Paris Metro Line 6 Must-Sees

Line 6 is, hands down, my favorite metro line in Paris. It may sound strange to have a preference, but trust me, it’s for good reason. A lot of this line runs above ground, meaning you see the city on your commute, and it crosses the river Seine while giving you spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower.

It also takes you to several other must-see sights around town.

Metro Line 6 History & Overview

Inaugurated between 1900 and 1906, this Paris metro line was initially called Circulaire Sud, southern circular, due to its semi-circular path through the southern part of Paris.

Metro Line 6 starts at station Charles de Gaulle Étoile which lies just under the famous Avenue des Champs Elysées. It then swoops down south across the Seine, taking passengers to the major transit hubs of Montparnasse Bienvenüe and Denfert-Rochereau, before passing Place d’Italie and heading north back across Seine between Quai de la Gare and Bercy, and ending at Nation. 

Nearly half of the line is above ground; out of over 8 miles (13.5 kilometers) of track, almost 4 miles (6 km) let riders watch the city go by. The stretch between Bir Hakeim and Passy offers the best views of all as the metro takes you across the river Seine.

La six stays above ground until Sèvres-Lecourbe, re-emerges for Saint-Jacques, dives back down for Place d’Italie, and stays above ground from Nationale, giving you a look at the boats moored along the quays of the Seine before going underground at Bercy, emerging only for a brief over-ground stop at Bel-Air.

This constant up and down make Line 6 a fun one to ride.

Étoile to Bir-Hakeim: Iconic Views & the Eiffel Tower

Line 6’s three unmissable stops all come right at the start:

• Charles de Gaulle–Étoile – right beneath the Arc de Triomphe
• Trocadéro – the best vantage point in the city for photographing the Eiffel Tower, plus the underrated Musée de l’Homme
• Bir-Hakeim – get off at this station to actually visit the Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars

And the ride between them is a sight in itself: this is the stretch where the metro runs above ground and crosses the Seine, giving you a view of Paris’s Iron Lady that’s hard to beat.

For the best view of the Eiffel Tower from Metro Line 6, sit on the right side facing the rear if you’re heading towards Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, or the left side facing the front if you’re heading towards Nation — and you won’t even need to get off the train

Dupleix to Chevaleret: Markets, Catacombs, & Street Art

At Dupleix, you find one of the best food markets in Paris. Edgar Quintet is where to stop for the lesser-known but very atmospheric Montparnasse Cemetery, the final resting places of many French and foreign writers and philosophers including the graves of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.

Then Denfert-Rochereau gets you to the Catacombs.

Fans of street art, be sure to hop off at Place d’Italie to discover the charming village of La Butte-aux-Cailles and its fabulous street art. You can also head up Boulevard Vincent Auriol, the long street taking you from Place d’Italie to the Seine, to take in even more urban art.

This whole area is a veritable open-air street art museum, with enormous murals adorning the high-rise apartment buildings. You can exit at Place d’Italie or Chevaleret and set off on foot to admire all the extra-sized artworks, but you can also spot many of the murals from the metro too.

But the 13th Arrondissement isn’t all about street art. This southern Paris neighborhood also has the world’s largest incubator for start-ups, Station F, which also home to the coolest food court you’ve ever seen, La Felicita.

Quai de la Gare to Nation: Seine Riverbanks & the Eastern Terminus

The next stop, Quai de la Gare, is perfect for spending time on the Seine’s many riverboats that have been reinvented as bars, live music venues (like La Dame de Canton), and even a swimming pool.

Just across the Seine, Bercy is where to catch an international bus line or attend an event at one of Paris’s largest entertainment venues, the AccorHotel Arena (more often simply called Bercy by Parisians).

The line’s eastern terminus is at Nation, a large place presided over by statues on two tall columns on either side of the main boulevard: the Colonnes de la Barrière du Trône.

Should you want to stretch your legs after a long metro ride, take a walk down the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. This street passes through the local-favorite Paris neighborhood of Ledru Rollin which is bustling with boutiques and bistros, and takes you on to Bastille.

Line 6 Metro Map & Station List

All 28 stations of Paris’s Métro Line 6 are listed below, with major hubs in bold.

Want to learn more about le métro? Here’s how to take the Metro in Paris along with our guide to all the Paris Metro Lines.