Paris1972-Versailles2003

I have done when I started my blog way back in Nov’2010 a series of runs on each line of the Metro de Paris. I figure it is time to update and reduce the non essentials and leave the vital for any visitor and resident as well. Paris not only have Parisians but French from every department of France and even some foreign residents and/or citizens who use it every day.  I hope it helps you understand a bit more what Paris metro or subway or tube underground is all about. Of course, remember, this is my take condense information there is a book on the metro !! Therefore, here is my take on the Metro de Paris , part II !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I,

I am amaze at the number of people coming from places where there is no subway .metro:tube and gladly jump in into the Paris metro and rave about it back home. Like it was a tourist attractions; well , I like to tell you above ground is better but anyway here is the metro of Paris, It has 16 metro lines so far.

I will talk about line 4 of the Paris metro. It links the north and the south of Paris, the line was progressively built starting in 1908 and not all station connected until 1910. Not before complaint from the scholars at the Institut de France of the noise, and the line diverted to Châtelet and ile de la Cité. the line was enlarged in 1977 with the station Les Halles ,dug 30 meters deep to accommodate the RER train line. It has been enlarge with the extention to mairie de Montrouge. I pick to begin at the porte de Clignancourt,station ,this village was ,also, annexed to Paris in 1860. It belongs to the abbey Saint Denis and eventually abbey of Montmartre,the flea market came to be by the walls of the old fortified walls of Thiers. We go inside Paris to Etienne Marcel, line open in 1908 named after the prevost of merchants: You can see the vertiges of the middle ages at the Arbre à liége, 10 rue Tiquetonne. See the wonderful tour de Jean-Sans-Peur ,duke of Burgundy that remains of the hotel de bourgogne, at 20 rue Etienne Marcel. See another Passage du Bourg-l’abbé open from 1827,at 120 rue Saint Denis. And insist to go to the passage Grand-Cerf at 145 rue Saint Denis, 113 meters long with 12 meters high full of elegant boutiques, and it was here that the carriages coming from the east of France had its terminal.

Moving on to Les Halles, the belly of Paris, the food market of the city since Philippe Auguste times!!!In 1851 Napoleon III ask Baltard to do them in metal, finally the market moves to Rungis, and here in Paris it becomes the Forum des Halles ,again renovated and enlarge today. See the wonderful Church of Saint Eustache built from 1532 to 1667, and the patron saint of the hunters,and after having an encounter with the deer Louis XIV had his first communion here, at 2 impasse Saint Eustache ,nearby the nice fontaine des innocents at the corner of rue Saint Denis and rue Berger,, serve as model for the famous Wallace fountains. And, of course the Forum des Halles for its many stores. You come now to the center, Cité ,the line was open first, then the station open in 1910. It was with République the first station dotted with elevators! in 1911; the frozen of the seine to minus 25C was needed  so that the pass of the stones will be very sturdy, work was slow, and the stairs needed to bileveled them 13 meters! An architectural marvel underground. You have the magnificient Cathedrale de Notre Dame, built between the 12-14C, beautiful decoration and a front portal showing the hell entrance to the left and the heaven entrance to the right. There is a rosary of 10 meters in diameter under the galeries des rois, and do not miss the Trésor or treasure room. Parvis de Notre Dame,pl Jean Paul II as it is now call.  Damaged but still our Paris , and it will back by December 2024 !!! Here is the point zero of distances in France done from 1924. The marvelous Sainte Chapelle, to host the relics of Christ, brought by Saint Louis (king Louis IX) a must to see at 4 blvd du Palais. The Conciergerie, old palace of the Cité, the wonderful tour de horloge, the first public clock in France,inside the biggest gothic room in Europe! not to mention last living place of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.. while in prison.

We come now to Saint Michel , he is shown facing the devil or satan in the fountain statue at the crossing of place Saint Michel quai grands augustins, quai et blvd Saint MIchel; the station open in 1910. Of course see the fountain built in 1860 , Move over to Odéon, station open in 1910. the site of the théatre français in 1779 and takes the current name in 1797, you can see in the station, at the platform direction porte de Clignacourt a bust of Danton, marking the site where he live during the French revolution Do not missed the Odéon Théatre de l’Europe at pl de l’Odéon and see the holes of bullets from WWII during the liberation of Paris, We arrive at Saint-Germain-des-Prés,  from 555 St Germain built the first abbey here.The relics of king Childebert the son of  Clovis are kept here. See the wonderful Pont des Arts, the first bridge in Paris done in iron from 1801. The fame and prestigious Institut de France, 23 quai Conti, done from 1663 by Le Vau, see the spectacular dome of Quatre Nations, and like me that went in and had meeting at the famous salon Victor Hugo, where he gave lectures, Moving on to another oldie at Church Saint Sulpice , built the church from 1211 and the famous Da Vinci code was done here, the station open in 1910.  There is a nice theater here, Théatre du Vieux Colombier from 1913 at 21 rue du vieux colombier, it is an annex of the Comédie Française !

We arrive at my meeting place and entry point into Paris today, Montparnasse-Bienvenue station.  The mont parnasse was a small hill, the station was first call Maine on line 5, then add the name of Bienvenue in 1933 to that of the train station it is today Gare Montparnasse. the Tour Montparnasse done in 1973 with 59 floors and 25 elevators, the one from ground floor to the 56 platform can do in 38 seconds! We continue on to Raspail ,line open in 1906. here you have the fondation Cartier at 261 blvd Raspail, and the equally famous cementary of Montparnasse there since 1924 with great names such as Sartre,de Bouvoir,Gainsbourg,Baudelaire, Kessel, etc entry 3 blvd Edgar Quinet. We arrive at Denfert-Rochereau, it marked the distance between the via superior (today rue St Jacques) and  it via inferior (as the barrier to hell), name after a resistance fighter in the war of 1870 at the Belfort where the lion symbol represent the heroisme shown there. The station is one of the first ones to have mechanical stairs.  A souvenir of the barrier of hell is the Pavillons Ledoux, here we pay to get into the city,and today is the entrance to the catacombes, to do a bone resting place since the 18C with 130 steps below Paris, about 6 million dead are here,by 1 avenue d Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. Finally see the Observatoire founded by Colbert in 1167 and today the heart of French astronomy research at 77 avenue Denfert-Rochereau.

I will talk about line 5 of the Paris metro. It was the first north south axis of Paris well before line 4. Linking Seine Saint Denis (dept93 Seine Saint Denis) with place d’Italie, the viaduc d’Austerlitz was built between 1903-1904 but it was the viaduc du Quai de la Rapée that took the most work built between 1903-1906. It took the line 2 South in 1907, and enlarge to the gare du Nord. In 1942 it becames too long so it was divided to line 6, and on 1985 the new stop at Bobigny was done. First we take flight at Porte de Pantin, my old stopping point into Paris ,I used to come by car from Meaux and parked by the church there then took the metro into Paris proper from 1990!  The station only openned in 1942!!! Here is the famous Parc de la Villette, 55 hectares of unique places and acts, in an old slaugherhouse last done so in 1977,you can entereed at 211 avenue Jean Jaurés; see the Grande Halles, the main slaughterhouse  where today great expo are held. The magnificent Cité des sciences et de l’universe, activities for all at 30 avenue Corentin Cariou. You go on to la Geode with a screen of 1000 meters to see films at 180° at 26 avenue Corentin Cariou; move on to the cité de la musique, all kinds of music at 221 avenue jean Jaurés and see the Musée de la musique inside the Cité.

We moved on to Ourq, yes the famous canal de l’Ourq built in the 19C and finish n 1821! for more than 110 kms, the metro station was opened in 1947. See the Canal by the Bassin de la Villette, 21 quai de la Loire,  that takes you all the way to Meaux (the native town of my dear late wife Martine) The Bassin de la Villette, done to link the canal de l’Ourq to Canal Saint Martin in 1808, see it by quai de Seine and quai de la Loire.  We go now to the ever popular Gare du Nord, building started in 1842 and was finally done in 1965!!!;  The trains were going since 1846, it was the first railroad network in France. From 1994, it houses the Eurostar coming from England, (Brexit ?) the metro was opened in 1907. You move over to Oberkampf, named after a tanner from Bavaria, Germany  and created the fabrication of bricks imprinted in copper from 1759,he was French citizen since 1770.It later moved to Jouy-en-Josas near Versailles and the building still there I can vouch for it.

We reach the next train station too at Gare d’Austerlitz, name after a famous battle of Dec 2 1805 by Napoleon Ier. It is an open above ground station, behind the great glass enclosure of the train station, a work of art of 50 meters to raise the station over the river Seine, . It was first call Gare d’Orleans, and renamed in 1930 the Gare d’Orléans-Austerlitz See here the galerie de Paleontologie et d’anatomie comparée du jardin des plantes, done from 1898, ,this gallery of stone and metal is 80 meters long, see at 57 rue Cuvier. We arrive at the end ,Place d’Italie, it was named because here ended the Roman road from Lyon. And until the 19C the barrier that was tax free after you enter Paris you paid. The station was opened in 1906. See the wonderful Butte aux Cailles.

The official RATP Paris metro : https://www.ratp.fr/en/plan-metro

There you go folks , my dear readers, we have a wonderful metro network overall They take you to all these wonderful spots in my eternal Paris, even if as I said, above ground is better ::) Just for the curious and visitors who dare go underground in the most beautiful city in the world, Paris !!! Again, hope you enjoy the post as I

And remember, happy travel, good health, and many cheers to all !!!