Les Bouquinistes: The Green Bookstalls of the Seine

Walk along the Seine from the Pont Neuf and you'll notice big green boxes lining the riverbank, blocking the view. People sometimes mistake them for trash bins, but they're actually market stalls, so please don't throw your garbage in them. They're even a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The roughly 900 secondhand booksellers set up along the Seine are known as bouquinistes. The word comes from the French bouquin, meaning an old book, so a bouquiniste is someone who sells bouquins. Besides antique books, the stalls sell paintings, postcards, magnets, coasters and other souvenirs. During the day the boxes are flung open for business, and there are surprisingly many cheap, pretty souvenirs to be found. On a sunny day, browsing the bouquinistes on a riverside stroll is one more way to enjoy the romance of Paris.