4 Best Sights in Paris, France

Place d'Aligre has two of Paris's best markets: the lively outdoor Marché d'Aligre and the covered Marché Beauvau. Open every day but Monday, both are great places to pick up picnic essentials, which you can enjoy nearby in the small park at Square Trousseau or on the Promenade Plantée. The picturesque outdoor market has dozens of boisterous vendors, their stands laden with fresh fruits and vegetables, flower bouquets, and regional products such as jam, honey, and dried sausage. Many vendors are happy to give you a taste of whatever they're selling. The covered market, Marché Beauvau, stocks everything from cheeses and olive oil to brewed-in-Paris craft beer. Sunday morning, when the accompanying flea market is in full swing, is the liveliest time to visit. Stop for a plate of fresh oysters, charcuterie, and a glass of rouge (even on Sunday morning) at one of the city's quirkiest wine bars, Le Baron Rouge ( 1 rue Théophile Roussel), or one of the many chic cafés in the neighborhood.

Hidden away in a small antiques district, not far from the Opéra Garnier, is Paris's central auction house, said to be the oldest in the world. Drouot sells it all: vintage clothes, haute-couture gowns, tchotchkes, ornate Chinese lacquered boxes, rare books, art, and wine. Anyone can attend the sales and viewings, which draw a mix of art dealers, ladies who lunch, and art amateurs hoping to discover an unknown masterpiece. Check the website to see what's on the block. Don't miss the small galleries and antiques dealers in the Quartier Drouot, a warren of small streets around the auction house, notably on Rues Rossini and de la Grange-Batelière.

To experience local living in one of the best ways, visit this excellent street market that takes place every Wednesday and Saturday. On Wednesday, there are produce and food stands, but also inexpensive clothing, jewelry, household items, and fun souvenirs. Saturday is a food lover's paradise with multiple stands selling fresh produce, spices, olives, fish, cheese, meat, and other gastronomic pleasures. It's a good place to pick up lunch on the go before paying your respects at Cimetière du Montparnasse across the street.

This self-described "fabric kingdom" has been selling Parisians their curtains for more than 60 years. With five floors, it actually stocks a lot more than draperies, including bolts of fine silk, feather boas, and spangled cushions. Among the regulars here are the designers who create the famous windows at Hermès. The Marché anchors a fabric district that extends to the neighboring streets; each shop is a bit different from the next.