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 VII !!! 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 13 of the Paris metro. This line came about from the union of line B of the north south network company and the old line 14 of the CMP. It links the cities of the suburbs, and it is the longest line in the Paris metro with 22,5 kms of tracks.
We start our journey at Saint Denis-Porte de Paris, it link the town of Saint Denis (dept 93 Seine Saint Denis) with Paris; open in 1976. Here you have in a working class neighborhood, another wonder of France, the Basilique Saint Denis, the art gothic at its best it is a necropole of French royalty. It was here that in the 5C the tomb of Saint Denis was laid. The first king put here was Dagobert in 693! and was name the official resting place of all French kings in 1122 after efforts by the abbe Suger. Very much damaged during the French revolution,it was Louis XVIII that gave it dimension by tranfering the remains of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette,and renovated by Napoleon I continue under Napoleon III. see it a 1 place de la Légion d’Honneur. You come into the main sport stadium in France, the Stade de France at Rue Francis de Pressensé. The marché des puces at St Ouen (dept 93 Seine Saint Denis) see the wonderful markets within a market such as marché Vernaison, 99 rue des Rosiers or 136 ave Michelet, marché Antica next to it, the marché Malassis by 142 rue des Rosiers, Marché Dauphine by 132-140 rue des Rosiers, marché Biron by 85 rue des Rosiers or 118 rue Michelet ,Marché Serpette by 110 rue des Rosiers, Marche Paul Bert by 96 rue des Rosiers or 18 rue Paul Bert ,and Marché des Rosiers by 3 rue Paul Bert. YOu can have a drink at Le Louis XV, 94 avenue Gabriel Péri.
We continue and stop by Guy Môquet, opened in 1911 under the name of Marcadet,then named Marcadet-Balagny, a year later, then after WWII on 1946 it change in honor of Guy Môquet a young French communist shot dead by the nazis in firing squad at the age of 17 It was part of the village of Batignoles annex to Paris in 1860, a very nice old Paris area to walk by. See the Cité des Fleurs, access by avenue de Clichy at the level of metro Brochant or by the rue de la Jonquiére. Created in 1847 is a village inside a village, here Catherine Deneuve and sister Françoise Dorléac were born in 1943. You come to see the cimetiére des Batignolles or cementary, at 8 rue Saint Just; done in 1833, here between 900 trees lies André Breton, Paul Verlaine, and Ray Ventura amongst others. Now we arrive at the area where I did my Spanish groceries by car of course : this is Brochant, opened in 1912, you can walk in the parc Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther King, by rue Cardinet; done in 1970,by the old train station of Cardinet with 100k sq meters. your Spanish shopping at Cap HIspania ,23 Rue Jouffroy d’Abbans. We move in to Miromesnil, opened in 1923 on the line 9 and since 1973 on the line 13. The first of line 13 to be equipped with protection doors in the platform. Here you see the magnificent Church Saint Augustin, 8 avenue César Caire, built between 1860-1871 with a dome of 50 meters, the first to be done in metal and glass, wonderful. Here you can walk too to the Chapelle Expiatoire et square Louis XVI; at the spot where the remains of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were found and later transfer to Basilique de Saint Denis. You ,also, worthwhile to see the Church Saint Philippe-du-Roule, 154 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, built between 1774-1784. See the wonderful Musée Jacquemart-André, 158 blvd Haussmann, treasure of Italian paintings and great cafe Jacquemart-André inside.
You arrive now at Varenne, opened in 1923,on the line 10,then in 1937 to line 14,and then finally in 1976 to line 13. During the WWII this station was closed while the French government was at Vichy, the station reopen in 1962. See the Hôtel Matignon, 57 rue de Varenne ,built in 1720, one of the most beautiful mansions of Paris, Having belonged to different aristocratic families, such as the Montmorency or notables like Talleyrand in 1807, it was confiscated and then purchased by the French state in 1922, and has been, since 1935, the official residence and workplace of the head of the French government, At 118 rue de Grenelle, the shop of Delacroix, Continue on rue de Breteuil, from the place Vauban along the Hôtel des Invalides, there you see a tea tree as one of the oldest in Paris. You can see the wonderful Musée Rodin, 79 rue de Varenne, done in 1730 the Hôtel Biron, and by 1919 the museum is opened of the great sculptor Rodin. See the unique Cinema La Pagode at 57bis rue Babylone, a wonderful Japonese room, the cinema built in 1896. New birth and renovation of it thanks to new American owner Charles Cohen. In 1931 the cinema opens to the public,and shows films of Jean Cocteau like the Testament d’Orphée in 1959.
Now we reach Gaité, open on line 14 in 1937 ,and then to line 13 in 1976. You see the Church Notre Dame du Travail, 36 rue Guillemnot, done between 1899-1901 to house the working class of the district. Here lies the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson at 2 impasse Lebois, a temple of photography in Paris! built in 1912 and the fondation here since 2003. See wonderful rue de la Gaité, a different area than Montparnasse where you find the théatre Bobino done in 1867, to house great music idols such as Leo Ferré,and Georges Brassens. Théatre du Montparnasse at no 31 and finally enjoy the Comedie Italienne at no 17 and the théatre de la Gaité montparnasse at no 26. We end up our tour at the Porte de Vanves, opened in 1937 for over 40 years the terminus of line 14, enlarge in 1976 and taken by line 13. You see here the nice Parc Georges Brassens, at the old village of Vaugirard annexed to Paris in 1860, It rends hommage to the singer that lives a great part of his life nearby at 9 impasse Florimont then at 42 rue Santos-Dumont, entrance to park by rue des Morillons.You have a great market here at Puces de la porte de Vanves, entrance on Avenue Marc Sangnier, and the old books market at Marché du livre ancien et d’occasion, 104 rue Brancion.
I will talk about line 14 of the Paris metro. This is the most recent line in the Metro de Paris as it opened in October 1998. It bring together Saint Lazare SNCF train station to Olympiades. It replaces an older line 14 that linked the stations Invalides to Porte de Vanves and eliminated in 1976 while fusion with line 13. The current Line 14 has nothing in common with the old line. It is an automatic line as well as the later line 1. Funny thing is when the metro is on strike the news tell us all lines are closed except line 1 and 14! of course, there is nobody to go on strike lol!
We will start our journey at Gare de Lyon, one of the oldest station opened in July 1900. On October 1998 it was attached to the new line 14. Here you have the opulent Gare de Lyon, the third Parisien station ,linking the south east of France as well as Italy and Switzerland. The tour de Horloge or clock tower is 64 meters high, see it at Place Louis-Armand , The Promenade Plantée, its 4,5 km long, across the 12émé arrondissement de Paris. Its start just behind the Opéra Bastille at the level of the viaduc des arts, take rue de Lyon until avenue Daumesnil then climb a few steps that takes you to the suspended garden, and takes you all the way to the jardin de Reuilly that is linked with a wooden passarelle bridge, take the lawn and join the allée Vivaldi that takes you to the commercial part, and continues in tunnels by the square Charles Péguy and the bois de Vincennes. This jardin de Reuilly, has a grand lawn encircle by nice trees and host the circus, take it by Rue Albinoni, rue Charenton, or avenue Daumesnil.
Move over to Cour Saint-Emilion, opened in 1998, and quickly see the cour Saint-Emilion, at the parc de Bercy or popular known as the Bercy Village. Great boutiques and restos there, good ambiance at night See the unique museum, musée des Arts forains, 53 avenue des Terroirs-de-France, objects collected by a family for over 35 years, all restored, considered the largest such museum in the world. We arrive at the Bibliothéque François Mitterrand, opened in 1998. In the stairs on the lobby of the metro-RER, you see the stair or escalier des Signes and escalier des Nombres with carvings of letters of 19 alphabets evoking the diversity of languages and dialects of the world. See it at quai François-Mauriac. Take a dip at the pool piscine Josephine Baker, 8 quai François-Mauriac, open in 2008 with 25 meters lane right on the Seine river! at Olympiades, opened in 2007, on what we call the Chinatown of Paris, from place d’Italie take the avenue Choisy,and see the triangle of this street with avenue d’Ivry,and blvd Masséna. The Esplanade des Olympiades is the center to wait for the Chinese New Year in Paris. See culture and history at the Le Temple de l’Amicale des Teochew, 44 avenue d’Ivry,
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 