“A ghost station? Right here in the heart of Paris?” you might ask, eyebrows raised in disbelief. And you’d be right, except…this isn’t about a metro station. This, my friends, is Place de la Gare du Bas, a square with a story as grand as its name. You see, this seemingly unassuming place was once home to the mighty Gare de la Bastille, a bustling train station that marked the rhythm of Parisian life for over a century. Imagine the steam, the clatter of arriving and departing trains, the excited chatter of travelers. Opened in 1859, the Gare de la Bastille was a key terminus for the Ligne de Vincennes, a railway stretching over 34 miles to Verneuil-l’Étang. This wasn’t just any line, mind you. It started as a strategic link to the Fort de Vincennes but quickly blossomed, carrying millions eager to escape the city for weekend jaunts or commute to their daily lives. The Gare de la Bastille even had a unique claim to fame – the “Train des Roses”. Imagine this: before dawn, a train laden with over a million fragrant roses from vineyards along the line arrived, ready to perfume the markets of Les Halles. Alas, all good things must end. With the rise of the metro and automobiles, the station fell silent in 1969. The grand old dame of Parisian travel was demolished in 1984, making way for the modern Opéra Bastille. But her memory lives on, whispered in the name of this square and the echo of a time when steam engines ruled the rails.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.