Halle au Blé d'Alençon, Historical market hall in central Alençon, France.

The Halle au Blé d'Alençon is a large circular building of pale stone blocks on place Halle-au-Blé. A shallow dark slate conical roof, topped by a small lantern and finial, sits above a dentilled cornice. The upper wall has evenly spaced rectangular windows with dark panes; below them runs a row of arched windows with metal grilles, with a smaller arched doorway with blue doors on the left and a larger arched entrance with light blue double doors on the lower right.

The building was established in the 19th century to bring grain merchants together in one place. Its creation shows how central grain trade was to the region's economy and how the city built infrastructure to support this commerce.

The building stands on Place Halle-au-Blé, and its name recalls the grain market for which it was built. The metal dome added in 1865, whose plans are attributed to Gustave Eiffel, is the feature to look up for inside.

The Halle au Blé stands on place Halle-au-Blé in central Alençon, a short walk from the town's historic core. The circular hall is entered through the light blue double doors of the large arched entrance on its lower right side. Look for the small dark sign post at the base of the building for orientation.

The metal dome installed in 1865 is attributed to Gustave Eiffel's plans, though the attribution remains uncertain. Look up inside the circular hall to see this ironwork above the stone walls, a detail many visitors walk past without noticing.