Les Halles Walking Tour (Self Guided), Paris

Sitting in the center of Paris, in the first arrondissement or district is the fashionable quarter of Les Halles. The name comes from the wholesale fresh produce market that used to operate here for hundreds of years. Today, the area attracts visitors for different reasons, which are the fabulous shops, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The wholesale market was demolished in the early 1970s and was replaced by Forum des Halles, a large shopping mall which houses a number of international clothing chains. The forum is not just about shopping. There are several fine restaurants and a cinema showing the latest French and international movies.

For more clothes shopping, go to the nearby rue de Rivoli. Treat yourself to a shopping trip in the Passage du Grand Cerf, a beautiful arcade with a glass ceiling and a marble floor. Check out its stores for antiques, jewelry, handmade items and lots more. There is even more great shopping in the area surrounding the Place des Victoires, an upmarket neighborhood. Purchase stylish fashion creations from the boutiques of designers Kenzo and Cacharel. You can also discover a cool new look by searching through the racks and shelves of the ready-to-wear chains Maje and Zadig et Voltaire.