In Rouen, we know the art of bargaining and hunting for antiques
Are you looking for home accessories? There is of course the Rue Damiette, the famous street of antique dealers whose shop windows embellish and bring to life this street in the historic centre of the city. The large rustic wardrobes stand alongside French Empire-style chests of drawers on which are displayed clocks with ostentatious gilding. Paintings are displayed next to engravings and knick-knacks to the delight of bargain hunters coming from here and there.
Rouen, the city of antiques!
Rouen reinvents antique shopping with numerous modern antique dealers: Playtime, Dalalavintage and Retro Design. If you push open the doors of these shops, you will find many lamps, furniture and items from the 1950s to the 1980s: from the orange apple-shaped ice cube tray to the instant Polaroid camera including cushions with psychedelic patterns. Everything you need to recreate the decor of Stanley Kubrick's movies is in these museum-like shops. Incidentally, the retro design price guide was born in Rouen!
No time to waste to find the ideal item? Bistros have turned into antique dealers and antique dealers have opened bistros in their shops. You just have to stroll in the "Carré d'Or", the pedestrian area surrounding the cathedral, to find them (Rue Saint-Nicolas for instance). Over a cup of tea, you will fall for the Formica sideboard next to the bar and go back home with it!
Antique fairs and flea markets
To find the rare gem, there are two places in Rouen where you should absolutely go: Thursday's antique fair located behind Seine-Maritime's Council Offices on the left bank of the river and the market Clos Saint-Marc, which takes place on Sunday mornings behind Saint-Maclou Church. You should sit down on a café's terrace to make the most of the astonishing hustle and bustle of this market square.