Metro-expo-resto #4
“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? So many questions, and Babylangues has all the answers!
#4 Anvers
Located on the border between the ninth and eighteen arrondissements, the Métro station Anvers owes its title to the square of the same name: square d’Anvers. In turn, the origins of the square come from the Belgian city of Antwerp (or Anvers in French). A city of great maritime influence, it was the backdrop to the Siege of the citadel by the French troops over the Dutch in 1832. To play on the homonym with the word ‘envers’ (meaning ‘other side’), the Métro signs of the platform were turned upside down as part of an exhibition for April Fools’ Day in 2016.
What To Do Nearby?
Just a few minutes away from the Métro station Anvers, there is, of course, Montmartre and the Square Louise Michel to be discovered, but not far away are some equally exciting hidden gems of the district, such as the Trianon. Having been transformed from a café-concert to a theatre, and later form a musical hall to a cinema, it now plays host to a variety of operas, operettas, musicals, show cases, fashion shows, movie previews, variety shows and festivals. For art-lovers, the Marché Halle Saint-Pierre is not to be missed. Established in 1986 by publisher Max Fourny, in the former market built in 1868 at the base of Montmartre, this magnificent setting presents temporary exhibitions of folk art, naive art, and outsider art.
