The Paris marché aux puces (flea markets) have their origins in the thriving rag and junk trade of a few centuries ago. With the approval of the archbishop of Paris, rag and junk merchants, called chiffoniers, were given a limited right to sell their wares. At night, they would gather up discarded items of every description to be sold, recycled, or transformed into something useful – scrap metal, broken glass to remelt for windows, fat for candles, old bones to turn into buttons and many different varieties of cloth, from the roughest material to the finest silk.

In 1883, a city official named Poubelle (now the French word for “garbage can”) initiated as a health measure the requirement that garbage receptacles in Paris be sealed, putting the livelihoods of the chiffonniers at risk. When they protested, the decree was softened, allowing them limited access to the bins at certain times. Meanwhile, rents in Paris had become prohibitive for many of these scrap dealers who began to move their operations to the periphery of the city, especially around the Porte de Clignancourt. As early as 1882, a scrap-metal market was taking place in St-Ouen, the nearby commune.

Flea markets as we know them today evolved from these scrap markets. The Parisian bourgeoisie, which was busily accumulating things at a rapid pace, felt the need to purge itself of possessions no longer in fashion, providing fodder for junk merchants. Around 1895, a small group of chiffoniers got together in a space between the city of Paris and the commune of St-Ouen and began offering to the curious public some of the wares they had collected.

A huge fad was now starting to emerge. People from other parts of the city would come to St-Ouen to cast a glance at this new phenomenon. Objects of all kinds were sold at these primitive outdoor markets where the expression marché aux puces began to be used. Regulations for the profession of brocanteur (dealing in secondhand goods) describe the things these merchants could sell and give us an idea of the items found in the market, such as old furniture, linens, clothing, jewelry and other merchandise au hasard (at random).

The St-Ouen market was a festive affair, a place for relaxing, gambling and playing games in the midst of the brocante trade. By 1908, one could get there from the center of Paris by Métro in only a few minutes. Around 1920, the first permanent markets at St-Ouen were installed – first the Marché Vernaison and soon after the Marché Malik. Others followed over the next few decades.

A huge injection of new energy was given to the puces in the late 1960s when the hippie generation made the wearing and use of secondhand goods the mantra of their age. Old objects symbolized craft and artistry, in opposition to commercialization and anonymity. This sentiment remains part of the appeal of flea markets today, although some reflect this notion far better than others.

The Marché Vernaison is the historical birthplace of the Paris St-Ouen Flea Market because it was here, in 1920, that the first organized market was born. At the time, Romain Vernaison, who held a concession on market pitches at the Halles de Paris, and then rented deck chairs in the parks of Paris, owned a plot of land in St-Ouen, where he set up a series of pre-fabricated wooden huts on the area known as "le 26 arpents". The village spirit of this new market attracted bric-a-brac merchants, discount traders and, crucially, period furniture dealers. It was an overnight success. The wooden shacks were gradually replaced by more permanent stands. With 9,000 square meters of floor space and over 300 stands, Vernaison is and will remain the leading market, an abiding memory of how commercial success came to this part of Paris. It represents just what visitors come to the flea market for – authenticity.

Vernaison is regarded by some as the cheapest market. The dealers have much lower rents to pay than in the neighboring markets, which allows them to be involved in jumble sales or so-called Chatou-style fairs. This has enabled them to remain faithful to the original bric-a-brac tradition. Most of the customers are from the general public, though the professionals are not forgotten, making the market welcoming and attractive, oblivious to the siren calls of the latest fashion. It is, of course, the best way never to go out of fashion! A few years ago Vernaison changed its legal status, going from a common rent-based system, when it used to belong to property developers, to a system of joint-owned plots. The result has been that the traders, having become in effect the proud owners of the market, are ready to invest even more time and energy than beforehand. Real estate interests have joined forces with commercial interests, and the quality of Vernaison has improved as a result.

The orange sign marking the two entrances of Vernaison at 99 rue des Rosiers and 136 avenue Michelet, depicts its mascot – an automated figure of a little man in a tailcoat and 18th-century wig. He is holding a fishing rod, presumably symbolizing the variety of goods to be found in the market. With its ten narrow winding alleys of Virginia-Creeper-covered stalls crammed to overflowing, the Marché Vernaison is the most picturesque of the markets.

In addition to the Marché Vernaison, there are eleven other St-Ouen markets. Forget about trying to figure out which one you are in – just abandon yourself to the experience. Collectibles of all kinds reign – jewelry, kitchenware, toys, books, tapestries, sewing notions, linens, lace, clocks, watches, key chains, postcards, lamps, militaria and dolls. Dealers selling antique dolls and accessories are everywhere.

The rich tradition of pottery making in Alsace dates from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 19th century. With the onset of industrialization, the production of pottery, as with so many other made-made crafts, declined. Today only two important centers for pottery-making remain – Soufflenheim and Betschdorf. Potters cater mainly to tourists, but they have lost none of their skills and techniques, and styles have changed little over the centuries.

The grey and blue tones of the salt-glazed stoneware pottery from Betschdorf make it easily recognizeable and distinguishable from the red earthenware produced in Soufflenheim. The charm of Betschdorf pottery is only enhanced by the fact that potters still make almost all pieces by hand on the pottery wheel. After the dried pots are engraved and painted with the traditional cobalt-blue designs, they are loaded into large walk-in kilns and the slow firing process begins. Over the next 20 hours, the fire builds until the temperature reaches 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. Handfuls of rock salt are then thrown into the white-hot kiln. When the salt hits the fire, it explodes and vaporizes. The resulting vapor combines with the clay to form the glaze. Because this process is so dynamic, no two pieces are ever exactly the same. Each pot has its own individual character. There are always variations in the pottery – that is the cherished nature of the salt-glazing process. Some pieces receive large amounts of salt vapor and others little. That is why some pieces will have just a lick of glaze while others are heavily dimpled.

Betschdorf pottery is unpretentious in its beauty, made in a simple, time-honored way, and each piece is a unique work of art.

The vibrant village of Betschdorf borders the Forêt de Haguenau, 45 km north of Strasbourg. Many residents occupy timber-framed houses dating from the 18th century, when the village was prosperous. A pottery museum, with a workshop attached, displays rural ceramics. Also worth visiting are the frescoed Gothic Niederbetschdorf church and the Lutheran Kuhlendorf church, the only timber-framed church in Alsace. Nearby is the Wacht, the former nightwatchmen's quarters. Betschdorf is a good place to try tarte flambées – hot, thin-crusted "pizzas" topped with cheese or fruit.

Originally the home of a colony of immigrants from Perugia (central Italy), Pérouges is a fortified hilltop village of medieval houses and cobblestone streets. In its heyday in the 13th century, it was a thriving center of linen weaving; but with the mechanization of the industry in the 19th century, the local population dwindled from 1,500 to 8.

Restoration of its historic buildings and a new influx of craftsmen have breathed new life into Pérouges. Not surprisingly, the village has often been used as the setting for historical dramas such as The Three Musketeers and Monsieur Vincent. The village's main square, place des Tilleuls, is shaded by a huge lime tree planted in 1792 to honor the Revolution.

Wander at your leisure through the town, soaking up the precious atmosphere of the stone-built village. Linen merchants sold their wares under the Gothic arcades and galleries on either side of the town's streets. In the eastern sector of rue des Rondes are many stone houses of former hand weavers. The stone hooks on the facades were for newly woven pieces of linen.

The Ostellerie du Vieux Pérouges provides the only overnight lodging in the town. This extraordinary historic inn, with its glossy wood floors and tables, and gigantic stone hearths, is furnished with the most wonderful antiques. Meals in the Ostellerie's restaurant are served on pewter plates by waitresses in folk costume. There are several other restaurants on or near the village square, providing diners with a variety of choices.

Pérouges is about 25 miles northeast of Lyon off the N84 highway or A42 Autoroute – Exit 7 Pérouges. The nearest train station is in Meximieux.

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