Many cities of the world have beautiful metro stations, I have mentioned City Hall station in New York, and now I had the chance to explore many beautiful stations in Paris! Including some of those in your itinerary won’t be hard, and many of them aren’t just a means for transportation but are real pieces of art and history. I have a whole article about what to see in Paris, so be sure to check it out!

The history of Paris metro begun in 1898, when the the building of the first line – Porte Maillot–Porte de Vincennes – begun, and the line was opened on the 19th of July 1900, during EXPO 1900. Many of the older stations are especially beautiful, and not the inside parts that have been recently renovated and rebuild, but the entrances too.

Nowadays Paris metro is the second most populous in Europe after Moscow and 1.5 billion people used it every year. When accessing the stations, don’t use the elevators as you might miss some of the beauty accessible only by stairs!

7.Concorde

This station was opened a month after the metro became operational and is famous for the tiles covering the tunnel, spelling all of the The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which is a crucial document of human rights prepared during the French revolution in 1789.

6.Hôtel de Ville

Also one of the first stations to be opened, in 1900 and located near the city hall. It is dedicated to the French history and has been recently renovated.

5.Louvre Rivoli

Although now a different station is used for visiting the Louvre (and this one was renamed in 1898 to reflect the change), this is the most famous one, showcasing replicas of some famous works of art. This was the first station to be decorated in series of renovations in 1968.

4.Bastille

One of the first original station to be opened on July 19th in 1900. It was renovated in 1989 to depict events happening nearby at the Bastille.

3.Abbesses

Opened on January 30th 1913, this art nouveau station is deepest in Paris, 36 m underground, connecting Montmartre and 18th arrondissement.

Due to it’s depth it has spiraling stairs where what was vandalism and graffiti now are works of art.

2.Arts et Metiers

This station is named after the industrial art museum it serves.

It was opened on 19th of October 1904 and renovated in 1994 in the steampunk style, do look like a submarine with portholes, inspired by Jules Verne and science fiction.

1.Cité

This station is under Île de la Cité, one of the two islands on Seine that were in Paris originally, not far from the Kilometer Zero, the historical and geographical center of Paris.  It was opened on December 10th 1910 and it will be the station you see when you go to Notre Dame de Paris!

There are many other stations which we did not get to see during our short visit, but supposedly Varenne, Cluny-La Sorbonne, Palais Royal, Porte Dauphine, Pont Neuf, Liège are very beautiful as well! Note that not all lines going in the station will let you see the most beautiful places, and sometimes it’s the design of the stairs or outer booth that is especially impressive!

Definitely check out my extensive guide on what to see in Paris!

Share this pin with your friends!