Route d’Enghien

“Lost in the labyrinthine streets of Paris?” a flustered tourist might ask, clutching a crumpled map. “Not on the Route d’Enghien,” comes the knowing reply. The Route d’Enghien, a street steeped in history, stretches through the heart of Paris’s 10th arrondissement. It begins near the bustling Faubourg-Saint-Denis, a stone’s throw from the exotic Passages Brady and de l’Industrie. It ends at Faubourg-Poissonnière, after crossing the Cour des Petites-Écuries and Rue d’Hauteville. This 420-meter artery pulses with the lifeblood of the city, a blend of old and new. The Route d’Enghien was officially christened in 1814, a tribute to Louis Antoine de Bourbon-Condé, the Duke of Enghien. However, its story begins earlier, in 1792, when it first opened under a different name: Rue Mably. This honored Gabriel Bonnot de Mably, a philosopher and former canon of Saint-Barbe Abbey. The street wasn’t simply a thoroughfare. It played host to artistic endeavors, like Adolphe Goupil’s art publishing and print shop in the 19th century. Later, the intoxicating scents of Delettrez perfumes wafted from number 11, before the shop moved to numbers 15-17. The Route d’Enghien also housed significant organizations. The Société des Voiliers Français had its headquarters at number 12. Today, Greenpeace France occupies number 13, and the Ahmet-Kaya Kurdish Cultural Center resides at number 16. Numbers 18 and 20 tell a particularly fascinating tale. These buildings housed the newspaper *Le Petit Parisien* and its supplements, including the weekly *Le Miroir*, from 1878 to 1944. Rebuilt in 1914, this building was the nerve center for Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign. Even literary giants found inspiration in the Route d’Enghien. Honoré de Balzac featured its bustling messageries in his novel *Un début dans la vie*, specifically mentioning the Lion d’Argent hotel at the corner of the street. The Route d’Enghien whispers stories of revolution, art, politics, and literature. So, next time you find yourself on this vibrant street, remember the layers of history beneath your feet.