1. The Paris metro was first added to the city for the World’s Fair of 1900, with the aptly-named line 1. Today, 16 lines of metro tracks connect 303 different stations, each of which is labeled with a sign advertising the métro or métropolitain.
2. The first metro entrances were designed in the Art Nouveau style by Hector Guimard; a few of these originals remain today. He designed both basic entrances and more ornate canopied entrances, like this one, which you’ll find at the Abbesses stop in the 18th.
3. Some entrances are far more modern, such as this one at Bourse, in front of the Paris stock exchange.
4. This red M with the word métro written across it is the only one of its kind in the city; it can be found at the stop Sentier.
5. Perhaps the most ornate is this entrance behind the Louvre, located on place Colette. Known as the “Kiosque des noctambules,” it was designed by Jean-Michel Othoniel and added to the cityscape in 2000, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Paris métro. It is made with spheres of Murano glass and is intended to represent Paris’ nightlife.
6. I think my favorites, however, may be these simple Art Deco ones that you’ll find throughout the city center. They’re relatively plain but retain that old-school Parisian charm.
I like the simple ones too