Sentier: origin of the name and station history
Served by: metro line 3.
Why this name?
A line 3 station in the 2nd arrondissement, under rue Réaumur, at the intersection with rue de Cléry and rue du Sentier. Opened a month after the first section of the line, it had until then been passed through by trains without stopping. Its name comes from rue du Sentier, which gave its name to the district known for its textile activities, developed from the 1950s. It lies between Bourse and Réaumur - Sébastopol.
Anecdote
Its « Rue du Sentier » entrance is inside a building, at 97 rue Réaumur, a type of entrance that is rare in Paris and recalls the London Underground; its sign, a red « M » surrounded by blue, is inspired by the London roundel. Another entrance, on rue des Petits-Carreaux, is decorated with a Guimard edicule listed as a historic monument. In spring, the RATP temporarily replaced half the plates with wooden signs decorated with plants, handing out flowers to passengers.
Around Sentier
- Stohrer, 350 m away — Paris's oldest pastry shop, opened in 1730 on Rue Montorgueil by Louis XV's pastry chef, inventor of the rum baba, its interior listed as a historic monument.
- Rue Montorgueil, 250 m away — A lively pedestrian street known for its traditional food shops and village atmosphere.
- Bourse de Commerce, 600 m away — A former 18th-century circular building converted into a contemporary art museum by the Pinault Collection.
- Passage du Caire, 300 m away — Paris's longest covered passage, built in 1798, adorned with Egyptian-style motifs inspired by Bonaparte's campaign.