Porte des Lilas: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro lines 3 bis and 11.
Why this name?
The station takes its name from the porte des Lilas, which borrows the name of the commune of Les Lilas, to which it gives access. It lies at the junction of boulevard Sérurier, boulevard Mortier, avenue Gambetta and rue de Belleville; the Robert-Debré hospital, the Georges-Vallerey swimming pool and the Paris Archives are nearby. It opened as the eastern terminus of line 3; line 3 bis was born from the separation of the Gambetta - Porte des Lilas section, to serve the porte de Bagnolet area.
Anecdote
Between lines 3 bis and 7 bis lies the ghost station « Porte des Lilas - Cinéma », which combines a rubber-tyred track and an iron-wheel track and is used as a set for films and advertisements, including Ronin (1998), Very Well, Thanks (2007) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). On line 11, a mosaic portrays Georges Brassens, with a plaque recalling his song « Les Lilas ».
Around Porte des Lilas
- Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, 1550 m away — A park opened on 1 April 1867, the day of the Universal Exposition, designed by Alphand. Davioud's Temple de la Sibylle stands about 50 m above the lake, which is crossed by a 63-metre suspension bridge designed by Eiffel.
- Mairie des Lilas, 550 m away — A neighbouring town whose name evokes the many flowering shrubs that once adorned it.