You may take it every day without knowing it, but La Fourche station on line 13 was considered the ugliest in Paris according to Le Parisien. This reputation is due to a terrible accident in 1964 when a bus crashed into the station after taking a wrong turn, damaging its original appearance. Since then, a huge concrete guardrail had replaced the beautiful entrance dating from 1911… It took until 2026 and nearly 11 months of work to say goodbye to this cold and austere “bunker.” And the result is sublime!
The “ugliest metro station in Paris” finally regains its former beauty
After 11 months of work and more than €700,000 spent, local residents have finally been able to rediscover the beauty of La Fourche station on line 13. It must be said that the station had changed dramatically since the terrible bus accident in 1964! Since then, most users had almost become accustomed to this concrete entrance, which looked more like the entrance to an austere bunker than a metro station.
ugly metro station Paris @mairie17
Now that’s all in the past, as the cold gray concrete has been replaced by a design identical to that of its inauguration in 1911. Visitors can admire beautiful green ironwork that serves as a barrier, as well as magnificent ceramic tiles surrounded by an elegant plant frieze. A beautiful project that has greatly contributed to the preservation of Parisian heritage! So today we can say that La Fourche station is definitely no longer one of the ugliest in Paris, and that’s news we’re delighted to hear.