Mini-Itinerary: A Morning Around the Marché d'Aligre

...from a much-coveted Parisian bakery to fruit, flowers & a stroll through an above-ground park

Worth getting up for in the morning: the Aligre Market in Paris /Courtney Traub/All rights reserved

Dear Subscribers,

Whenever I find myself visiting a new place (or returning somewhere I’ve enjoyed in the past), I always try to figure out how locals might string together various activities to yield a memorable morning or afternoon. I know, too, that many of you are looking for ways to experience Paris in non-orthodox, done-to-death ways— so I thought I’d share one of my own prized morning routes: a stroll in and and around the Marché d’Aligre market.

Perhaps owing to its relative lack of big-ticket tourist sites, the 12th arrondissement of Paris is an area that retains a relatively laid-back vibe.

{See related post: 3 Covered Markets in Paris I Love & Recommend}

It’s the sort of place where residents mill about on a Saturday morning, procuring heaps of leeks and bundles of flowers from the local market, nibbling on pastries and bread from local bakeries, indulging in a little people-watching while catching up with a friend on a cafe terrace, then heading out for a walk in a nearby park before lunch.

To reach the area, get off at Metro Faidherbe-Chaligny or Ledru Rollin (Line 8). You can also get off at the Bastille Metro stop (lines 1,5 or 8) and walk (around 10 minutes) southeast down Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine.