Things to do in Saint-Denis

The greatest football and rugby champions have trodden this pitch. The French football team won their first world cup here. Legendary artists, from the Rolling Stones to Beyoncé, regularly take on the challenge to fill the stadium. It is truly a symbol of French sports, a Holy Grail of stars that has made Saint-Denis shine across the world since it opened in 1998.

As any Olympic athlete will tell you, keeping fit depends partly on your diet. If you want to eat healthily, head for Saint-Denis market. This is the Paris Region’s biggest market boasting some 220 permanent retailers. For stallholders, obtaining a space here is like winning a gold medal.

Over 120,000 people come here to shop on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. A descendant of the medieval Lendit fair, the market of Saint-Denis is said to date back more than 1,000 years. It is nicknamed “the world market” and its stalls are packed with specialities from around 50 different countries. You’ll find a huge choice of fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and other foods. Quite often, the hardest part is making up your mind. If you’re an early bird, be there at 8am to purchase produce at its freshest. Unless you’re hoping for discounts, in which case it’s smarter to turn up at the last minute.

The Saint-Denis canal extends for more than 6 km between the Ourcq canal and the river Seine. It went into service in 1821 on the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte. Ever since, there has been a constant to and fro of boats carrying merchandise. There are also plenty of cruise boats travelling from lock to lock.

Besides accommodating river traffic, the canal is a lively place in its own right. Its surroundings have been gradually developed, especially along the right bank. Nowadays, it can be followed on foot, on a skateboard, scooter, bicycle or roller skates. What’s more, the Saint-Denis history trail starts near the Stade de France. It features 20 information points that lead visitors via the canal to the Cathedral of Saint-Denis, covering 2,000 years of history along the way.

Sport is everywhere in Saint-Denis. After the rugby World Cup in 2023, the department of Seine-Saint-Denis will accommodate the 2024 OPG athletes in a Village that has been strategically designed for conversion into a district. Fancy tracking the progress of the construction site? Or perhaps checking out where your future apartment will be? Guided tours are organised around the 51 hectares of the competitors’ future habitat.

Located in the historic town centre of Saint-Denis, the Légion d’Honneur park offers a lovely green setting in which to enjoy a walk and relax. It has everything the children need: a playground and plenty of space for them to laugh and shout at the top of their lungs. In spring, make sure you don’t miss the Tulip festival. At this time of year, the park looks like a rainbow of vegetation. Visitors wander between the flowerbeds as their imaginations run wild.

The park is also home to the old royal abbey of Saint-Denis. Completed during the reign of Louis XV, the building was converted by Napoleon into a Legion of Honour secondary school for girls. It is now attended by sixth-form and higher-education students. And it is open to visitors! Follow the guide through the cloister, chapel and park to relive key moments in the history of this site.