Herboristerie de la Place de Clichy, Rue d’Amsterdam since 1880

The Herboristerie de la Place de Clichy, a herbalist on the Rue d’Amsterdam, has championed plant medicine since 1880 at number 87, a short walk from the Place de Clichy. It is said to be one of the oldest herbalists in Europe.

The shop, also known as La Grande Herboristerie, has kept its yellow façade and its apothecary furniture with wooden drawers. The scent of plants has filled it for more than a century, and advice is given at the counter before remedies are prepared.

The trade works within narrow limits: since 1941 French law has reserved the sale of most medicinal plants to pharmacists, except for 150 considered harmless. In 2016, when the shop was under threat, a petition launched by Alice Wasser gathered nearly 6,000 signatures in its defence.

Near the Place de Clichy, in the 8th arrondissement, the shop offers more than 900 items: loose plants, essential oils, vegetable oils and mother tinctures, and herbal tea blends are made up on site after advice.