Rue La Fontaine

“A fountain, you say?” someone in the group might ask, puzzled. You’d be right to wonder about the name of Rue La Fontaine. It’s tucked away in the elegant 16th arrondissement of Paris. This street, dear travelers, wasn’t named for the famous French poet, Jean de la Fontaine, as one might assume. Rue La Fontaine actually takes its name from a much simpler source – a humble fountain that quenched the thirst of Parisians for centuries. The real charm of Rue La Fontaine lies in its captivating Art Nouveau atmosphere. This style, made famous in Paris by Hector Guimard’s iconic metro entrances, found a perfect expression here. And no structure embodies this better than the beautiful Castel Béranger at number 14. Completed in 1898, this building with its stylized floral volutes of the Art Nouveau movement quickly became a local landmark. If you venture further down the street, you’ll find Café Antoine at number 17. Step inside, and you’ll be greeted by well-preserved Art Nouveau tiled floors. It’s a whisper of the past, a glimpse into a more elegant era. Continuing our Art Nouveau journey, we encounter Rue Agar, a side street branching off Rue La Fontaine. It seems fitting that even the lettering of its street sign carries a touch of floral inspiration. But Rue La Fontaine holds stories beyond its architecture. At number 96, a literary giant was born – Marcel Proust, the author of the monumental “In Search of Lost Time”. Though the house itself is no longer standing, the street still echoes with the memories of his childhood and the genesis of his masterpiece.