Forum des Halles

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Paris' main wholesale food market stood here for nearly 800 years before being replaced by this underground shopping mall in 1971. Long considered an eyesore by many Parisians, the mall's exterior was finally demolished in 2011 to make way for its golden-hued translucent canopy, unveiled in 2016. Below, four floors of stores (125 in total), 23 restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets, and entertainment venues including cinemas and a swimming pool, extend down to the city's busiest metro/RER hub.

Spilling out from the canopied centre is the Jardin Nelson Mandela.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Wide shot of Eiffel Tower with blue sky, Paris, France.

    Eiffel Tower

    2.39 MILES

    There are different ways to experience the Eiffel Tower, from a daytime trip or an evening ascent amid twinkling lights, to a meal in one of its…

  • Paris, France - August 13, 2016: The Pompidou Centre is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement. It houses the Public Information Library and the museum of Modern art.

    Centre Pompidou

    0.27 MILES

    Home to Europe's largest collection of modern and contemporary art, Centre Pompidou has amazed and delighted visitors ever since it opened in 1977, not…

  • MARCH 16, 2017: a stained glass window inside the Sainte Chapelle church.

    Sainte-Chapelle

    0.47 MILES

    Visit Sainte-Chapelle on a sunny day when Paris’ oldest, finest stained glass (1242–48) is at its dazzling best. The chapel is famous for its stained…

  • September 2016 - Paris, France- Le Louvre museum in daytime

    Musée du Louvre

    0.42 MILES

    It isn’t until you’re standing in the vast courtyard of the Louvre, with its glass pyramid and ornate façade, that you can truly say you’ve been to Paris.

  • Skulls and bones in Paris Catacombs

    Les Catacombes

    2.06 MILES

    It’s gruesome, ghoulish and downright spooky, but it never fails to captivate visitors. In 1785, the subterranean tunnels of an abandoned quarry were…

  • Grounds of Rodin Museum sculpture garden.

    Musée Rodin

    1.46 MILES

    Even if you're not an art lover, it is worth visiting this high-profile art museum to lose yourself in its romantic gardens.

  • JULY 30, 2012: Model sailing boats in the pool in front of Luxembourg Palace in Luxembourg Gardens.

    Jardin du Luxembourg

    1.08 MILES

    This famous inner-city oasis of formal terraces, chestnut groves and lush lawns has a special place in Parisians' hearts. 

  • PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 08, 2016 : French Mausoleum of Great People of France - the Pantheon in Paris. France.; Shutterstock ID 573291478; Your name (First / Last): Daniel Fahey; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Panthéon POI

    Panthéon

    1.08 MILES

    Elegant and regal in equal measure, the massive neoclassical dome of the Left Bank's iconic Panthéon is an icon of the Parisian skyline. Louis XV…

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Nearby Paris attractions

1. Église St-Eustache

0.1 MILES

Just north of the gardens adjoining the city’s old marketplace, now the Forum des Halles, is one of the most beautiful churches in Paris. Majestic,…

2. Jardin Nelson Mandela

0.1 MILES

Adjacent to the canopied Forum des Halles underground mall, late-Gothic Église St-Eustache and Collection Pinault – Paris, this 2018-inaugurated park's 4…

3. Fontaine des Innocents

0.12 MILES

The name of this multi-tiered Renaissance fountain (1550) comes off as a bit ironic – nothing in central Paris feels even remotely innocent – but is in…

4. Tour Jean sans Peur

0.16 MILES

This 29m-high Gothic tower was built during the Hundred Years' War by the Duke of Bourgogne so that he could take refuge from his enemies – such as the…

5. Collection Pinault – Paris

0.18 MILES

This much-anticipated art museum occupies the Bourse de Commerce, an 18th-century rotunda that once held the city's grain market and stock exchange…

6. 59 Rivoli

0.2 MILES

In such a classical part of Paris, 59 Rivoli is a bohemian breath of fresh air. Watch artists at work in the 30 ateliers (studios) spread over six floors…

7. Musée en Herbe

0.24 MILES

One of the city’s great backstreet secrets, this children’s museum is a surprise gem for art lovers of every age. Its permanent exhibition changes…

8. Atelier Brancusi

0.25 MILES

Northwest of the main building of the Centre Pompidou, this reconstruction of the studio of Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi (1876–1957),…