by The French capital is one of the most visited cities in the world, attracting millions of tourists each year. Concorde Metro provides people with fast travel from the center to the outer reaches. The Metro connects and serves many districts. Yet some are more popular than others due to their convenient location. That’s where the Place de la Concorde Metro stop comes in. It provides transit to the most coveted places like Bastille, Moulin Rouge, and Eiffel Tower.
Several lines of the Paris Metro stop at Concorde. These lines are 1, 8, and 12. It serves the area around the Place de la Concorde and is in the first arrondissement of Paris.
Table of Contents
- A brief history of the Concorde Metro stop
- The unique Metro station
- Lines served by Concorde Metro station
- Paris Metro Line 1
- Paris Metro Line 8
- Paris Metro Line 12
- Sister Station of the historical Place de la Concorde
- Attractions and landmarks near Concorde Station
- Pont de la Concorde
- The Luxor Obelisk
- Fountains of Place de la Concorde
- Tuileries Garden
- Hôtel de Crillon
- Hôtel de la Marine
- Find Things to Do in Paris
- Find Accommodation
- Explore Paris With Our Guides & Reviews
A brief history of the Concorde Metro stop
Concorde Metro stop is located below the Place de la Concorde, on the right bank of the Seine. The station opened on August 13, 1900, almost a month after the first trains started running on the first section of Line 1 between Porte de Vincennes and Porte Maillot on July 19, 1900. On November 5, 1910, the Nord-Sud Company opened the first part of Line C between Porte de Versailles and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, which included the Line 12 stations.
Line 12 started running on March 27, 1931, after being taken over by the Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris. The first part of Line 8 from Beaugrenelle (now Charles Michels on Line 10) to Opéra opened on July 13, 1913, but the stations at Concorde and Invalides did not open until March 12, 1914.
The unique Metro station
Francoise Schein’s beautiful design for Concorde stands out. The huge crossword puzzle that takes up an entire wall on the Concorde subway leaves everyone commuting in awe.
It’s more than just an attractive design. There are many philosophical considerations at play here. She put the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen on every tile in the Line 12 station. This station inspired the famous Imagist poem “In a Station of the Metro” by Ezra Pound.
She covered the entire station’s ceilings and walls with letters and seeded intrigue into the otherwise boring ride. To heighten the curiosity of the commuters, the artist eliminated all spaces and punctuation between the phrases. This means requiring mental effort to decipher the lettering.
The commuters see a massive block of 44,000 characters. 1,000 square meters of letters on ceramic tiles. They will not perceive any relevant substance at first glance. The wall only appears as a gigantic puzzle of randomly arranged letters. Gradually, identification of the language emerges in the reader’s mind, giving it significance and facilitating comprehension of the text.
Lines served by Concorde Metro station
Paris Metro Line 1
Line 1 of the Paris Metro runs from the northwest to the southeast, from La Défense–Grande Arche to Chateau de Vincennes. A future extension to the east is planned to Val de Fontenay.
The line was the first part of the network to open. Its first section went into service in 1900. It is also the first line in the network to be fully run by machines.
Places of Interest
At various points throughout its route, Line 1 is close to prominent destinations like Place de la Concorde (obviously). These include some of the most recognizable landmarks in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and the Bastille and its nearby opera.
The Grande Arche in La Défense, Hotel de Ville, Place de la Nation, Chateau de Vincennes Paris Zoological Park, Bos de Vincennes, Louvre station, and Gare de Lyon station are also close. Imagine the number of places you can go!
Paris Metro Line 8
Paris Métro Line 8 follows a parabolic path on the Rive Droite of the Seine from Balard in the southwest to Pointe du Lac in the southeast. It opened in July 1913 as the last line of the 1898 Paris Métro plan, connecting Porte d’Auteuil and Opéra. It’s the network’s eighth busiest and second longest Métro Line after Line 13. Line 7 and it share 38 stops. Line 8 connects to all but three Métro lines (Line 2, Line 3bis, and Line 7bis).
Railway 10’s western segment altered the line in the 1930s. After various extensions, the line reached Créteil – Préfecture station in 1974 after serving the city’s southern portion, the Grands Boulevards, and Bois de Vincennes. Île-de-first France’s subterranean line connected a new department’s prefecture. It crosses the Seine underground between Concorde and Invalides and above ground between Charenton – Écoles and École Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort.
Places of Interest
Several of Paris’s most popular attractions are located within walking distance of Line 8, including Place de la Concorde, with the Luxor Obelisk and the Gardens of the Tuileries (Concorde stop), the Opera Garnier, Cathedral of the Madeleine (Madeleine), and the historic Bastille and the ultra-contemporary Opéra Bastille (Bastille).
There’s also École Militaire, the Champ de Mars, and the Eiffel Tower, all within walking distance of the École Militaire metro stop. Napoléon Bonaparte’s mausoleum is located in the Invalides (Invalides station). Between Madeleine and the Republique, you’ll find the Grands Boulevards.
See Related: Hôtel Beige – 4 étoiles – Paris 9e
Paris Metro Line 12
Line 12 of the Paris Metro travels from Issy-les-Moulineaux, a suburb southwest of the city, to Mairie d’Aubervilliers, the administrative center of the northern suburb of Aubervilliers. It is the eighth busiest line in the entire system.
Line 12 was constructed to link Montparnasse with Montmartre. It was created using a cut-and-cover excavation. Because this method could not be applied below ground, the path parallels the streets above ground. Many of the stations’ original architectural elements are still in use today.
Places of Interest
The 12 Paris metro line provides convenient access to numerous popular attractions, including the Champs-Élysées and other museums, galleries, and residential areas. Abbesses station is convenient for reaching the well-known Montmartre district, where many artists, including Van Gogh and Picasso, once lived.
Getting out at Pigalle station will put you in the heart of the Pigalle neighborhood, where the world-famous Moulin Rouge cabaret can be found. Concorde station provides access to Place de la Concorde, a square at the end of the Champs-Élysées road. The Orsay Museum, including works by impressionists such as Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh, may be reached through the Solférino metro stop.
See Related: Statue of Louis XIV
Sister Station of the historical Place de la Concorde
At the end of the Champs-Elysées is the Place de la Concorde. Built in 1755, Place de la Concorde was originally named Place Louis XV after King Louis XV. It was also named Place Louis XVI. Today, it is known for the Luxor Obelisk, an Egyptian obelisk that is 3,300 years old and was put up on the square in October 1836. Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris!
In what was then called the Place de la Révolution, a guillotine was installed during the French Revolution. More than a thousand individuals were executed there by guillotine, notably King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. Place du Terror became Place de la Concorde in 1830, following the end of the Reign of Terror.
It is also known for the luxurious hotels surrounding it and the two monumental fountains, Fontaine des Mers and Fontaine des Fleuves. Between 1836 and 1846, the architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorf changed the square into what it is today. Concorde metro station is nearby; you can almost call it a “sister station” to the square.
See Related: Fontaine aux Lions
Attractions and landmarks near Concorde Station
It only gets better. The Concorde Metro station is situated in the perfect place for tourists! There are so many places you can go from this station that you will be satisfied just from there!
Pont de la Concorde
Did you know the Bastille was torn down to start the French Revolution? Well, it was, and the rubbles were used to build this five-arched bridge called Pont de la Concorde. Jean Rodolphe Perronet, a famous bridge builder and architect, designed it. Work on the bridge continued through the French Revolution and finished in 1791.
The Pont de la Concorde crosses the Seine at Place de la Concorde to connect the Quai des Tuileries on the left bank to the Quai d’Orsay on the right. In 1810, Napoleon placed statues of French generals on the bridge. The statues, but not the generals, were too heavy for the bridge, so they were moved to Versailles.
See Related: Colonne Vendôme
The Luxor Obelisk
The Luxor Obelisk dominates the busy Concorde Square. It is a 3,000-year-old relic from Egypt that used to stand outside the Luxor Temple. The 75-foot-high structure is an impressive display of grandeur and power. It has a golden color, a pointed pinnacle, and intricate hieroglyphics. Place de la Concorde has long been connected with royal and imperial power, so the location makes sense. Taking in its impressive size and shape will be worth your time.
See Related: Fun & Interesting Facts About Paris
Fountains of Place de la Concorde
In the heart of Paris, on the Place de la Concorde, are two massive fountains known as the Fontaines de la Concorde. They were built during King Louis-Philippe’s reign in 1840. The fountain to the south honors France’s maritime industry. Meanwhile, the fountain to the north celebrates the country’s river trade.
See Related: Hotel Auteuil Tour Eiffel
Tuileries Garden
Place de la Concorde has a constant activity that might be tiring. But the peacefulness of the Jardin des Tuileries can be yours in minutes. Greenery, luscious blossoms, and beautiful walkways abound in this formal garden. This garden was owned by the French aristocracy who resided in the adjacent Palais du Louvre.
You can put together a picnic and relax on a bench in Tuileries Gardens! You can also stroll through the garden’s winding paths and listen to the water trickle in the fountains. At its eastern end is the Louvre Museum, which you can visit if you feel very adventurous.
See Related: Beaugrenelle
Hôtel de Crillon
In 1758, Ange-Jacques Gabriel created this five-star hotel for the Count of Crillon. The guillotine was located on their front steps, but the family held on to the mansion through the Revolution. In 1778, King Louis XVI and American ambassadors signed the Treaty of Friendship and Trade Agreement at the Hotel de Crillon.
It was transformed into a 5-star hotel at the turn of the 20th century and has remained so until the present day. In the 21st century, the hotel underwent extensive renovations and modern upgrades.
Hôtel de la Marine
Hôtel de la Marine stands as a prominent landmark on the Place de la Concorde. See the renovated 18th-century apartments and their elegant reception rooms! This Paris landmark even has a restaurant.
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