faubourg St-Honoré of the Flea Market" faithful customers and visitors find an internationally famous choice of: objects, furniture, paintings and works of art of all periods.

Biron is one of the favorite stops for collectors, amateurs, and French and foreign professionals, who put it on their Parisian itinerary, as a must. Biron is as famous as the movie and stage stars, interior decorators and well known personalities who visit the market each week-end.
They are all certain to find just what they are looking for; from arms and jewellery, paintings, with famous or less known signatures, to period or semi-antique furnishings, Biron abounds with treasures waiting for your discovery: chinese vases, dolls, old glassware and china, silver, art 1900, art deco, carpets and tapestries, scientific, marine and musical instruments, without forgetting posters, old post cards and old-fashioned clothes.
Each Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 220 specialized antique dealers, welcome you and guarantee you an ever changing selection of quality goods.
In 1885, a one Romain Vernaison , the owner of market garden terrain in the Parish of St Ouen, decided to sacrifice some of this salad plants and other vegetable plots to rent a few acres to merchants. These were rag-and-bone men or "ragpickers" who would sell the antique objets they found jumble sales or bartered from scap dealers just outside of Paris. Actually crossing the "wall" of Paris would have involved paying tax known as the "octroi".
Other merchants joined them and soon the fist "guinguettes" were doing good trade. Edith Piaf started her career singing at "Chez Louisette". Now, frequenting the poorer areas and doing good business at same time became very much the fashion.
By 1920, the Vernaison terrain was covered with rough shanty huts erected to protect antiques bric a bracfronm the weather, petty thiefs and various other misadventures.
Today, people flock to the marche Vernaison to choose the furnitures and decoration of their dreams.
They come dressed in leather or fine lingerie (Avenue Michelet), picking and choosing as look around for second-hand bargains. As in the early days, they, too, have fun while doing good business.

Central street of the flea market, from which the markets branch off along its entire length. You will encounter many antique dealers and restaurants.

This is the latest market to have opened its doors in Saint-Ouen and also one of the biggest. Thanks to almost 300 antique dealers and bric-à-brac sellers its diversity speaks for itself. High quality is not lacking but above all there are numerous specialists in various niche markets such as old documents, dolls, curiosities from the world of the navy or photography, watches, regional furniture and primitive objects. You will find it hard to resist temptation!

Before the construction of the basilica of the Sacred Heart, in a style Byzantine romano, the hill was a small village situated outside surrounding walls strengthened by Paris.
The basilica is the metaphor of the condemnation of the sins of the inhabitants of Paris: sinned which would have caused the defeat of the French army in front of the Prussia in 1870.

The famous cabaret, le Moulin Rouge appeared in Paris in 1889 in front of a cosmopolitan crowd whose social barrier were erased.
The shows of the cabaret became quickly famous and everybody remembers the melody of Offenbach, to which the girls danced the French cancan.
Strong feelings for the spectators looking at an armada of young ladies playing with their dress! La Goulue, one of these dancers became a national star thanks to the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Mistinguett is also famous, she started at the Moulin Rouge in 1907.
Today, after more than 100 years of existence, the cabaret still attracts people
as well as the high society. It continues to discover artists from the whole world. The recipe of one of the most famous cabarets in the world is still the same : party!

The Place du Tertre, famous for its portrait artists.