Marché des Enfants Rouges

You are standing in front of one of Paris's best kept secrets. This market has been here since 1615, opened under King Louis XIII, when this whole neighborhood smelled of fresh bread and horse dung in roughly equal measure. They called it the Petit Marché du Marais back then. 

The name you see today tells a sadder story. Nearby stood an orphanage, founded in 1536 by Marguerite de Navarre, sister of King François I. The orphans wore red clothing as a symbol of Christian charity. Some say red also marked children whose mothers died in childbirth. The orphanage closed in 1772, but the name stuck.

Now here is where it gets darker. The man who took over the market that same year was actually a visionary. He installed street lighting and a fountain, real improvements for the time. The Revolution rewarded him with the guillotine. Paris has always had complicated ways of saying thank you.

Step inside now. Smell the spices, hear the chatter, grab a stool at one of the little restaurants.