Bastille: history and sights
Served by: metro lines 1, 5 and 8.
Did you know?
Built on the site of the old fortress stormed on 14 July 1789, the station once displayed frescoes depicting its demolition. The July Column towering over the square actually commemorates the 1830 revolution, not 1789, contrary to a common misconception.
Anecdote
Remnants of the fortress's foundations are still visible on a line 5 platform.
Audio guide
An audio guide for this station is available in the MétroScope app.
Around Bastille
- Bofinger, 120 m away — The oldest of the Parisian brasseries, opened in 1864 by an Alsatian, famous for its Art Nouveau glass dome and its choucroute.
- Maison de Victor Hugo, 290 m away — The apartment where Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848, in the Hôtel Rohan-Guéménée on Place des Vosges.
- Colonne de Juillet, 10 m away — A 50-metre bronze column erected in memory of the 1830 revolutions, topped by the golden Spirit of Freedom.
- Opéra Bastille, 210 m away — A modern opera house opened in 1989 for the bicentenary of the French Revolution, Paris's main lyric stage alongside the Opéra Garnier.
- Port de l'Arsenal, 140 m away — A marina linking the Seine to the Canal Saint-Martin, lined with walkways and houseboats, a pleasant stop along the water.