Paris Metro stops did much to turn mundane city transport hubs into an art form, and perhaps the most beautiful of all is Abbesses Metro station Paris.
Abbesses Metro is the crowning glory of Paris Art Nouveau, with its dragonfly-style entrance, decorated in gorgeous Parisian murals and it’s also a famous movie location. And it’s a short, easy stop on your way around Montmartre.
In this guide to the Abbesses Metro station I show you what to see and tell you its history and its context as one of the most famous Paris Art Nouveau sites. Take a few minutes to browse, view the images and enjoy.
Where To Stay Near Abbesses Metro
Edgar Suites Montmartre – beautifully designed aparthotel near the top of Montmartre, very close to Sacré Coeur
La Bohème Apartments & Suites – stunning apartments on one of the most beautiful streets in Paris, Rue St Rustique
Hotel Audran – excellent mid-range hotel in brilliant location 200 metres from Abbesses Metro – a great base for wandering the Butte de Montmartre and exploring the rest of Paris
Hotel Bohem – Sacré Coeur – lovely quiet option, beautifully designed rooms, just down the north side of Montmartre hill and next to Lamarck-Caulaincourt Metro station
Why Visit Abbesses Metro?
Abbesses is possibly the most beautiful of all Paris Metro stations. Its entrance is one of just two original glass canopy structures – édicules – with the front shelter resembling a butterfly or dragonfly wing – remaining on the entire Paris Metro network.
Abbesses is the deepest Paris Metro station, its platforms 36 metres – and 144 steps – below ground
Its long winding staircases are decorated with murals depicting Parisian scenes – otherwise you can always take the elevator
Abbesses Metro features in some scenes in the wonderful Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie Amélie (titled Le Fabuleux Destin d’ Amélie Poulain in France)
The platforms at Abbesses Metro are also beautiful, the walls and ceiling covered with bright white and navy-blue ceramic tiles
Abbesses Metro Paris History
Abbesses Metro station was opened on 31st October 1912, and was originally a stop on the Nord-Sud company’s line A before being incorporated into the single Paris Metro.
Line A was renamed line 12 in 1931.
The station is named after the Abbesses of the former Montmartre Abbey (Abbaye de Montmartre), which was closed in 1790, and demolished a few years later – the only remnant of this is the church of St Pierre de Montmartre, which stands across the street from the Sacré Coeur Basilica.
The famous Paris Art Nouveau entrance portal by Hector Guimard was moved from the Hôtel de Ville station to Abbesses in 1974.
This glass ‘butterfly’ style édicule is one of only two originals to survive in Paris – the other is at Porte Dauphine, the terminus of Metro line 2. There is also a later reconstruction at Châtelet on line 1.
The 2001 movie Amélie is set in the Abbesses area of Montmartre, but the station scenes were filmed at a vacant platform at Porte des Lilas Metro instead.
Where Is Abbesses Metro?
Abbesses Paris Metro station is situated on Place des Abbesses, in the 18th arrondissement (administrative district) of the city. Place des Abbesses is located on Rue des Abbesses,
It is around halfway up the Butte de Montmartre (Montmartre hill), a short walk from the lower station of the Montmartre funicular. Visiting Sacré Coeur and Place du Tertre from Abbesses is easy, a steep, mainly stepped walk to the summit of the Butte de Montmartre.
Getting To Abbesses Metro Station
Abbesses station is on Paris Metro line 12, which runs from Mairie d’Aubervilliers in the north of Paris to Mairie d’Issy, in Issy-les-Moulineaux to the south-west of the city.
Line 12 also links Montmartre with Montparnasse, which later also became a popular area for artists.
It is located between Pigalle (which is also on line 2) and Lamarck-Caulaincourt station on the north side of the Butte de Montmartre.
If you’re travelling to Abbesses by Metro, doing so via line 2 is one of the easier options. If you change at Pigalle line 2 station, you then only need to change for line 12 and travel to the next stop (Direction Mairie d’Aubervilliers) to Abbesses.
It’s also possible to reach the Places des Abbesses and Abbesses Metro stop on the useful RATP bus 40, which continues up the hill to Place du Tertre and the heart of Montmartre.
Montmartre Walking Tours
This superb Montmartre walking tour takes you from the carousel below Sacré Coeur via the Basilica, Place du Tertre, La Maison Rose and Le Bateau Lavoir, concluding at Abbesses.
And this Montmartre tour with a local guide begins down the hill at the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle before exploring the many sights of Montmartre, including Abbesses Metro and the Mur des Je T’aime.
Other Art Nouveau Paris Metro Stations
In total, 86 of the distinctive Hector Guimard Paris Metro signs have survived around the city.
Line 2 – which includes Pigalle, where many passengers change for the one-stop journey to Abbesses – is particularly well-endowed with Hector Guimard Metro signs. Each has the distinctive ‘Métropolitain’ sign and the name of the station written separately at the back of the entrance stairway or escalator.
They – and others around the city – also have the characteristic plant-like pillars holding the sign and lamps. There are also some excellent examples along the Rue de Rivoli, which runs immediately to the north of the Louvre in the 1st arrondissement.
See Also: Art Nouveau Paris – 12 Sights Not To Be Missed
Places To Visit Near Abbesses Metro
The Place des Abbesses is on busy Rue des Abbesses, a great place to stop at a café (the flower-decked Vrai Paris) and watch the world go by for a while.
The Place is also home to the Mur des Je T’Aime, a mural with ‘I love you’ written in around 250 languages (including Welsh – though this one should be changed to something less formal!).
Place du Tertre, Sacré Coeur and the much-frequented charms of Montmartre are a few minutes’ climb up the Butte. Take a walk down the other side of the hill, where you’ll find some of the most beautiful streets in Paris, including Rue de l’Abreuvoir and Rue St Rustique.
You can also seek out more Amélie locations near Abbesses station. Her apartment is around the corner at 56 Rue des Trois Freres and, more famously, the Café des Deux Moulins where she works is down the hill on Rue Lepic.
If you continue down Rue Lepic, you’ll reach the Boulevard de Clichy and Blanche station, where you’ll see a crowd of cameras and phones pointing at something to your right. Turn around and you’ll see one of the best-known Paris icons, the Moulin Rouge windmill in perpetual motion.
Abbesses Metro Station Paris – Final Thoughts
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this article. Abbesses is a delightful Metro stop, and it’s a must-see with anyone with a penchant for Art Nouveau Paris.
I’ve written extensively about Paris and elsewhere in France, and here are more of my articles for you to browse:
Montmartre
Abbesses Metro Station Paris – one of the most beautiful Metro stations in Paris
Rue de l’Abreuvoir – one of the most picturesque streets in Paris
Rue St Rustique Paris – ancient Parisian street in the heart of Montmartre
Sacré Coeur Basilica Paris – the white-domed symbol of Montmartre
General Paris Articles
Best Eiffel Tower Views – over 20 superb vantage points of the most famous landmark in Paris
Sunset in Paris – the best 15 places to see one
Visiting the Arc de Triomphe Paris – all you need to know before you visit one of the great monuments of Paris
Art Nouveau Paris – 12 stunning buildings to see
Paris Carousels – the best merry-go-rounds in Paris
Statue of Liberty in Paris – seek out the replicas of Lady Liberty across the French capital
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Famous Paris Bridges – 15 of the most beautiful bridges on the Seine
Pont Alexandre III Paris – the most flamboyant, ornate bridge in Paris
Bir-Hakeim Bridge Paris – stunning double-decker bridge near the Eiffel Tower
Pont des Arts Paris – elegant iron bridge connecting the Louvre and Institut de France
Pont Neuf Paris – the venerable oldest bridge in Paris, and sometime art installation subject
Parks in Paris
Square du Vert Galant Paris – the most romantic garden in Paris
Jardin du Luxembourg – one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris
Tuileries Garden Paris – amazing garden near the Louvre
Parc Monceau Paris – gorgeous folly-filled park near the Arc de Triomphe
Churches In Paris
22 Famous Churches in Paris – 22 ecclesiastical wonders
La Sainte Chapelle Paris – one of the wonders of the Gothic Age
Basilica of St Denis Paris – the birthplace of Gothic architecture
Saint Germain des Pres – landmark ancient Left Bank church
Saint Etienne du Mont – stunning Latin Quarter church
Saint Sulpice Church Paris – vast Neoclassical church dominating the Latin Quarter skyline
Pantheon Paris – the resting place of many famous French luminaries
Saint-Séverin Church Paris – Left Bank Gothic wonder
St Julien Le Pauvre – humble ancient church within sight of Notre Dame