Paris metro line 4: stations, route...
Paris metro line 4 is special for having transfers with every other metro line, making it the second busiest line after the line 1.
Among the four first metro lines, it was the first to cross the capital from north to south and go under the Seine. Linking the Porte de Clignancourt in the north to Montrouge city hall, it serves the heart of the city, including the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. Its creation in 1900 engendered colossal construction works, and head engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe had to be inventive to bring the metro under the Seine.
The complete list of stations on line 4
The 28 stations of line 3 stop at a variety of unmissable places in the capital. Here is the complete list of stops and transfers :
- Porte de Clignancourt
- Simplon
- Marcadet – Poissonniers : transfer to line 12
- Château Rouge
- Barbès-Rochechouart : transfer to line 2
- Gare du Nord : transfer to line 5 and RER B, D and E. This station is also serves the Eurostar route to London.
- Gare de l’Est : transfer to lines 5 and 7 and the TGV, intercity, and TER station.
- Château d’eau
- Strasbourg – Saint-Denis : transfer to lines 8 and 9
- Réaumur – Sébastopol : transfer to line 3
- Etienne Marcel
- Les Halles : transfer to lines RER A, B and C
- Châtelet : transfer to metro lines 1, 7, 11 and 14
- Cité
- Saint-Michel : transfer to the RER B and C
- Odéon : transfer to line 10
- Saint Germain-des-Prés
- Saint-Placide
- Montparnasse Bienvenüe : transfer to lines 6, 12 and 13 as well as the TGV, Intercity and TER station.
- Vavin
- Raspail : transfer to line 6
- Denfert-Rochereau : Transfers to line 6, the RER B and the Orlybus.
- Mouton-Duvernet
- Alésia
- Porte d’Orléans : transfer to tramway line T3
- Mairie de Montrouge
Monuments and tourist sites served by line 4
Getting off at the Barbès Rochechouart station and go to the Luxor cinema with its historical decors inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture.
You can stop at Réaumur Sébastopol to go to the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers and the museum dedicated to it, located a few steps away from the Metro exit. This station is also the stop for the Gaîté Lyrique, a mecca for digital expos and concerts.
Châtelet will take you to the Forum des Halles. Recently renovated, this enormous shopping center is surrounded by warm restaurants and small bars. From this metro station, you can get to the Louvre on foot.
Located on the island of the same name, Cité station is located next to the Hôtel Dieu, the oldest hospital in Paris. This stop is also the only way to access the island via the metro, which is only served by the line 4.
Saint Michel station is located a few steps from Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. It’s the easiest station to get there on foot. In the heart of the Latin Quarter, Odéon station is just a few minutes’ walk from the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens and the museum of the same name.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés station is in the heart of the artists' district with the famous boulevard of the same name, the iconic "Café de Flore", and its church that gives the district its name.
Also in the 6th arrondissement, you can go to the Saint-Sulpice church by getting off at the metro stop with the same name.
Continuing to the north of the capital, you will reach Montparnasse with its train station and skyscraper. The tower houses a panoramic observatory with an unbeatable view over Paris.
Finally, get off at Denfert Rochereau to go to the entrance of the Paris Catacombs, a visit worth a detour!
Among the stations on line 4, some are worth a visit in themselves. Here’s a quick tour:
Cité station, which offers a special atmosphere. It has light fixtures that give off a green light. With the way it reflects of the station’s white tiles, you would think you were on the set of a science fiction movie.
If you get off at Reaumur Sebastopol you can see a small interactive exhibition dedicated to the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, located not far from there. LCD screens present the teaching programs at the conservatory.
A tribute to artists who loved the neighborhood, Saint Germain des Prés is equipped with video projectors showing excerpts of literary works on the station’s walls. There are also showcases displaying stories of young literary talent.
