Forgotten relics whisper stories of Paris’s past. Today we are standing at Chemin de la Station. It is a path with a tale.
Chemin de la Station is in the 19th arrondissement. It begins at avenue de Flandre and avenue Corentin-Cariou. The path ends as a dead end. It is not a long walk. The path is just 55 meters long. It is about 3 meters wide.
The name Chemin de la Station is a clue to its past. Chemin de la Station means Station Path. This path led to the Petite Ceinture railway. Specifically it led to the Pont de Flandre station. Imagine passengers hurrying along here. They were heading to or from the train.
The Petite Ceinture was a circular railway. It surrounded Paris. It opened in the 19th century. The railway helped connect different parts of the city. It also transported goods. The Pont de Flandre station was one stop on this line.
Today the Petite Ceinture is no longer in full operation. Parts of it have been repurposed. Some sections are now parks or walking trails. Chemin de la Station reminds us of this railway. It evokes a time when trains crisscrossed Paris.
Now as you stand here on Chemin de la Station consider the people who once walked this path. They were travelers commuters and locals. This short path connected them to the wider world. It was a vital artery in the city’s transport network.
Although short Chemin de la Station is significant. It links us to Paris’s rich railway history. Next time you travel via the Metro or RER remember the Chemin de la Station. It and other relics are remnants of old Paris. They evoke times long since past.