Gare de l'Est

At the entrance to Gare de l’Est, you see a station with a rich history dating back to the nineteenth century. Originally named “Strasbourg Pier” to serve eastern France, it was renamed Gare de l’Est in 1854. In 1883, the famed Orient‑Express departed from here, linking Paris and Istanbul.

Extensions occurred in 1885 and 1900, and from 1926 to 1931, the station doubled in size with a new wing. A further expansion in 2007 accommodated the high‑speed TGV‑Est service. The façade features abstract statues and semi‑circular windows; inside, arcades adorned with coats of arms of eastern French towns lead to the large Alsace and Saint‑Martin halls topped by high glass roofs.

Serving over 41,000,000 passengers per year, it’s the fifth busiest station in Paris. The “Banlieue” and “Grandes Lignes” platforms offer local, national and international travel. Lines 4, 5 and 7 make access easy. Gare de l’Est remains a vital transport hub with architectural prestige.