Window shopping in the commercial heart of Valenciennes

The Place d’Armes is Valenciennes’ main shopping square, bustling with life and above all pedestrian since May 2023. Dominated by the 45m-high steel obelisk named “La Valenciennes” by J.B. Métais, you’ll find plenty of stores to suit all tastes, as well as brasseries to unwind in summer and winter alike. A must-see for strollers discovering the city, it’s The Place to Shop!

Located in Valenciennes and easily accessible by public transport, Centre Place D’armes (built on the site of a former cinema on a 16,000m2 site) welcomes you for your shopping as part of the “Coeur de Ville” project launched in 1997.

A veritable district has been reconstituted in the heart of Valenciennes, delighting shoppers of all ages!

There are over 50 stores and restaurants to discover inside! Fnac, H&M, Zara, Bershka, Hema, Sephora, Nature&Découvertes etc. and even a Carrefour Market food court. And don’t forget the underground parking lot for safe, stress-free parking.

Center Place d’Armes also regularly organizes events, exhibitions and shows in its large ground-floor gallery.

THE must-visit street in Valenciennes to indulge your shopping passion! Firstly, because it’s pedestrianized and very pretty, considered to be the most beautiful street in Valenciennes (beautiful old facades, bricks and wood reminiscent of the streets of Vieux Lille), and secondly, because it’s packed with good addresses.

Of course, you’ll find some of the big chains like MANGO (always nice, you might say), but above all, you’ll find many more confidential brands and concept stores like SCUSA, a clothing, accessories and home decor boutique, as well as Jaqk (men’s clothing), Les Pipelettes and Les Trésors de Léa.

You’ll pass by some of the street’s most beautiful facades, such as one of the 3 Scaldian houses (to be seen in this tour), the brasserie l’Escargot or Les Savons de Marseille, which will add pleasure to your shopping experience, not forgetting a tea or coffee break at Saveurs & Découvertes, for example.

If you continue along the cobbled, pedestrianised street, you’ll come across other shop windows, but this time in a completely different setting, with antique dealers, art craftsmen or a jewellery designer unique to Valenciennes…

Stop at the “Hôtel de Ville” station and you’ve arrived downtown!

Welcome to rue de la Vieille Poissonnerie (formerly the fish market), crossed by the tramway since 2006. Located just behind the Place d’Armes & Hôtel de Ville, this street is ideal if you’re looking for something original to buy or treat yourself to!

A few “coup de coeur” addresses stand out and are well worth a visit on this busy street: Sur le Trottoir d’en face (on the opposite side of the street) , a world of local, hand-crafted creations with an eco-responsible ethic; Bonbons Caramels Chocolat, a boutique workshop where you can travel to the land of gourmet delights (chocolates to be found in the tourist office boutique); and La Mezzanine (the new vintage coffee-shop and tea-room).

The spirit of PLACE Ô MARCHÉ is one of conviviality and good humor!

Located on the Place Poterne in a former racecourse dating from the 1920s and renovated in 2020, it’s a must-see stop-off for this covered market.

On site, you’ll meet local independent craftsmen: fishmongers, butchers, cheesemongers, greengrocers… They’ll offer you fresh, quality products on the spot. And don’t forget THE renowned local coffee roaster: café REMY(available in the tourist office store).

To extend your stroll through the market hall, several restaurants invite you to stop for a drink, or to indulge in a good regional or Italian brasserie dish! These restaurants offer a festive, convivial atmosphere on certain evenings of the year (Brazilian evenings, match transmissions, etc.).

It’s a real new place to live, a convivial place for sharing and exchanging, just a stone’s throw from the Parc des Prix de Rome, the Phoenix and the Royal Hainaut!