Rue Mouffetard (“La Mouffe“) is one of the oldest streets in Paris. And also probably the best-smelling. Rue Mouffetard is located in the 5th arrondissement, between Place de la Contrescarpe in the north and Rue Censier in the south. With a length of 605 metres, “La Mouffe“, as it is popularly known, is a typical market street with numerous market stalls and catering establishments. From fresh fruit and vegetables to fresh meat, seafood and pastries, everything is on offer here. The products are still almost glistening with freshness and together they create an intense explosion of smells.
the origin of “La Mouffe”
Originally, the name of the street derived from the old French term moufette for “skunk“. Triggered by the unpleasant smell of the former course of the Seine River, which was nearby, as all the city’s rubbish and sewage floated along unfiltered, more or less. Just the way things were back then. Most of the houses and buildings in the famous Parisian market street date from the 16th to 18th centuries, and it was only in 1938 that a gold treasure was found under the building at 53 Mouffetard, dating back to the time of Louis XV (1710 – 1774).
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Visiting Rue Mouffetard in Paris
If you visit Rue Mouffetard in Paris, you should definitely take some time to sample the many delicacies and enjoy a fresh and incomparably delicious baguette with jambon or fromage on one of the benches in Park Square Saint-Médard. We recommend that you prepare your own baguette, as this will save you money compared to the ready-made sandwiches. Just buy everything fresh from individual stalls and prepare it like a picnic. Equally recommended for a visit to Paris is a river cruise in Paris on the Seine in the evening/at night or a sightseeing walk along the Champs Elysees in Paris in the late afternoon/evening hours.
Pictures of my stroll around Rue Mouffetard in Paris
