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 IV !!! 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 8 of the Paris metro. This line link Balard at the southwest to Crétéil-Pointe du Lac in the southeast. The line lines were opened from 1913; it is unique that it crosses two bodies of water the Seine and the Marne rivers. Seine underground and the Marne most above ground. We get our headgear going at Balard, opened in 1937, and here we have the parc André Citroên opened in 1992, with 13 hectares, at the site of the old factories of automobile maker Citroên, start by 56 rue Balard,quai André Citroên, Move over to Commerce, named after the rue de commerce, in the old village of Grenelle annexed to Paris in 1860. The great place du Commerce, and the lovely rue Violet ,see the firehouse at no 6 place Violet done in 1824. the rue de l’Eglise with great architecture see angle of place Etienne Pernet the Church of Saint Jean Baptiste de Grenelle done in 1905 We move in towards the Seine at La Motte-Piquet-Grenelle, opened in 1906, , see the wonderful Village Suisse done from the universal expo of 1900 now with 150 antique shops at 78 avenue de Suffren.
We reach the Ecole Militaire station, opened in 1913, it is located at the location of a great rock limiting the rue Cler and the rue Saint Dominique and serve as frontier between abbey of Saint Geneviéve, and abbey of Saint Germain. See the magnificent Ecole Militaire, created by Louis XV in 1750, one of its most famous cadres was Napoleon Bonaparte in 1784, now its a war school from 1878; at 1 pl Joffre, Move over to the nice lawns at Champ-de-Mars when in 1765 it was done as field of manouvers for the military; it was here that the party of the Federation (republic after the revolution) was held on July 14, 1790. The nice walks here around rue Cler and its small market, the architecturally wonderful Avenue Rapp, with its fontaine de Mars, and Rue Saint Dominique (one of the streets that change the most of names from chemin des Treilles, 1433, Chemin Herbu o chemin Herbu des Moulins a vent 1523, Chemin et chemin des vaches 1542, finally in 1631 ,it was named Saint Dominique). We go over nearby to Invalides, now linking the metro and the RER C plus the aerogare Air France. See Les Invalides, from 1670 Louis XIV try to improve the care of the soldiers, this was the result, enough said. Hotel des Invalides, to care for the wounded soldiers and still has some care for here. The Eglises du Dome et Saint Louis des Invalides, two wonderful churches. At the Dome, rest Napoleon Iér, at Place Vauban.Walk over the pont Alexandre III, given by the tzar of Russia,Nicolas II son of Alexandre III to celebrate the Franco-Russian alliance. see the wonderful musée de l’Armée at 129 rue de Grenelle, the Historial Charles de Gaulle at the Invalides, entered by cour d’honneur ,aile d’Orient.
Now come over to my shopping area and we stop at Madeleine, a small quarter became the Ville l’Eveque or bishop’s town, and its chapel was dedicated to Sainte Madeleine in the 13C in reference to Marie-Madeleine. She cry on the foot of Christ and from that in French we have the expression “pleurer comme un madeleine” or cry like a madeleine. The line was opened in 1913. The church was begun in 1764, in 1805 the emperor Napoleon made into a temple, where it was finish like a Greek temple in 1806. The luxurious Place Vendome, a giant statue of louis XIV, destroyed by the revolution in 1792, Napoleon rebuilt a tower to honor his triumph at Austerlitz , Moved right alone to Richelieu-Drouot, opened in 1931, where a monument to railroad workers who died in WWI in black marble. The wonderful bd des Italiens, the most chic in the 19C See the Passage des Princes opened in 1860 5 blvd des italiens, the most recent of the passages of Paris. The wonderful Opéra-Comique one of the oldest theatrical and music halls of France done under Louis XIV in 1714.It reopen in 2005 under a for theatrical shows, 1 place Boieldieu.
Moved right over to the Grands Boulevards, it was called Montmartre then Rue Montmartre and finally the current name in 1998! See the wonderful passage des Panoramas,the oldest from 1799 between Bourse and Opéra. In 1816 gaslights were installed and other galleries annexed in 1830 such as Saint Marc, Des Variétés, de la Bourse,Feydeu,and Montmartre. Entrance by 11 blvd Montmartre or 151 rue Montmartre or 6-8 rue Saint Marc or 50 rue Vivienne. Go over to Passage Jouffroy done in 1847, and the site of the wax museum or musée Grévin, entrance at 10-12 blvd Montmartre or 9 rue de la Grange-Batéliére. Continue on to Passage Verdeau, lots of musical instruments and post cards stores at the extension of passage Jouffroy or by the 4 rue de la Grange-Batéliére , see the nice Theatre des Nouveautés from 1921 at 24 blvd Poissonniére, We go away to Bonne Nouvelle, opened in 1931 , see the Cité Bergére, architecture marvel at 6 rue du Faubourg-Montmartre to 23 rue Bergére. a romantic walk over to Cité de Trévise, from 18 rue Richer out 7 rue Bleue, neo rennaissance architecture. The famous Folies Bergére the first music hall of France at 32 rue Richer, Grand Rex, from 1932 after the radio music hall of NYC renovated in 1981 and it has the biggest screen in France at 1 blvd Poissonniere.
Moving towards older Paris is the Strasbourg-Saint Denis station, opened in 1908, first named boulevard Saint Denis, and later added the other boulevard. The nice things to see here is the magnificent Porte Saint Denis, done in 1672 at angle of rue du Faubourg Saint Denis and Grands Boulevards, and the Porte Saint Martin, done in 1674, at angle of rue Saint Martin,and rue Faubourg Saint Martin and blvd Saint Martin and Saint Denis, The walks here are superb along blvd Saint Denis, going down to gare du Nord train station, and the little India area by the passage Brady, Moving around you get to Filles du Calvaire, opened in 1921, from a congregation of daughters of the calvary founded at Poitiers in 1617. You see here the Cirque d’HIver, built in 1851 one of the most magnificent circus at 110 rue Amelot. The wonderful Musée Picasso, at 5 rue de Thorigny in the old Hôtel Salé of 1659,housing one of the most inclusive collection of the master indulge yourself at the Marché des Enfants-Rouge, 39 rue de Bretagne, it was an orphanate of kids that wre all dressed in red thats why the name after it was converted into a market.
We move on to Chemin Vert, opened in 1931, You are close to the magnificent Place des Vosges, named after the department that first paid the taxes after the revolution, the old name of the plaza was that of place royale in 1622. Before Vosges it was call the place des Fédéres and in 1800 took the current name. Around the square is gorgeous, and a must see, see rue Payenne, rue de Francs-Bourgeois , and see the wonderful maison de Victor Hugo at 6 place des Vosges in the old Hôtel Rohan-Guémenee where he lived from 1832 to 1848, and the museum was created in 1902. Also, the magnificent musée Carnavalet, 23 rue de Sévigné in the old mansion of Carnavalet and from 1989 also the mansion Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau, here tracing the history of Paris. Moving on to Ledru-Rollin, opened in 1931; see the wonderful wood carpenters and furniture maker street of rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, one of the oldest axis of Paris. Many inner courts such as cour du Bel Air at No 56, cour des Shadoks at No 71,and cours de l’Etoile d’Or at no 75. Continue walking on rue de Charonne, took to the village of Charonne and from 1860 part of Paris. nice courtyards from the previous street coming into this one, at cour Saint Joseph, and cour Jacques Vigues Walk into the passage Saint Antoine, Passage Josset, Passage de la Main d’or, passage Charles Dallery and reach bd Voltaire. We reach Faidherbe-Chaligny, opened in 1931, nice walks around rue de Montreuil, on the same street and see nice working class Paris. The wonderful market Marché d’Aligre at rue and place d’Aligre finally reach our end at the Porte Dorée, opened in 1931, see the magnificent Chateau de Vincennes, done by the Capétiens kings , dammage during WWII, renovated in 1980, still has the highest donjon tower in Europe and the only medieval structure standing in Paris.at avenue de Paris. See the nice Bois de Vincennes, 1000 hectares of it, you can see the palais de la porte Dorée with a Musée national de l’histoire de l’immigration, at 293 avenue Daumesnil, Also, see the l’Aquarium tropical done in 1931, inside the palais as well. See an island, Île de Reuilly in the park bois de Vincennes, Lac Daumesnil lake.
I will talk about line 9 of the Paris metro. It is 19,6 kms long, coming from the bourgeoises of the south west of Paris to the working class of the east of Montreuil. The first track was opened in 1922 from Exelmans to Trocadéro; interesting under the pont de l’Alma there is 14 meters deep of tunnels. This line of my favorites, On April 4, 1943 during WWII, the factory yards of Renault were destroyed by the English, even if the damage was big, the work of repairs took only five days! We start our ride at the nice Porte de Saint-Cloud, it is unique that it has four lanes, full when matches at the parc des princes stadium, all right around the old village of Auteuil, where great wines were once made and the great Moliére,Racine, and Boileau tasted them. Where Chateaubriand,the Goncourt and Proust spent their time, the village was annexed to Paris in 1860. The workers at the end of the 19C were house here in three villas, Dietz-Monnin, Emile Meyer,and Cheysson. You can see them along rue Parent-de-Rosan. The football/soccer stadium Parc des Princes is here, but before it was a hunting ground of the kings, and from 1841 with a building and garden it care for the rich . In 1897 a velodrome was built,and host in 1903 the first arrivals of the Tour de France bicycle race. In 1972 the stadium we see today was built.at 24 rue du commandant Guilbaud.
You now come to my most favorite area in Paris, still its sublime Paris at its best. La Muette, is what I am talking about. The name Muette is still not fix as its origins, it is reference to the Chateau de la Muette,or the muets a gang of dogs used for the hunt at the bois de boulogne, or the house of hunting of Charles IX; its still mystically magical. You see the museum house Maison de Balzac, 47 rue Raynouard,he lived there under a false name of Bruegnol, it is here that he writes his monumental work The humain comedy or La Comédie Humaine See the wonderful Théatre du Ranelagh, 5 rue des Vignes, open in 1900, it became a cinema of arts in 1931, today it showcase new talent; You go on to Iéna, opened in 1923, named after Napoleon victory over the Prussian on this town in 1806. You see here the new great Musée du quai Branly-Jacques-Chirac; 37 quai Branly, showing work from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas , Also the Musée Guimet, 6 place Iéna, opened in 1889,Asian arts at its best. See more the museum of fashion, Palais Gailliera, musée de la mode,open as a palace in 1894, recently reopen with 90 000 pieces of fashion. The Baccarat, enough said at 11 place des Etats Unis. We continue to Alma-Marceau, named after a French victory in Crimea in 1854,celebrated here by Napoleon III. When you go out of the metro you see Flamme de la liberté, gift of the newspaper international herald tribune (today part of NYTimes) to France a replica of that which is on top of the Statue of LIberty this that was a gift of France to the USA. It has the sad memory of been the place where Princess Diana died in an auto accident in 1997. You see ,also, the wonderful Pont de l’Alma, built in 1854 by Napoleon III celebration of this victory. Here you ,also ,have the zouave that marks the level of water of the Seine, if he has the feet in the water the Seine is flooded ,the worst took place in 1910 when the water reach the shoulders. The théatre des Champs-Elysées, 15 avenue Montaigne, built in 1913, a gorgeous view from the roofstop. See the wonderful Palais de Tokyo, 13 avenue du Président Wilson, built in 1937,the comtemporary exhibits are done here since 2002.
We reach Franklin D Rooselvelt, In 1942 the line was named Marbeuf Rond Point des Champs Elysées but WWII made it change the name after the US President, the liberator in 1946. See the super chic Avenue Montaigne, the quartier François Ier or district of François Ier nice from avenue Franklin Rooselvelt to avenue George V, We move over to Saint-Augustin, opened in 1923, link to the Gare St Lazare, see the wonderful Church Saint Augustin, 8 ave César Caire, done in 1861 first to be done in metal and glass with a dome of 50 meters in the old district of Little Poland. We continue to the Chaussées d’Anton-La Fayette station,, opened in 1910, the house at no 18-22 in 1977 it was discovered 21 heads of the kings of juda, taken from the front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in 1799!, The rest is in honor of Lafayette the French who helped the American independance. See one of my favorites the Théatre Edouard VII, the most French of English kings, and who love Paris. and of course the Grands magasin, Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. We arrive at Charonne, opened in 1933, takes its name from the abbey of Saint Magliore by the king Robert II le Pieux in 1008. See the mansion or hotel Montagne at 53 rue de Charonne, done in 1660, and it was here in 1746, was born the conservatoire national des arts et métiers. See the wonderful architecture at the Palais de la Femme-Fondation de l’Armée du salut. From 1926 took refuge of young women,now its the Salvation Army of France. It is said that here was buried Cyrano de Bergerac.
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 !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 