French open market by kurmanstaff

Paris has been a home to the open markets for centuries. During the 5th century, the city of Paris (known as Lutetia at the time) opened its first market, known as Palu, to allow locals to buy, sell, and trade with one another and merchants from afar.

Today, there are over 90 open markets across the city of Paris, each offering its own unique flavour to the city. From there, open markets spread to other towns, each providing its own touch of exclusivity when it comes to the treasures you can find if you know what to look for.

The open markets have everything to offer. You might be searching for something unique to the Paris environment to dress up your home or attire, or maybe just a few gifts for your friends. Items can range from exotic cloth material, clothing, beautiful, one-of-a-kind scarves, hand-crafted jewelry, and even a few necessities you forgot to pack for the trip (oops!).

Every market has a different venue composed of different merchants, so no two markets are the same. If you didn’t find what you were looking for in one market, it’s probably time to move on to another in search of the right opportunity. And the truth is: if you couldn’t find it, you weren’t looking hard enough.

But it may not always be the products you’re actually looking for. Perhaps it’s the culture and learning experience that the open market presents that truly drives your eagerness to explore these fine cities. It’s even a great opportunity to really practice your French. And you’re definitely going to put your haggling skills to the test as you do a little bartering to practice your finesse. After all, getting the perfect deal for the right price is half the fun. As a helpful reminder, keep in mind that the markets are crowded, so be cautious where you keep your wallet or purse.

And the best part about exploring these vast, open markets is that you don’t always have to worry about lugging around too many goodies. You can always return to your comfy cabin in the barge to lighten the load and rest your feet for a while.

Enjoying the French culture is more than just seeing the sights. It’s meeting the people and interacting with them through the open markets. Here, you can really get to know the heart of Paris as you share the experience of a French cruise with your friends and family.

Author Bio:

Crystal Groome is owner of Barge Connection – specializing in European Barge Vacations since 1988.  Crystal has specialized in barging vacations specifically for over eleven years and visits Europe yearly to personally inspect individual barges and operators. Check our latest time sensitive specials on Facebook and Twitter (@bargeconnection).

The post Cruising The Open French Markets appeared first on Europe Explored.

Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, 1887 – 1965) has been dominated in French architecture from the 1920. Notre Dame du Haut, was built on the foundations of a Christian chapel of 4th century, which was destroyed during the World War II. The construction of Notre Dame du Haut represents an extreme outcome of Corbusier’s artistic endeavors. The chapel has a simple structure with two entrances, the main altar and chapel under the towers. Concrete and stone, which were the remnant of the original chapel, form the basics of the monumental structure.

Notre Dame du Haut is the first example of post-modern architecture. Its exclusivity – both in the history of European architecture and architectural history of the church – can everyone appreciate in Ronchamps.

View Notre Dame du Haut – unique Roman Catholic chapel in France in a larger map

The post Notre Dame du Haut – unique Roman Catholic chapel in France appeared first on Europe Explored.