Metro-expo-resto #5
“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!
#5 Montparnasse-bienvenÜe
Located near the Montparnasse Tower between the 6th, 14th and 15th arrondissements sits our Métro stop of the month, Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, connecting lines 4, 6, 12 and 13. Don’t be fooled by the latter half of the station name – “Bienvenüe” doesn’t mean “welcome to Montparnasse”, as might be commonly mistaken. In fact, this station was named in hommage to Fulgence Bienvenüe, one of the principal engineers of the Paris Métro system, who is often referred to as “Le Père du Métro” (the Father of the Metro). This explains the unusual ‘umlaut’ in the station’s name!
What To Do Nearby?
Once a hub of artistic of artists’ studios and buzzing cafes, the Montparnasse district sits in the north of the city and today is dominated by the Montparnasse Tower, a skyscraper which looms above the rooftops of Paris at 210 metres! The area continues to be an important cultural hub and there are several museums and points of interest to explore, such as the Panoramic Observatory of the Montparnasse Tower, the Bourdelle Musuem, or the likes of the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art and the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation. Simone de Beauvoir, Baudelaire and Jean-Paul Sartre are also buried in the Montparnasse cemetery and if you are a history buff, the Catacombes of Paris are a must-see!
