"Les Halles" is the name of the central market halls in Paris, which existed until the 1970s and gave the district its name. Fresh food was offered here in large halls and stalls in the surrounding streets. The use of the place as a market goes back to the Middle Ages.
Beginning with the Haussmann city redesign, the halls were gradually demolished; In 1974, a park was created in their place.

Here in the old picture is the old Rue de la Tonnellerie, documented by Charles Marville, before its demolition. On the left you can see houses with thick pillars with stalls in between - for a long time very characteristic of the square. At the front you can see the church of St. Eustache, on the right a part of the market halls.

Today, underground, there is a large shopping center, the so-called "Forum des Halles", with a swimming pool, cinema, library and archive. The train station "RER Châtelet - Les Halles" is the largest underground railway station in the world.