Bastille
Watched over the by spirit of Liberty, perched at the top of the Colonne de Juillet, Parisians are particularly fond of the atmosphere in Bastille: shopping by day and partying by night, all peppered with revolutionary ambitions... More than two hundred years after the storming of the Bastille, it is still usually at this site that demonstrations converge. Political, festive and industrious, the Bastille district offers visitors an attractive insight into the spirit of the capital.
Revolutionaries, workers and party-goers
On 14 July 1789, Parisian revolutionaries stormed Bastille prison, the symbol of Royal absolutism. The sinister building, of which almost nothing remains today, had only seven prisoners left at the time, but that was irrelevant. This historic event, which has since become a national cause for celebration every year in France, marked the district’s identity for ever.
Bastille owes its revolutionary past to the population of workers who, at the time, lived in Faubourg Saint-Antoine. Woodworkers, carpenters and other cabinetmakers not only contributed to the Faubourg’s fame for furniture and interior design, but also to all the Revolutions, including the Commune.
These “dangerous classes”, gave Bastille a bad reputation, in particular when they had been drinking. Popular dances, infamous bars and brothels: after 1918, Bastille became a centre for Parisian pleasures. Nowadays, with its strong police presence, the “Bastoche” is fashionable without being excessively so and attracts young, wealthy Parisians as well as those from the working-class suburbs.
From Place de la Bastille to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine
Surrounded by an incessant flow of cars, the Colonne de Juillet, built in tribute to the Parisians who fell in the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848, looks almost fragile alongside the imposing structure of Paris-Bastille Opera House. Built in 1989, this building proudly displays its modern and refined lines.
Boulevard Beaumarchais abandons itself to photography and bicycle lovers, while Rue de la Roquette, lined with a multitude of cafes and restaurants, heads towards Rue de Lappe. A Saturday night paradise for night owls, this street still maintains a few attractive features inherited from the dances which were organised there in the 1920s. Rue Keller and Rue de Charonne are slightly removed from the surrounding bustle and many discreet and fashionable boutiques are well-established there.
Back to the Bassin de l’Arsenal
Among the nightclubs and well-known fashion shops, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine remains loyal to its initial vocation. Furniture stores still defend their territory and a few artisans continue to eke out a living here and there. They can be found at the rear of courtyards and paved passageways (Bel Air, Cheval Blanc or Etoile d’Or) which are reminiscent of the capital in former times.
Authentic Paris reappears with Place d’Aligre: every day, except on Monday, a colourful food and second-user goods market attracts the crowds. Slightly further away, Avenue Daumesnil offers a distinctive charm with the vaults of the former railway line which run along it having been converted skilfully into an Arts Viaduct which provides a window display for designers and artisans. At the top of the Viaduct, a Green Corridor offers Parisians a little greenery which leads to the Bassin de l’Arsenal. There, the horizon opens out and the light finds a comfortable setting: behind the boats at the quayside, it is possible to see the Seine.