Gare de la Bastille

The Gare de la Bastille once stood as a bustling railway terminus here in the twelfth arrondissement, distinguished by its role as the final station in Paris operated entirely by steam locomotives. Designed by architect François-Alexis Cendrier, it opened in eighteen fifty-nine to connect the city with Vincennes and later expanded to reach Verneuil-l’Étang. By the nineteen twenties, the station moved thirty million passengers every year, serving both daily commuters and weekend travelers heading for the countryside.