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A treasure hunter’s paradise.
Foire de Chatou, a semi-annual event that takes place in early March and late September stretching into October, one full week every six months, is an event to plan your trip to Paris, or anywhere in France, for that matter, around.
I must confess, it was by happenstance that my trip in March coincided with the first weekend of Foire de Chatou earlier this year, but having known about this fair for many years, when I saw that my trip did overlap, a visit became a priority.
The history of this centuries old fair
It all began with pigs. Yep, in the Middle Ages, the Ham Fair (la Foire aux Jambons) spontaneously became an annual event organized around Holy Week where provincial charcutiers would converge on Paris, near Notre-Dame to sell their pork products. Pork, up until the 19th century, was the primary food of choice for Christmas dinners for peasants, bourgeois, and aristocrats alike in France. Without regulation, which there was none, the number of charcutiers grew and grew and grew until King Louis VI abolished the freedom of movement granted to pigs due to his son Phillipe’s death being caused by falling off his horse prompted by a pig crossing their path. Regulations were promptly put into place beginning in 1451.
For another 50 years, the fair continued as it was, but by the 16th century, it began to be relocated to many other locations due to growing in size. Then, the Revolutionary period in the 18th century brought a temporary pause. By 1840, boulevard Bourdon was its home.
It was at this time that the fair began to resemble what we eventually now see today, filled with home items, antiques, etc.. What can only be described as a profound transformation, from being a Ham Fair solely to now including vendors selling bric-a-brac, used clothing, and antique scrap metal, one fair became two. In very little time, this fair, known as la Foire à la Ferraille (the Scrap Metal Fair) surpassed la Foire aux Jambons in interest and importance.
Until 1869, a police order transferred what had now become two markets to Boulevard Richard-Lenoir where they remained for nearly a century. World War II understandably prompted another temporary pause, but when the war was over, what resumed is the schedule we see today – two annual editions – one in spring and one in autumn.
How did the fair end up in Chatou, which is just about a 15 minute train ride from the heart of Paris? (I share detailed train instructions at the end of this post – very simple to do and inexpensive!) In 1970, the Prefect of Paris permitted that the fair could be relocated outside of Paris, and so with the help of the Municipality of Chatou, the necessitates to ensure a continued existence of le Foire à la Brocante de France – Foire de Chatou is now it’s rightful name due to the support of Chatou. And in a way, it makes it all the more special because treasure-hunters have to chose to find it, have to chose to leave Paris and dare to step beyond the borders of what they know and so much is written.
Filled with tent upon tent, rows and rows of vendors have thoughtfully displayed their treasures, as you will see in the photos below, you will find items as small as silverware to full tables, settees, chairs, art, mirrors, absolutely anything you could imagine. Let’s take a look at the treasures found, appreciated and the ones that captured my awe and admiration. While I purchased very little due to packing space, as I will share below further in this post, they make shipping internationally very simple to do right there at the grounds should you find something you cannot live without that will not fit in your suitcase ☺️
Buying Tickets:
You can buy tickets online for €10 or pay in person when you arrive. Both are easy to do. I purchased mine online prior to arriving. The event is open every day during the dates shared on their website during spring and autumn, beginning at 10am and closing at 7pm.
Arrive hungry!
Food aplenty is available at the fair, delicious food (and wine! and proper sit-down-and-dine tables and chairs!) The food will keep you nourished while you shop. Quite a few sit down restaurants are put together, so you can relax and enjoy a delicious meal. It really is an occasion, not only for the shoppers like ourselves but the vendors too as many of them make this an annual event coming from all over France, and so this is a rendezvous to see and catch up with each other. You will see a handful of vendors sitting down for lunch around a table, enjoying their food and wine and thoroughly enjoying themselves most of all! It is quite a fun and joyful sight to see.
Visiting Foire de Chatou in March 2025, on the first day open to the public.
With beautiful weather following a week of rain and temperamental early spring fits, the fair seemed to calm the storms. Vendors and shoppers couldn’t have asked for more pristine and comfortable shopping conditions.
How to Ship!
The fair has an entire tent set up for you to find the best size of a box and pack your treasures safely to be shipped back home.
How to arrive from Paris by Train – RER A (step-by-step)
Using the BonjourRATP app, input your starting destination, so you will know which metro station is closest to you wherever you find yourself in Paris.
1st
I was in Montmartre, so I took the Absesses Metro line 2 (seen here – the entrance/exit in Montmartre) to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and then got on the RER A, I headed toward Charles de Gaulle-Etoile. For the entire ride, there and back, it was €7.
You can buy your tickets on the app (this worked for me sometimes, but sometimes it didn’t and then I had to purchase my tickets at the metro stop, which is easy to do – I recommend using a Navigo card and keeping it charged). And when leaving mid-morning and then back in mid-afternoon, it took between 30-50 minutes each trip.
2nd
The train ride will take about 10-15 minutes, it is quite quick.
Exit at the Chatou-Croissy stop (not the Rueil-Malmaison station which is just before it – it is close to the fair, and there is a shuttle that will take you to the fair, but if you exit on Chatou-Croissy, you will see all the tents as you cross over the Seine and know exactly where you are).
3rd
As you leave the station, take a left (do not go back under the train/road through the tunnel – – which I did by mistake at first) around the block to walk along the street. You will be walking through a quiet (and nice) neighborhood (see photos). You are still on the ‘other side’ of the bridge from the fair, but you are walking toward the pedestrian walk that will take you over and under to the fair.
I found that most people, locals, took this path to the fair rather than departed the train at the previous station. I just followed people once I found my bearings.
4th
Turn left at the end of the street and you will see the river (the Seine) ahead of you. Then the river will be on your right upon turning left to walk along this street with the ornate fence on your left. Walk by these very fancy gates (one is a museum) and keep walking to the pedestrian overpass of the river.
5th
Walk up these steps to the pedestrian overpass that will take you across the river.
The pedestrian bridge you are now on. You are walking over the Seine river.
6th
Walk over the river (say hello to the Seine!), and then you will come to steps that swoop down to a road that is in the vendors’ parking lot, and you will continuing walking to the right, walking under the pedestrian and road bridge, and then! You will see the fair that will be on your right!
Time to plan your next visit!
The next fair on the calendar is their autumn event which opens to the general public on Friday September 26th and runs for an entire week, concluding on October 5th. You can learn more about la Foire de Chatou here, as well as purchase your tickets online. But rest assured, you can buy them at the same price at the gate.
May you find many treasures, and whether you bring them home or simply appreciate and draw inspiration from them, this is a visit to put on your itinerary. 😌
What did I purchase, you may be wondering? Well, as I shared, not much, but oh how I was drawn to the table and four chairs for the garden, as well as the duvet in gold and magenta detailing. The side tables especially caught my eye, and once I lay the groundwork for the guest bedroom, I will feel confident buying something and shipping it, knowing it will be perfect for my home.
What I did bring home is a sterling silver bread basket. While simple, it is now regularly used whenever I place a baguette, croissants, or bread on the table, paired with a traditional white and red striped tea towel, and the table looks all the more French. You can see a glimpse of it in use in the trailer for the Intro to French Cooking class, but you can also see the basket below as I saw it at the fair.
Even though I may not have purchased much, I feel as though I gained more than I could have imagined through inspiration of what is available to add both beauty and functionality to the home and in engaging with some of the vendors in French, appreciating their eye, and generally, just being able to take part in this centuries long fair. A special memory indeed.
Explore all of the posts shared during TSLL’s 10th Annual French Week
