Here is another gem for you to walk all over it and do enjoy some of the best theater outings in the city of lights.The most beautiful city in the world! I like to update this older post with new text and updated links, as it was one of my most frequent hangouts in my eternal Paris. I like to bring you over to the Place du Châtelet and the wonderful fountain , statues and theaters of Châtelet and Ville that is here. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Place du Châtelet straddles the 1éme and 4éme arrondissements of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, at the entrance to the Pont au Change. It was name as such because it formed largely from the site of the Grand Châtelet, which was demolished in 1802; rue Saint-Leufroi, which in 1313 was called “rue du Châtelet” or “rue Devant-le-Châtelet”; and on one side of the rue de la Joaillerie, as well as the rue Trop-Va-Qui-Dure and which led to the Grand-Châtelet. It was built on the site of the Grand Châtelet, a former fortress which served as a prison and court under the monarchies and which was destroyed in 1802 during the reign of Napoleon I.
The Place du Châtelet had a width of 62.5 meters. It was recognized at that time that the fontaine du Palmier or Fountain of the Palm Tree had not been built exactly in the axis of the square, it resulted from this rectification that the width of the square was reduced to 61.4 meters The square was considerably enlarged in 1854 as part of the transformations of Paris under the Second Empire(Haussmann/ Napoleon III), notably by absorbing rue Pierre-à-Poisson. The fountain is then moved 12 meters to the west. The center of the square is reserved for pedestrians
The Fontaine du Palmier aka the Fontaine du Châtelet or Fontaine de la Victoire is a historical monument located on the Place du Châtelet in the 1er arrondissement of Paris. It was erected between 1806 and 1808 at the behest of Napoleon I to commemorate his military victories and the development of the city’s water supply system. The monument consists of a commemorative column, the shaft of which resembles the trunk of a palm tree. At its summit stands a gilded statue of Victory, holding out laurel wreaths. A lower basin, added in 1855, is adorned with four bronze sphinxes sculpted by Henri-Alfred Jacquemart and designed by Gabriel Davioud.
On either side of the square, along the quays, stand two theaters built by Gabriel Davioud at the request of Baron Haussmann: the Théâtre du Châtelet and the Sarah Bernhardt,(see post), which became the Théâtre de la Ville.(see post). Four brasseries can be found at the four corners of the square, including my favorite Le Zimmer. The idea here is to sight see, window shopping, zip a coffee, have a glass of wine, do some shopping, and then go to a theater play, choose your site ,is all wonderful.
The Place du Châtelet is a maze of transportation hub, and even if fun to do once I tell first time visitors to avoid it, It is located at the intersection of rue de Rivoli, avenue Victoria and the quays of the Mégisserie and Gesvres, and boulevard de Sébastopol and boulevard du Palais, by the Pont au Change. You can access the Place du Châtelet on the banks of the Seine from the Ile de la Cité by the Pont au Change, near the square is the Tour St Jacques,(see post) bordered by the Rue de Rivoli, The Place du Châtelet has a metro station, accessible from the center and the sides of the square: Châtelet station, which is served by metro lines 1, 4, 7, 11,and 14. It is also connected underground to the RER station Châtelet – Les Halles lines A ,B, and D. It is also served by several RATP bus lines to see Paris better these are: The Châtelet bus station is located at 2 Rue Saint Denis just by the resto Au Trappiste (another favorite). The Châtelet arrêt/stop is served by bus lines 21,38, 47, 58, 67, 69, 70, 74, 76,and 85, The Châtelet bus station is located near the bus stations , Châtelet – Quai de Gesvres (line 70), Hôtel de Ville (line 70), Coutellerie (line 96) and Cité – Palais de Justice (line 96).
The Paris tourist office on the place du Châtelet: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/transport/place-du-chatelet-p1991
The Paris tourist office on the Fontaine de la Victoire: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/transport/fontaine-de-la-victoire-p1886
The Paris tourist office on a walk around Châtelet: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/walk-around-chatelet-paris-a923
There you go folks, a wonderful square full of architecture, history of Paris and great entertainment area. We love it and spent quite a bit of time here with friends , and family over the years. The Place du Châtelet is another memorable spot for us and hope it will be yours too.
And remember, happy travel, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
