Ok not the most expert person for shopping… but did some in my lovely Versailles and would like to update the post on shopping in Versailles with new links. Hope you enjoy it and do shop in the city while visiting it, great combination indeed me think. This is a black and white series post as pictures in the many other posts on Versailles! Shopping something I would love to do there right now!!!
The question is ,how about shopping in Versailles? Anyway, when most come to Paris and think that a thing to do IS to go to Versailles is not right. Paris is 75, Versailles is 78. Paris is the Capital of France, and Versailles by constitution is the de facto capital of France if changes or modifications are done to the constitution. Versailles is in another province/State/Department than Paris, that is Yvelines dept 78. So, I worked in Paris but lived in Versailles, so I know the shopping from both sides. Versailles is the normal everyday town you love to live in ,yes!
One was on the wonderful shopping center mall of Parly II, the best mall in the whole region of île de France in my opinion. Even if actually is the town next over Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt. Here you have the main department stores like in that other town, Au Printemps and BHV as well as Lenôtre, and many many other stores even a Toys R Us and Truffaut, and FNAC as well as grocery store and cinema. The now Westfield Parly II mall webpage: https://fr.westfield.com/parly2/stores
The Parly II is a housing complex chic Chesnay-Trianon , the biggest division housing in Europe with an extension on two neighboring towns ,Le Chesnay and Rocquencourt (now join as one town); and the mall, it is also, the high school for my boys in the town of Le Chesnay that is just crossing a street to Versailles and uses the same transport network. It now has 182 stores with over 4000 parking spaces! The Parly II housing webpage: https://www.parly2.com/
In fact,the story tell us that the center was to be called Paris 2 but the Parisians objected for fear of losing business, so the name of Parly was used instead ( a town in the dept Yonne ,region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). The idea really is to do something on the American style mall/living. You can reach it on the Phébus network of Versailles on lines 1 2 3 5. Also, line 19 of Transdev will get you there from the stop terminal at the avenue Saint Cloud just before the Ave de l’Europe bus depot and direction Les Mureaux you stop at Parly II.
However, there is a lot more than just a mall. Plenty of nice stores some very historical all over town in inner Versailles. Some already with posts and pictures in my blog.
The marché des fleurs is open Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays from 8h to 19h and Sundays mornings. This is at corner of Ave de l’Europe and Ave de Saint Cloud. Further away you come to my favorite of all markets the Marché Notre Dame of course at the Place Notre Dame. The non food market is held Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 11h to 19h, and the food markets out on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays mornings from 7h to 14h , and inside the halles on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 7h to 19h30 and Sundays from 7h to 14h. Plenty of underground parking too. The Sun King Louis XIV gave us the Marché de Notre Dame in 1721. the actual place was given out after the Domaine de Clagny built in 1665 was demolished. It was renovated with todays halles in 1841. It is the center of the city, if you want to know us! The stories tell us the first inhabitants of the city started arriving in 1671 and so did the market!
The city of Versailles on the Notre Dame market (mine!!!) : https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/notre-dame-market.html
The city of Versailles on the Flower market (yes!! ours) : https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/flower-market.html
And right around here you have the Place du Notre Dame with plenty of shops and restaurants as well. Ahh but wait, did you know the market at Place du Notre Dame is older than the castle? And the halles that surround it are 360 years old? Located in the heart of the city around the Place du Notre Dame and two big streets crossing in a cross the square such as rue de la Paroisse, and Avenue du Maréchal Foch; then you have streets all around the halles such as rue Durcis,rue au pain, Rue de la Pourvoierie, and rue André Chenier ,all founded by king Louis XIV. The old pavilions were destroyed in 1841 and replaced by the covered halles you see today on the method Baltard.
About 20 years ago you can buy here in wholesale, where the store owners came to buy their products that eventually will sell to you in retail. They will buy their products by aisles such as fish, herbs/spices, flour,and beef and these gave the name to the covered halles you see today. There was even an animal market with cows, pigs, and chickens sold. However, even the above is newer. There was an even older market here when in November 1634, on the initiative of Martial de Loménie ,king Louis XIII ordered installed a market here, even replacing an even older market. In August 1740, there were manifestions here due to the little finding of wheat, the bakers of Paris came here to buy flour and the locals repulse them strongly. A permanent presence of the Swiss guards was needed.
At the French revolution, the market falls in disrepair by 1835 the market is purchase by the city of Versailles; no longer part of the Royal domain, the merchants are taken their businesses and poorly indemnized. Several execution were carried out here. And after going in terrible shape the city eventually rebuilt them and the new market opened September 15, 1842. There is a parking managed by Vinci Park underneath the place du Notre Dame with 700 spaces and the pedestrian access are on each square of the market with elevators/lifts or escalator. Since 2014, they have painted the square on the market with paintings or trompes-l’œil; they represent the knights of the Carrousel, reminding us of the equestrian history of the city, done by the school of mural arts or the École d’art mural de Versailles.
The market is very close to another wonderful old world shopping experience that is the Passage des antiquaires. It is a pedestrian only passage of the rue des deux portes leading to the Place du Notre Dame and to the rue Carnot, itself next to the avenue de Saint-Cloud , and a bit further the Place d’Armes, in front of the central façade of the Palace/Museum of Versailles. The passage des Antiquaires webpage: http://www.antiques-versailles.com/le-quartier/le-passage/
I have to tell with pride, this was my district. The quartier Notre Dame, in the axis of the Avenue de Paris, and takes its name from the Church of Notre Dame, the castle parish and oldest (where all princes were baptized, birth certificates and marriages) created while the construction of the city was carried out under king Louis XIV. In this wonderful neighborhood or quartier you ,also, have the theater or Théâtre Montansier opening in 1777,the city history museum of musée Lambinet, the bailiffs mansion or Hôtel du bailliage that housed during the monarchy the local tribunal courthouse ; today the nice courtyard of the neighborhood of antiquaries ,and the shopping full streets of rue de la Paroisse, rue Hoche and the rue du Maréchal Foch.
The rue du Maréchal Foch, crosses the city north south and prolonged the Avenue de l’Europe, to continue until the Place Édouard Laboulaye. This was my train station or gare de Rive-Droite-Versailles! It went to Gare Saint Lazare in Paris. Here you can find the merchants/businesses of Versailles with over 1700 you should find yours. In French, but easy me think. You go to the left hand side , you have three slots, Catégorie (category of stores you are searching such as antiquités/art), sous-catégorie (more in detail such as céramique but no need to choose this slot), and Quartier (district like Notre Dame). Versailles commerces webpage: https://www.versaillescommerces.fr/marchands/
An interesting site the Cours des Senteurs (Court of Scents) with an offer on perfums like those in the Maison des Parfums, but also, fine gourmet grocery store, Toile de Jouy with fabrics in colorful motifs from a historical and famous manufacture. The restaurant Table du 11, not yet tasted but look good; and salon de thés with sweets goodies; and from here you can access the Salle du jeu de Paume, birthplace of the founding act of the French democracy, quaint streets of the district of Saint Louis, and into the Potager du Roi vegetable garden of the king. More in the Versailles tourist office: https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/garden-and-court-of-scents.html
The above and more are in the other district Saint Louis on commerces/businesses webpage: http://versaillescotesaintlouis.com/les-commerces-adherents-a-versailles-cote-saint-louis
The Versailles tourist office has more info on the several shops/businesses in town here: https://en.versailles-tourisme.com/the-best-shopping-districts-in-versailles#!/page/1
Of course, this cannot be all of them, will need a series of posts. I have given you above the most important me think and links to see others. And bien sûr if have a question on any let me know. Hope you enjoy the ride to a Royal , magnificent city, that is a lot more than a castle. My VERSAILLES!!
And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 