Les Halles, Historic market in France
Les Halles was the central food market of Paris, covering several hectares in the first arrondissement. Ten cast-iron pavilions with glass roofs sheltered the selling areas for meat, poultry, butter, eggs and all kinds of food.
The market began in the 12th century when King Philip Augustus brought merchants to a central location. The cast-iron pavilions were built between 1852 and 1870, but in 1971 authorities decided to demolish them to reshape the neighborhood.
The name Belly of Paris reflected how central this market was to feeding the city with fresh produce. The endless rows of stalls selling meat, fish, vegetables and cheese shaped the neighborhood's nighttime life for centuries.
Today the site holds an underground shopping center with an aboveground park called Forum des Halles. The location sits at the heart of Paris and is easy to reach through several metro lines.
Émile Zola spent months observing the nighttime activity of the market before writing his famous novel. One pavilion was saved and rebuilt in Nogent-sur-Marne, where visitors can still see it today.
Location: 1st arrondissement of Paris
Architects: Victor Baltard
GPS coordinates: 48.86278,2.34444
Latest update: December 8, 2025 08:20
This collection documents major buildings that have disappeared throughout history. It includes religious structures such as the 15th-century Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, whose glazed bricks gleamed in sunlight, as well as destroyed palaces, theaters, and public buildings from various periods and...
Church of Saint Eustache
74 m
Bourse de commerce
118 m
UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles
51 m
Medicis column
111 m
Halle aux blés
122 m
Bourse de Commerce
141 m
Pipe organ of Église Saint-Eustache, Paris
74 m
Jardin Nelson-Mandela
37 m
Écoute
55 m
Au chien qui fume
161 m
Médiathèque musicale de Paris
205 m
Bibliothèque du cinéma François-Truffaut
45 m
Musée du Barreau de Paris
149 m
The Space Observatory
161 m
Fontaine de la Halle aux Blés
112 m
Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection
118 m
Au bourdon d'or
175 m
Hôtel des Téléphones
191 m
Le Cochon à l'Oreille
195 m
19 rue Montorgueil, Paris
193 m
15 rue Montorgueil, Paris
180 m
Bistrot du 1er
185 m
5-7 rue Sauval, Paris
182 m
17 rue Montorgueil, Paris
187 m
Enceinte of Philippe-Auguste
153 m
Hôtel Dupin
164 m
Hôtel de La Porte
176 m
54 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris
168 mVisited this place? Tap the stars to rate it and share your experience / photos with the community! Try now! You can cancel it anytime.
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