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 VI !!! This one is wholly line 12! 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 12 of the Paris metro , It has 13,8 km of tracks, traverse the city from north to southwest; the first track opened in 1910 from Porte de Versailles to Notre Dame-de-Lorette. There is a tunnel underneath Montmartre traversing the gypsun rocks to go to Jules Joffrin in 1912. The stations of Abbesses and Lamarck-Caulaincourt are 36 and 25 meters deep respectively.
We begin this ride at Abbesses, opened in 1912, with 36 meters deep, and a nice stair in a helicoidale form, the name comes from the abbey from 1133 Dames de Montmartre. It had 45 abbesses until the French revolution stopped it all, the only remains of the times is the Church of St Pierre. The main sight thus is the famous and magnificent Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, main entrance 35 rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre; started built in 1877 and done 40 years later; with a wonderful view of the city of Paris below it. The church is 94 meters high, a crypt covers all its superficie,and the dome has the biggest mosaics tiles in the world with a great bell call “savoyarde”. To reach the dome you need 237 steps up. Another imposing church and less known, is the Church Saint-Jean-de-Montmartre at 18 rue des Abbesses, named by the locals Notre Dame des briques or bricks; built between 1894 and 1904. The first church to be build with solid wire cement. The colorful but by now highly touristic Place du Tertre, going down to the place des Abbesses, full of characters there , You move over to the Bateau-Lavoir, at 13 place Emile Goudeau, the fauvism and cubism at its greatest glory in painting is here. Have a meal at the historic. You can enjoy Chez Eugéne, right in the place du Tertre (one family souvenirs stopped here first in 1990). We continue to Pigalle, opened in 1902; after the famous sculptur of Madame de Pompadour M. Pigalle. You see here the Cité du Midi, at 48 blvd de Clichy,quiet provincial heavens in a fast pace area,see the old baths of Pigalle at No 12. Walk by avenue Frochot, with a huge grill door, nice homes, where Django Rheinhardt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, ived, and you can see it too. We continue our journey to Saint-Georges, opened in 1911. Walk around the lovely place Saint Georges, great architecture, and Sand and Chopin met Bizet in the Square Orléans. At no 27 the politicians were arrested at the Hôtel Thiers while a coup d’Etat of Napoleon III in 1851. Not far from here Truffaut does the Le Dernier Métro in the little theater high up in rue Saint Georges. See the cité Malesherbes, near ave Frochot , here at No 5 lived Ludovic Lepic the initiator of the impressionists.
See the unique Musée de la vie Romantique at the Hôtel Scheffer-Renan and see the romantic life as per George Sand, Lamartine,and Delacroix at 16 rue Chaptal. Move over to our next stop at Trinité-D’Estienne D’Orves, one of my romantic areas in Paris, the station was opened in 1910 in reference to the church. Here the heroes of the French resistance established the first radio communication between France and London. The man was Count Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves, betrayed captured by the nazis, transfer to Berlin, the nazi tribunal was so impress by his bravery,that asked for his grace to Hitler, never mind he was shot in firing squad execution at the Mont Valérien (Suresnes Hauts de Seine dept 92) on August 29th, 1941. You must see the Church de la Trinité, built in 1861, very nice at place d’Estienne d’Orves. Walk the Rue de la Tour des Dames, quartier or district of intellectuals, such as No 1 Mademoiselle Mars, No 3 Mademoiselle Duchesnoir, friends of Victor Hugo. See the wonderful Musée Gustave-Moreau, created while he was still alive, by the master of Matisse and influential of André Breton, painting of its best, at 14 rue de La Rochefoucauld. Go see the théatre Mogador, at 25 rue de Mogador built in 1913, as a london music hall imitation, named Palace Theatre, change name in 1919 the old name of the city of Essauoira in Morocco and with the opening presence of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. If need to chose this is my favorite theater in Paris.
We are now at one of my favorite train stations in Paris, because to go to work in Paris went by it for five years straight. Saint Lazare, opened in 1904, and still one of the stations the most traveled in the Paris metro system. You can see the the sculpture L’Heure pour tous by Arman at the cours de Havre. The station took its name from the rue Saint Lazare . It is the second busiest train station in Europe!!! the hall of the salle des pas perdu dates from 1854. It has now a nice gallery of stores like a mall. You come to see a wonderful monument ,Chapelle Expiatoire at 29 rue Pasquier, built in 1861 at the same spot where the remains of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were found ,before been transfer to the Basilique de Saint Denis in 1815 by wish of then king Louis XVIII (brother of Louis XVI) , The chapel was covered by the personal funds of Louis XVIII .The name expiatoire was because it was never use as a chapel, just remembrance. The altar is the precise spot of the remains of Louis XVI were found. Chateaubriand call it the “possibly the best remarkable monument in Paris”, and I agree…. You see and I used to past by it every day the Lycée Condorcet, built in 1803, it was once named after Bonaparte, then Bourbon, Fontanes, and finally Condorcet. A prestigious high school or lycée of France, some of its disciples were Marcel Proust and Alexandre Dumas pére,, others were Desjardins, Jaurés, Mallarmé, Merleau-Ponty,Pagnol, Poulenc,and Sartre. it is at 8 rue du Havre.
You go shopping at CC du Passage du Havre, two levels and FNAC, you see the wonderful cinema Les Cinq Caumartin, from 1939 at 101 rue Saint Lazare, see the Casino de Paris,16 rue de Clichy, done in 1730 by duke of Richelieu, built for his amusement the folie Richelieu, then a place of spectacles in 1811, a skating ring was built ,the Church de la Trinité was moved a bit further by Haussmann, in 1880 ; the Palace Théatre was done, then in WWI, the Casino took its place,and by 1930, the director offered Josephine Baker a leopard as gift name Chiquita, she sings here, many memories here. You see the Church Saint Louis d’Antin at 63 rue Caumartin, at the request of Louis XVI in 1782, the church was done, stop service during the French revolution, came back to the cult in 1795, and parish church in 1802. We move across river to the Assemblée Nationale , opened in 1910, until 1989 it was name Chambre des Députées. One of the places of government in France, the house of representatives equivalent if can do some comparaisons. This was the monarchy ,the wonderful Palais Bourbon, annexed, guarded by the Republican guards, and the seat of the govt since 1798, itself built in 1726, dressed with corinthians columns in 1806, to replica the Church of the Madeleine that faces it across the Seine, at 126 rue de l’Université and 33 quai d’Orsay. The nice bridge I cross all the time in my car, Pont de la Concorde linking the quai des Tuileries to Orsay, done with the stones from the Bastille in 1791.
See the wonderful Hôtel de Brienne, at 14 rue Saint Dominique, built in the 17C houses today the Ministry of Defense. It was once the home of the mother of Napoleon I, purchase by the State in 1817. Georges Clemenceau prepares victory in WWI here from 1917,and De Gaulle makes two grand speeches from here in 1940, and from 1944-1946, We reach Solférino, opened in 1910; named for a great battle in Solferino , Lombardie Italy in 1859 then against the Austrians, this huge battle of many dead 40 000 French troop led by Napoleon III beat the Austrain emperor Franzs- Joseph, from this a man Henri Durant a Swiss, established the Red Cross with its first convention in Geneva in 1864. He receives the Nobel Peace Prize n 1901 before his death in 1910. Here of course, you see the monumental Musée d’Orsay, 62 rue de Lille, an old train station destroyed by the communards in 1871, survive possible destruction in 1970,and save into the museum we see today. Across it ,you see the Musée de la Legion d’Honneur, 2 rue de la Légion d’Honneur, it was this building called the Palace of Siam done in 1782, burned by the communards again,,,The American Thomas Jefferson was one of its most admirers; the museum houses the souvenirs of Napoleon that created it in 1802. Other beauty nearby is the Hôtel de Beauharnais, 78 rue de Lille, first stone done in 1713, attached to the other Hôtel de Seignelay, it was the home of the son of Joséphine ,first wife of Napoleon I, and decorated by her. It is one of the best decoration examples of Napoleon I Egyptian campaign. The prince sold the hotel to the Prussian delegation in 1817,and today its the embassy of Germany in Paris. The gorgeous and historical La Maison de l’Amérique Latine, 217 blvd Saint Germain, with its French gardens, and wonderful Latin Americans specialties, great food indeed. The other jewel La Maison des Polytechniciens –Restaurant Le Poulpry done in 1703, and where my oldest son had an internship chef/server period; 12 rue de Poitiers, just lovely surroundings real Paris.
Move over to Rue du Bac, opened in 1910, named Motte, then renovated in 1984. In 1550, a long boat call a bac was used to descend to the Seine here, now its the quai Voltaire. It serves for the construction of the palais des Tuileries in 1579. See here the Prime Minister’ home at Hôtel Matignon, 57 rue de Varenne, built in 1722; with an interior park of 3 hectares done in 1902. See the Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons at 57-59 rue de Grenelle it once provided water to Paris. See the uniquely nice, Church Saint Thomas d’Aquin or St Thomas Aquinas at place Saint Thomas d’Aquin, started construction in 1682, finished in 1769. In 1791 it was the parish church and place under his orders, before it was name church of Saint Dominique, See the Musée des Lettres et des Manuscrits, at 222 blvd Saint Germain, built in 1608,you have the letter done by Louis XVI to all French before departing to escape at Varenne (today private and not visited but see from outside). Sadly, you will miss seeing the boule de Moulins, from the name fo that city, during the war in 1870 were not getting letters to Paris so they put like 700 inside a canon ballast and put afloat on the river ,the last was founded in 1980! Another nice museum, Musée Maillol, 61 rue de Grenelle, showing the painting and sculptures of Maillol,and other such as Gauguin, Bonnard, Redon,Kandisky,and Poliakoff.
We move on to Rennes, It was an old phantom station closed since 1939,and finally reopened in 1968. until 2004 its hours were reduced to closing by 20h,Sundays,and Holidays. Now its as normal as any other station. See here the Chapelle Saint Joseph des Carmes, 70 rue de Vaugiraud, done in 1620, it served as prison during the French revolution,and known massacres of Sept 1792, when 116 priests were killed. The Chapel today is part of the Institut Catholique. Walk the wonderful Rue du Cherche-Midi, a solar cadran was at the origin this old Roman road was call Chasse Midi, later renamed to Chemin de Vaugirard in 1388! At no 40 you see statue of count or Comte de Rochambeau, who was at the head of French troops helping the American rebels gained independance from England and aide in the American victory at Yorktown. At no 44, the home of Garat, the succesor of Danton at the ministry of justice, and the one who announced the arrest of Louis XVI. And we end our ride at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, opened too in 1910, named after the church in blvd Montparnasse,and the underground entry to the greens of the Jardin du Luxembourg or as locals call it “luco” . Of course, we start to see the Jardin du Luxembourg, done in 1617 for Marie de Médicis.The great Le Nôtre had its hands on the gardens from 1635; great decorations of nature all over, main entrances by Place Edmond Rostand, rue Guynemer, and rue Vaugiraud. Inside ,see the Palais du Luxembourg ,home of the senate of France; the building was done in 1612, it has been a royal palace, prison, then national palace in 1792, many famous spent prison here such as Danton, Fabre d’Eglatine and David. We need to wait to 1814 for Gisors to built the semi circle chairs that is part of the Senate today. You see around here the unique Musée Zadkine, 110bis rue d’Assas, born in 1890 in Russia,and frequent the Montparnasse of the years 1910, In 1981 he gives all his properties and creations so that a museum be done by his wife , See the funny Théatre des Marionnettes, inside the Lux garden too, great for children since 1933 by the great Guignol.
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 