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Viaduc des Arts

A small selection of places where contemporary and the best of twentieth-century design can be seen is listed below. Also worth checking out are the shops of the art and design museums, and the streets around the Bastille, with a high concentration of shops specializing in particular periods.

Colette 213 rue Saint-Honoré, 1^erwww.colette.fr. This cutting-edge concept store, combining high fashion and design, complete with photo gallery and exhibition space, is as cool as it comes. When you've finished sizing up the Pucci underwear, Stella McCartney womenswear and Sonia Rykiel handbags, head for the Water Bar, with its 80 different kinds of the precious stuff – agonize between the Brazilian Petropolis Paulista, the Corsican Orezza and the limited-edition Evian. M° Tuileries. Mon–Sat 10.30am–7.30pm.

CSAO (Compagnie du Sénégal et de l'Afrique de l'Ouest) 1 & 3 rue Elzévir, 3^ewww.csao.fr. Fairly traded crafts and artwork from West Africa, including Malian cotton scarves in rich, earthy tones and painted glass from Senegal. M° St-Paul. Mon–Sat 11am–7pm, Sun 2–7pm.

Eugénie Seigneur 16 rue Charlot, 3^e. The place to take your print or original for a highly unique frame. Also sells one-off beautiful old floral tiles, mirrors and interesting brooches. M° Republique. Mon–Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–1pm & 3–7pm.

Fiesta Galerie 45 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4^e. A big selection of twentieth-century kitsch objects. M° Hôtel-de-Ville. Tues–Sat noon–7pm, Sun & Mon 2–7pm.

Galerie Documents 53 rue de Seine, 6^e. The place to come for vintage posters all well displayed in this upscale gallery. M° Odéon. Mon 2.30–7pm, Tues–Sat 10.30am–7pm.

Galerie Maeght 42 rue du Bac, 7^e. Famous gallery that makes its own beautifully printed art books. M° Rue-du-Bac. Mon 10am–6pm, Tues–Sat 9.30am–7pm.

Galerie Patrick Séguin 34 rue de Charonne, 11^e. A fine collection of furniture and objects from the 1950s, including pieces by Le Corbusier and Jean Prouvé. There's another showroom nearby in rue des Taillandiers. M° Bastille. Tues–Sat noon–7pm.

Louvre des Antiquaires 2 pl du Palais-Royal. An enormous antiques and furniture hypermarket where you can pick up anything from a Mycenaean seal ring to an Art Nouveau vase – for a price. M° Palais-Royal/Musée-du-Louvre. Tues–Sun 11am–7pm; closed Sun in July and Aug.

Lulu Berlu 27 rue Oberkampf, 11^ewww.luluberlu.com. Crammed with twentieth-century toys and curios, most with their original packaging. M° Oberkampf. Mon–Sat noon–8pm.

Résonsances 9 cour St-Émilion, 12^e www.resonances.fr. Stylish kitchen and bathroom accessories, with an emphasis on French design. Covetable items include elegant wine decanters and a white porcelain hot-chocolate maker. M° Cour St-Émilion. Daily 11am–9pm.

Le Viaduc des Arts 9–129 av Daumesnil, 12^e. Practically the entire north side of the street is dedicated to an extremely high standard of skilled workmanship and craft. Each arch of this old railway viaduct houses a shop front and workspace for the artists within, who produce contemporary metalwork, ceramics, tapestry, sculpture and much more. M° Bastille/Gare de Lyon. Most shops open Mon–Sat 10.30am–7.30pm.