Goncourt: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 11.
Why this name?
The station takes its name from rue des Goncourt, named after the brothers Edmond and Jules de Goncourt, historians and founders of the Académie Goncourt, which awards the Prix Goncourt. Its subtitle « Hôpital Saint-Louis » refers to the nearby hospital, named in memory of Louis IX, 350 m to the north. It opened with the first section of line 11, between Châtelet and Porte des Lilas. The Canal Saint-Martin, the Palais des glaces, the Théâtre de Belleville and the Musée des Moulages are nearby.
Anecdote
Its yellow « Ouï-dire » decor, installed after 1988, lines up light strips on curved scythe-shaped brackets. The wall tiles were renewed identically in the first half of 2018, with fewer advertising frames, grouped in pairs, and two new exits from the west end of the platforms opened in 2021.
Around Goncourt
- Canal Saint-Martin, 350 m away — A 19th-century canal lined with shaded quays and cast-iron footbridges, popular for strolls and picnics.
- Hôpital Saint-Louis, 450 m away — A 17th-century hospital with remarkable architecture, one of the oldest in Paris still in operation.
- Place de la République, 600 m away — A vast square adorned with the statue of the Republic, a hub for popular gatherings.