Église de Pantin: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 5.
Why this name?
The station opened in 1942. Its name comes from its proximity to the church of Saint-Germain de Pantin. It was the terminus of line 5 until the extension to Bobigny - Pablo Picasso, and was an important interchange with the RN 3 buses to the eastern suburbs, a role that diminished with the extension. The Canal de l'Ourcq, the Ciné 104 cinema and the Simone-Weil vocational school are nearby.
Anecdote
During a storm, rainwater entered through the extension's construction sites and flooded the terminus: eighteen trains were put out of action and Sprague-Thomson trains from line 9 were hurriedly brought back into service. A note in the source places the episode on 7 June 1982.
Around Église de Pantin
- Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, 650 m away — An international contemporary art gallery housed in a former factory in Pantin.
- Centre national de la danse, 120 m away — A major institution devoted to contemporary dance, in a 1970s modernist building.
- Canal de l'Ourcq, 350 m away — Created by a decree of Napoleon on 19 May 1802, this 108.1-km canal brings the Ourcq's water to the Villette basin. Reserved for non-drinking uses since 1983, it also serves pleasure boating.