La Chapelle: station history
Served by: metro line 2.
Did you know?
The station stands on the site of the former La Chapelle barrier, part of the Farmers-General wall. It was south of the old village of La Chapelle, which belonged to the abbey of Saint-Denis and whose name comes from a chapel dedicated to Saint Genevieve; the village was annexed by Paris in 1860. The station is elevated, on a viaduct above boulevard de la Chapelle, at the junction of rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis and rue Marx-Dormoy. The Bouffes du Nord theatre, the church of Saint-Bernard-de-la-Chapelle and Paris-Nord station are nearby.
Anecdote
Its two 75 m platforms, sheltered by canopies, rest on large ashlar stone piers. The station served as the prototype for the Andreu-Motte style adapted to the elevated stations of line 2, and its corridor to Gare du Nord, opened in 1993, is one of the longest on the network without a moving walkway.
Around La Chapelle
- Louxor, 800 m away — An Egyptian-inspired Art Deco cinema opened in 1921, restored and reopened after decades of neglect.
- Gare du Nord, 450 m away — Europe's busiest railway station, with a monumental 19th-century façade.
- Marché de la Chapelle, 750 m away — A working-class, cosmopolitan market reflecting the diversity of the La Chapelle district.