Les Quatre Temps
The Quatre Temps, Europe’s largest mall, has reigned over the La Défense region since 1981, ten minutes by Metro or RER from central Paris.
Following extensive renovations, the vast 130,000 m2 retail center is now divided into four levels and attracts consumers in droves, drawn by the variety on offer in its 230 boutiques.
Many of the major French and worldwide companies are represented in the light and spacious mall. It is home to well-known cosmetics brands such as Sephora, Lush, Mac, and Kiko, as well as ready-to-wear fashion labels such as American Vintage, Claudie Pierlot, and Comptoir des Cotonniers, Maje, Lacoste, and Uniqlo.
Not to mention the Fnac multimedia emporium and a massive Apple Store for IT enthusiasts. Whatever you’re looking for is most likely here.
It is open all year from 10 a.m. and 8.30 p.m.
For more info https://www.les4temps.com/
La Defense
This corporate zone, mostly surrounded by towers, headquarters, and offices, is home to France’s tallest and most iconic skyscrapers: Coeur Défense, EDF, Granite, and First.
Two metro stations, a retail area called “Les Quatre Temps,” and the contemporary church Notre-Dame de Pentecôte are in the district. The district’s major landmark is the stunning Grande Arche, a masterwork designed by architects Johan-Otto Von Spreckelsen and Paul Andreu in 1989.
La Défense, Europe’s greatest business powerhouse, encompasses three communes: Courbevoie, Puteaux, and Nanterre.
60 pieces of art brighten this frame in the heart of this modern environment, on the esplanade. Among the most notable are Shelomo Selinger’s “The Dance,” a set of 35 carved planters stretching across the 3,600 m2 of the Lower Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle square; Alexander Calder’s “Red Spider,” a 15-meter-tall sculpture located not far from the Total Tower; Yaacov Agam’s “The Monumental Fountain,” “Fantastic Characters” by Joan Miró; “Takis Basin,” a
Les Halles
With 150 stores, Westfield Forum des Halles is the largest shopping mall in central areas. Aigle, Calzedonia, Celio, Claudie Pierlot, Comptoir des Cotonniers, du Pareil au Même, H&M, Lacoste, Levi’s, Etam, Gap, Mango, Naf Naf, Petit Bateau, Pimkie, Princesse Tam Tam, Promod, Sandro, Zara are among the numerous fashion brands featured.
There is, of course, the renowned Centre Pompidou, which looks like a big chain supermarket from the future and reminds me of the movie Brazil. Jean Tingley built the strange and contentious Homage to Stravinsky fountains nearby (Kids always LOVE this fountain) Brancusi’s Studio is another little-known underground attraction that is often ignored. You may visit the rebuilt museum by purchasing a ticket from Pompido.
One of the city’s newest attractions is the stunning canopy above the retail centre. The Les Halles district is vibrant and essential to the city. Walking distance from the Centre Pompidou, the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Le Marais. When the ongoing renovations are finished, the entire district will be the throbbing heart of the city.
There are several hotels in the region, and it is one of the finest spots to stay due of its closeness to the Louvre and many other attractions, as well as the numerous restaurants and bars in Les Halles and the Marais.
It is open Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm.
Les Trois Quartiers
Aux Trois Quartiers was a Paris department store that opened in 1829 on the crossroads of Boulevard de la Madeleine and Rue Duphot. For advertising purposes, the business used postcards printed with the store’s name and address in the early twentieth century. The store was rebuilt as a commercial center in the 1990s.
There are fifteen cosmetics, apparel, and perfume stores. Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 19:00 p.m. 21 Avenue de la Madeleine (Arr 1) Madeleine metro station.
Sébastien Segers and Laurent Goudchaux chose to connect the historical tale with a contemporary design in order to restore the magnificence of this Department Store founded in 1932 by Louis Faure-Dujarric and to give a more efficient layout.
They have presented a fresh interpretation of the grid and the current facade’s principles: design rationality, horizontal strips, plain geometrical shapes, huge display windows, noble materials. A complete circular entrance has replaced the gaping angle leading to the basement shop. The circulation plan, structure, and ductwork inside the building have all been meticulously evaluated to enable a simple comprehension of the volumes.
Les Grands Boulevards
The Grands Boulevards were the place to see and be seen in Belle Époque Paris: at the cafés, at the opera, or in the magnificent passages couverts (glass-roofed arcades that functioned as the world’s first malls). With your eyes closed, you can almost envision the Impressionists immortalizing the Grands Boulevards on canvas, with well-dressed Parisians wandering spacious streets lined with stores, cafés, and horse-drawn carriages—all set against a backdrop of grand Haussmannian architecture. Despite the presence of chain stores, sidewalk sellers, and fast-food restaurants, the Grands Boulevards remain the city’s shopping hub, housing the two prominent department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps, near Place de l’Opéra.
Aside from shopping, the Grands Boulevards are a cultural attraction highlighted by the spectacular Opéra Garnier, which was commissioned by Napoléon III. The area also has some of the city’s greatest small museums, many of which are previously private collections housed in 19th-century hôtels particuliers (mansions) that are worth the journey in and of themselves. The magnificent Musée Jacquemart-André has an amazing collection of Italian Renaissance art, while the jewel-box Musée Nissim de Camondo commemorates the terrible end of one family. The Musée Cernuschi houses a stunning collection of Asian art, while the Musée National Gustave-Moreau pays homage to the Symbolist master.
La Madeleine
The Madeleine is a parish church of the Archdiocese of Paris; daily Masses and other religious events are held here, as are funerals and marriages. The Foyer de la Madeleine is located in the basement of the Church (entry on the Flower Market side). The Madeleine, like many other foyers managed by religious and civic organisations around France, houses a restaurant where for an annual membership fee, one can eat under the vaulted ceilings on a three-course French meal given by volunteers for a minimal sum. After dinner, one may have one of Paris’ cheapest espressos at a lounge at the far end of the lobby. Local artists frequently adorn the Foyer walls.
The Madeleine was inspired by the considerably smaller Maison Carrée at Nîmes, one of the best-preserved Roman temples, and was erected in the Neo-Classical style. It was one of the first great neoclassical structures to copy the entire exterior shape of a Roman temple, rather than just the portico front.
Inside, the church features a single nave with three domes over large arched bays that are richly gilded in a style inspired by both Roman baths and Renaissance painters. A statue by Carlo Marochetti sits at the back of the cathedral, above the high altar, representing St Mary Magdalene being hoisted up by angels, evoking the tradition of ecstasy that she experienced in her daily devotion while in isolation.
Les Galeries Lafayette
Les Galeries LaFayette is a world-famous high-end French department store and shopping mall with hundreds of brand names. Many tourists come to admire the flagship store in Paris, which has stunning interior decor in the art nouveau style. During the holidays, a stunning dome in the heart of Les Galeries LaFayette houses an enormous Christmas tree. Many people come here for the panoramic view of the city as well as the renowned fashion displays that take place on a regular basis. Galeries Lafayette is a great Parisian department store famed for its luxury clothes, gourmet cuisine, Art Nouveau architecture, and in-store events. Galeries Lafayette is still a renowned Paris shopping destination today. Because of its architecture, the store has also become a tourist attraction, and it features in-store activities such as macaron baking lessons and weekly Paris fashion shows.
The original flagship store is now stretched across three buildings on Boulevard Haussmann. There are two more shop locations in Paris (one on the Champs-Elysées and one in Beaugrenelle), as well as over 50 Galeries Lafayette sites around France. The shop also has various overseas sites.
Le Printemps
Le Printemps Haussmann is a big department store and retail mall with everything you could ever want. Many tourists praise the retail centre’s cleanliness and ease, noting that it’s easy to purchase a memento for everyone. Luxury items, tailoring services, beauty, health, and brand name clothes are all available in the shops. The tearoom features a magnificent, vaulted ceiling adorned in brilliant stained glass that was initially constructed in 1923.
The magnificent dome over the main restaurant of the Haussmann shop, constructed during the 1923 remodelling, is a notable element of the Haussmann store. To prevent being damaged in bombing raids, the cupola was disassembled and stored in Clichy in 1939. It was restored in 1973 by the grandson of its original designer, who used designs maintained in the family business’s archives. The building’s façade and cupola were designated as historical monuments in 1975. Their 1996 motto, “Au Printemps, nous avons des vêtements!” is sung as a catchy jingle in ads.
The Printemps shop, along with other well-known department stores like as Galleries Lafayette, is located on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. Other Printemps boutiques may be found in Paris and around France. Outside of France, the firm has built outlets in Andorra, Tokyo’s Ginza retail area, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Shanghai.
Les Champs-Elysees
This ancient road extends over 2 kilometres from Place de la Concorde to the grandiose Arc de Triomphe. But, despite being dubbed “the world’s most beautiful boulevard,” the Champs-Élysées was originally a marsh. André Le Nôtre, the Sun King’s gardener, traced its original course in the 17th century. As a result, a legend was formed. With each passing decade, the avenue grows more gorgeous.
A lot of premium firms have their headquarters in this prominent area. Guerlain has had its headquarters here in a listed structure since 1913, while the Louis Vuitton flagship — nothing short of a temple of luxury – also serves as a modern art museum, much to the pleasure of tourists.
Tiffany & Co, a high-end American jewellery business, has also opened a store on the famed Paris avenue. It is a sister shop to the flagship on New York’s Fifth Avenue, and it is set in the Audrey Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffany’s! On the boulevard, you’ll also find other well-known designers of designer jewellery and watches, like as Cartier and Mauboussin.
On a stroll down the Champs-Élysées, foodies will find many delights to sample: there is a Ladurée, known for mouth-watering French macarons, and 86 Champs, an innovative concept store created by a collaboration between Pierre Hermé and L’Occitane, offers a unique sensory experience mingling fragrance and pâtisserie.
La Vallee Village
La Vallée Village offers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.
It’s only 40 minutes from Paris and five minutes from Disneyland, and it’s open seven days a week. Every day is different at La Vallée Village. La Vallée Village is home to over 120 stores from some of the most fascinating French and international designers, offering primarily things from past seasons at attractive prices all year long. The Village, located just 40 minutes from Paris, provides the most unforgettable shopping days, with five-star luxury to make your vacation unique.
The Shopping Collection in Bicester Village the Bicester Village Shopping Collection brings together 11 distinct European and Chinese destinations, each within easy reach of many of the world’s most important gateway cities: London, Paris, Shanghai, Milan, Dublin, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Antwerp, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt, and Suzhou. The Collection is distinguished by its unusual brand combination, stunning locations, cultural depth, and exceptional service and discounts.
I am a French history enthusiast and blogger. I love to travel around France, exploring its many historical sites and sharing my passion with my readers. I am also an avid photographer, and my blog features many of my stunning photos of France’s beautiful landscape and architecture.