Trips To Paris

Where the famous and infamous Bastille prison used to stand, there is nothing left to remind of it but a square, bearing its name. The Bastille was completely demolished between 1789 and 1790, in the period of the French Revolution.

In Place de la Bastille there are 3 Parisian arrondissements meeting: the 12^th, the 11^th and the 4^th. The surrounding area is also called Bastille.

In the center of the square rises a column called the July Column, to remind of the Revolution in July 1830. Some of the area’s marks are the Bastille Opera, a part of the Saint Martin Canal and the subway station also named Bastille. The opera house was built in 1984 on the former railway station with the name of Bastille.

There are a lot of cultural events taking place in this square. The area in the North-Eastern side of the square is packed with bars, cafes, concert halls and night clubs.

Due to the History of the place, many political demonstrations are organized here.

On the place where the fort used to be there is now the building of the Opera. The former ditch of the fort is now a marina where pleasure boats can tour the area, passing the Bassin de l’Arsenal and Canal Saint Martin.

Thursday and Saturday are the days when the park on the north part of the square hosts an open-air market. Here small producers sell fresh meat, fish, fruit and cheese.

The only remains of the fort are the ruins of a tower, uncovered during some excavations at the metro station in 1899 and which were moved to the Henri-Galli Square to be displayed for the public. The contour of Bastille was set with special paving stones on the sidewalks and on the streets passing over the former location.