Paris, and My Love of Les Halles

The first time I went to Paris, I didn’t plan to fall in love with Les Halles. I had booked a room near the Louvre — purely out of practicality. I had work meetings nearby and figured staying close would make the logistics easier. That morning, I was rushing down Rue Saint-Honoré.

It was raining, I was slightly sleep deprived and in desperate need of a cappuccino — and something buttery to take the edge off. The light had that soft early Parisian glow — the kind that makes even your exhaustion feel cinematic. And then I saw it — just a glimpse of stone and shadow through an intersection: Saint-Eustache Church.

I stopped in my tracks.

Now, I’ve seen a lot of churches, but this one had a certain gravity to it. Its presence was so immense, I genuinely couldn’t believe I’d never heard of it before. I didn’t know what I was looking at from a distance, and I new I needed to find out.

It was just down the street from my accommodation, yet it had completely escaped my radar. Looking back, I was still a travel novice then—and I’ve since learned that this is just how cities like Paris work. Around nearly every corner, there’s another massive, meaningful monument you’ve somehow never seen or even heard of.

Anyway, I was running late at the time, so I had to keep moving—but something about it stayed with me all day. Maybe it was the flying buttresses; it was the first time I’d ever seen them in person.

Or maybe it was the sheer surprise of stumbling upon it. That evening, as soon as I was done with work, I walked back to find it again. I even took the long way—I wanted to stumble upon it just like I had that morning.

That’s the thing about Paris — it rewards wanderers.

That experience was a catalyst and kicked off what has now become a ritual. Every time I return to Paris, I start my day of shooting in front of Saint-Eustache. Even if I’m staying in a different part of town – I won’t completely gear up or get ready until I’ve arrived in Les Halles.

There’s something grounding about starting here. The church is massive, commanding, but it never feels boastful. It’s not packed with tourists like Notre-Dame or Sacré-Cœur. There is calm about it — even when it’s busy. 

Right next to it is Nelson Mandela Park, with its wide open space, benches, and a touches of green. Then, just on the other side, a massive glass canopy covers part of the Forum des Halles shopping center. Rain? Covered. Wind? No problem. Need a bathroom or a quick pastry? All within a few steps. Want to reset your gear — or your mindset — before hitting the streets? This is the place.

It’s now a full-on habit: I arrive early, sit on the same bench with a croissant, check my batteries, maybe shoot a few frames of the light hitting the facade or the flying buttresses. Then I get up, gear up and close my backpack. Now I’m ready. It’s not even about the church anymore. It’s about the ritual. It’s my own base in Paris.

And here’s the kicker — I didn’t know it at the time, but Les Halles might be the most strategic place in all of Paris for a photographer to begin their day.

The Accidental Masterstroke of Location

Paris is a big city, but the places you want to photograph — the iconic architecture, the energy of the neighborhoods, the “oh wow” moments — are surprisingly walkable from Les Halles.

Seriously. From that same bench, you’re just a 6-minute walk from the Louvre, 20 minutes to Notre-Dame, and 8 minutes to the Centre Pompidou. Even Musée d’Orsay is only 25 minutes away.

Feeling ambitious? You can walk all the way to the Eiffel Tower in an hour — and capture an entire day’s worth of magic along the way.

Want the vibe of a neighborhood? Les Halles has you sitting on the edge of:

• Rue Montorgueil, brimming with food, texture, and personality—2 minutes.
• Le Marais, maybe the most photogenic neighborhood in the city—17 minutes.
• The Latin Quarter, a mix of chaos and charm—22 minutes.
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where elegance meets poetry—23 minutes.

It’s not an exaggeration to say you could base an entire shoot within a 2 km radius and never run out of compelling frames. You can also expand your shooting grounds to further neighborhoods. 

The Metro Factor

Châtelet–Les Halles is the largest underground station in the city, and honestly, it feels like it. It’s not just convenient — it’s a superpower.

Between the Les Halles metro stop where you have access to the metro line #4, and Châtelet les Halles, where you can hop on the RER A, B, and D lines – you really have quite a few transportation options all in one place.

Fueling the Photographer

There’s also no shortage of food near Les Halles — and good food matters. It’s not just about keeping yourself fed—it’s about interludes of pause. The quiet of an early breakfast. The break you take when your feet break. The people you meet, the interactions that turn into stories. But sometimes I also don’t have the luxury to sit down for long. But when I do…

Chez Denise is the epitome of French and feels like you’re stepping into a time capsule.

Au Pied de Cochon is open all night, making it the perfect spot for a post-shoot feast.

Let me be honest — a lot of the time when I’m in Paris, I’m in a bit of a rush. Living in Italy, I’d never step into a Starbucks, but in Paris, I give myself a pass if I’ve got no time. There is a small Carrefour City in the Forum des Halles shopping center where I sometimes stock up on the basics — snacks, juice, and water. I’ll call that my meal, and then it’s back to pounding the pavement.

What keeps bringing me back to Les Halles isn’t just photographic strategy, though — it’s soul. This place has history — centuries of it. It was once Paris’s central food market. Zola wrote about it. There’s something poetic about beginning your creative day in the same place where generations of Parisians began theirs, surrounded by the echo of old commerce and modern chaos.

I don’t always need a sunrise over Sacré-Cœur to feel inspired — sometimes all it takes is a free bench, a croissant, and a few seconds to ground myself in a place that’s both familiar and endlessly inspiring.

For me, Les Halles has it all.