“métro, Expo, Resto”

Break out of the mould of “métro, boulot, dodo” (a French expression that, translated literally, means “Métro, work, sleep”) and get ready for “Métro, expo, resto”, as Babylangues introduces you to a new way of exploring the Paris Métro system. Join us in our quest to discover the various stations dotted across the city. How did they get their name? What are the surrounding neighbourhoods like? What can be found nearby? Some many questions and Babylangues has all the answers!

#1 Réaumur-sébastopol

Situated at the heart of Paris, the Métro station Réaumur-Sébastopol acquires its name from the two intersecting roads, boulevard Sébastopol and rue Réaumur. These two streets gained their names from two very different sources – one a passionate French scientist, the other a former city in Ukraine. René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur was a pioneering figure of eighteenth-century science, interested in everything from iron production to frogs, entomology to honeycombs, spiders to skulls. The latter is instead inspired by Napoléon III’s triumphant victory at the port of Sébastopol. The siege lasted from September 1854 until September 1855 and was the final episode of the dramatic Crimean War.

What To Do Nearby?

The Métro station is located in a very vibrant area with boulevard Sébastopol (home to the Babylangues office, as you will, of course, know!), but also rue Saint-Denis. This street is one of the oldest in Paris, built atop an ancient Roman road. Nowadays, this road offers an excellent selection of interesting shops and is equally a lovely spot to go for lunch, as there are several good-quality Asian restaurants. For the fanatics at heart, be sure to check out the Gaieté Lyrique and the Musée des Arts numériques, situated right next to the station. And if you take the time to explore the district in depth, you should also come across some of its covered walkways (passages couverts) such as Passage du Grand Cerf, Passage Ben-Aïad, Passage de l’Ancre, Passage du Caire, Passage du Bourg l’Abbé: the quintessence of Parisian architecture.

Parisian walkways